Your May 18 Pre-Trip: House Republicans extend transportation bill through July

May 18, 2015

Here are five things worth knowing today: Unable to reach an agreement on a long-term transportation funding bill before the May 31 deadline, U.S. House Republicans introduced legislation for a two-month extension, Reuters said. That extension, according to the report, would extend federal spending authority on major infrastructure projects through the end of July, which is about the time the Highway Trust Fund is expected to be depleted.

Cristina Commendatore

Here are five things worth knowing today:

1. Unable to reach an agreement on a long-term transportation funding bill before the May 31 deadline, U.S. House Republicans introduced legislation for a two-month extension, Reuters said. That extension, according to the report, would extend federal spending authority on major infrastructure projects through the end of July, which is about the time the Highway Trust Fund is expected to be depleted.

2. Traffic in East Los Angeles is backed up more than usual this morning after a tractor-trailer carrying glass overturned on the transition from southbound I-5 to Route 60. Officials expect all lanes will be closed for hours as crews clear the truck and glass. The San Francisco Chronicle has more.

3. Full service has been resumed on Amtrak’s Northeast corridor nearly a week after a passenger train crashed in Philadelphia, USA Today reported. Until this morning, services were suspended after last week’s crash, which killed eight people and injured more than 200.

4. GM has recalled nearly 50,000 trucks manufactured between January 6, 104, and April 1, 2015, due to a seat defect, according to Equipment World. According to the recall notice, the hooks that secure the driver’s and/or front passenger’s seat frame may not have been properly attached to the vehicle body during assembly. In the event of an accident, a person in one of the affected seats could be at greater risk of an injury, the notice said.

5. Members from various American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials are gathering this summer to discuss the transportation of people and freight, according to the AASHTO Journal. They are working together to produce a conference, which will be held July 6 through 9 in Salt Lake City, UT.