A $2 million grant has been awarded by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to improve commercial driver license testing in New Jersey.

The funds were allocated to the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (NJMVC) to “launch a mobile CDL testing program, improve outreach to customers and stakeholders in the commercial driving industry, and upgrade existing CDL skills test sites,” as described in a NJMVC news release.

The program will involve two specialized teams that will travel to remote sites in New Jersey and offer CDL skills and knowledge tests. It will be a large-scale initiative that is being coordinated with over 550 statewide districts and driving schools to make CDL testing more accessible to applicants in more rural and underserved parts of the state.

The inspiration for this program came from the popularity of the NJMVC’s Mobile Unit program that followed a similar blueprint of bringing non-driver IDs, driver license renewals, REAL IDs, registration renewals, and other related services to state’s residents, to aid accessibility and convenience.

The NJMVC stated that funding will also be used to aid outreach with stakeholders in the heavy-duty vehicle industry and to promote CDL training in communities. Another target of improvement will be the testing process itself, which will be upgraded to “ensure a safe testing flow, increase testing capacity, and optimize courses for larger commercial vehicles” in accordance with FMCSA and American Association of Motor Vehicle Administration standards.

“By receiving $2 million through the CDLPI grant, drivers across our state will have better access to training materials and testing availabilities, enhancing the safety and preparedness of our workforce on the road,” said New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy. “This investment reflects our commitment to building a stronger and safer driving community in New Jersey.”

The awarding of funds was recognized at a Delanco, New Jersey road test facility on Nov. 1 during a press conference featuring government and industry representatives.

NJMVC Acting Chief Administrator Latrecia Littles-said at the conference that the program will assist with meeting industry demands as well as provide jobs for individuals in marginalized communities. Assemblywoman Andrea Katz addressed the school bus driver shortage in the state, saying that while it’s improving it’s vital to ensure there are enough people to transport students in rural areas that often require longer routes to and from school.

Dan Jauch, president of the New Jersey School Bus Contractor’s Association and vice president of operations at Krapf Bus, said the program will improve efficiency for contractors and that a bulk testing program “demonstrates a thoughtful response to the unique needs of the school bus contractors across out state.”

Vinn White, who had previously served as a senior advisor to Gov. Murphy on transportation and mobility policy and is now the Deputy Administrator of the FMCSA spoke on the benefits of the Commercial Driver’s License Program Implementation (CDLPI) Grant program, from which the funds for the New Jersey mobile CDL testing program are a part of. Overall, he said grant funds help to support the industry, the national economy and encourage individuals to get their CDL license which can aid multiple fields experiencing shortages.

“We know that it can be difficult to access this testing in rural parts of New Jersey and that’s why bringing this to the community is so important,” said White. “FMCSA is proud to invest in Americans breaking down barriers who are working and trying to earn their CDL.”

Related: FMCSA Proposal Seeks to Quicken CDL Process
Related: Turning School Bus Driver Shortages Into Opportunities
Related: FMCSA Renews School Bus Driver ‘Under-the-Hood’ Training Exemption

The post FMCSA Grant to Enhance CDL Testing in New Jersey appeared first on School Transportation News.

A new study on behalf of Milliken has identified the top U.S. states for sustainable energy production. The rapid rise of the sustainable energy sector worldwide has been one of the most important technological and economic stories of recent years. Continued urgency to mitigate the impact of climate change has spurred governments and companies to speed the transition …

The post States With the Most Businesses Focused on Sustainable Energy appeared first on Alternative Energy HQ.

Bucky Badger | Photo by James Gould

With early voting underway and only six days until Election Day, on the streets around the State Capitol and on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus, we asked people who they want to become the next president of the United States and what are the issues that matter to them.

Wisconsin is one of the key swing states that could determine whether former President Donald Trump returns to the White House or Kamala Harris makes history to become the first woman to hold that office.

 At one end of the iconic State Street is the Capitol and at the other lies the UW-Madison campus, home to nearly 50,000 students.

On your way down State Street, you can see shop windows with posters of Kamala Harris while around the Capitol on Monday a “Japan supports Trump” demonstration carried Trump flags.

At the Farmers Market on Saturday there were campaign tables set up with leaflets and flags. The election is hard to escape.

In a series of vox populi interviews, voters who gave only their first names spoke with reporter James Gould.

Jim, a middle-aged man who stopped to talk, said he was voting for “Trump, definitely.”

Asked why, he said former President Donald Trump “has proven he can do the job” and is “hands down” a more capable candidate than Kamala Harris.

The main issues in this election for Jim are the “economy and immigration.”

UW student  Zoe said her top concerns as she casts her vote will be “abortion rights, women’s rights and housing.”

She said women anywhere in the United States should have the “ability to get our help.”

Zoe said it is “truly difficult” for anyone in the “middle class to get affordable housing and live comfortably,” adding that Madison “has recently got so expensive.”

With all that in mind, she is voting for Kamala Harris.

Backing up that claim about the rising cost of living was another UW student, Austin. He added that anyone “working in the middle-class” is having a really hard time. Austin said he believes that “Kamala Harris has a plan to fix it” and doesn’t think Donald Trump has.

A ballot drop box damaged in a suspected arson incident in Vancouver, Washington, on Oct. 28, 2024. (Monika Spykerman/The Columbian)

State and federal authorities are investigating a deliberately set fire that destroyed ballots inside a drop box in southwest Washington on Monday morning.

Ruined ballots were pulled from the drop box at Fisher’s Landing Transit Center in Vancouver. Some may still be able to be duplicated and tallied, officials said.

“It’s heartbreaking. It’s a direct attack on democracy,” said Clark County Auditor Greg Kimsey.

Kimsey said hundreds of ballots were destroyed. It was not immediately known exactly how many ballots were burned or damaged. The FBI is among the agencies investigating the incident.

Vancouver is located in the 3rd Congressional District, where Democratic U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez is running for reelection against Republican Joe Kent. The race is one of a handful nationwide expected to determine partisan control of the U.S. House. In 2022, Gluesenkamp Perez beat Kent by 2,629 votes.

In a statement, Gluesenkamp Perez called for “an overnight law enforcement presence” at all drop boxes in the county through Election Day. “Southwest Washington cannot risk a single vote being lost to arson and political violence,” she said.

At about 4 a.m. on Monday, Vancouver Police responded to a report that the ballot drop box at 3510 SE 164th Ave. was smoking and on fire. When officers arrived, they located a suspicious device next to the box, according to a police report.

The fire was extinguished and the Metro Explosive Disposal Unit collected the device. Arson investigators from the city police and fire marshal office responded.

After viewing the damaged box, Kimsey said it appeared to him that the fire was set outside and got inside the box.

Ballots were last collected from that box at 11 a.m. Saturday. “Anyone who used that drop box after 11 a.m. should get a replacement,” he said.

Voters can go to www.votewa.gov to see if their ballot was received. To get a replacement, call the Clark County elections office at 564-397-2345 or send an email to elections@clark.wa.gov.

Clark County first installed ballot drop boxes in 2005. It now has 23. The one at Fisher’s Landing will be replaced on Monday, Kimsey said.

As a result of the incident, he said the county will modify its pick-up schedule to ensure ballots are retrieved each evening.

Earlier this month, before voting began, someone caused minor damage to a drop box in downtown Vancouver. Kimsey said law enforcement is investigating and did not know if it is related to what occurred Monday.

Meanwhile, police in Portland, Oregon are investigating the discovery of an incendiary device inside a ballot box at around 3:30 a.m. Monday.

In Oregon, the Multnomah County elections division said in a press release that fire suppressant inside the box protected nearly all of the ballots. Three were damaged, and the elections office plans to contact those voters so they can receive replacement ballots.

Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs on Monday denounced the arson and said he’s confident any “impacted voter” will get a replacement ballot in time to participate in the Nov. 5 election.

“I strongly denounce any acts of terror that aim to disrupt lawful and fair elections in Washington state,” he said. “Despite this incident, I have complete confidence in our county elections official’s ability to keep Washington’s elections safe and secure for all voters.”

The leader of the Washington State Republican Party said what occurred in Vancouver reinforces the need for Washington to ditch vote-by-mail.

“Washington needs to get back to in-person, same-day voting,” party chairman Jim Walsh said in a statement. “Our experiment with ‘100% mail-in-voting’ is not secure, because of the broken chain-of-custody issues inherent in mail-in voting. These arson attacks are proof of that.”

Washington State Democratic Party Chair Shasti Conrad urged voters who used the dropbox to check the status of their ballots.

“Voting is safe and easy, and Washington state is proud to have one of the most secure elections systems in the country,” Conrad said in a statement. “We take the rights of every voter extremely seriously.”

Washington State Standard is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Washington State Standard maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Bill Lucia for questions: info@washingtonstatestandard.com. Follow Washington State Standard on Facebook and X.