(Source: Autobloggreen)

Th!nk details U.S. manufacturing, sales plans: hopes to sell City EV for under $20,000

This morning at the Michigan Information Technology Center in Ann Arbor, Th!nk finally gave the media the details of it’s planned expansion into the U.S. market. The short version: by 2010, Th!nk North America hopes to be building electric vehicles in the U.S. These City models (seen above) will be able to go around 70 mph, pass all required safety standards and be targeted at fleet customers, initially. Th!nk NA will be submitting a loan application to the Department of Energy on March 31, and its U.S. plans are dependent on getting this money. Well, Th!nk officials were hesitant to put a firm number out, but Th!nk CEO Richard Canny said that the price to consumers, after government incentives, would probably be under $20,000, but you’ll need to figure in an $80-90 per month fee to lease the battery. 

Click here to read more about this “North American Invasion” plan. 

(Source: TreeHugger)

TH!NK Electric Car Maker Wants to Move to Sweden (or the U.K.)

 Norway’s electric vehicle manufacturer TH!NK has a long and troubled history – gone bankrupt twice, changed hands a couple of times (including a short stormy marriage with Ford) and stopped its production line late last year when the economic crisis hit. But TH!NK’s woes are far from over, it seems, as the company’s leaders try a novel idea: an offer to move TH!NK lock, stock and batteries to a nation willing to prop it up until propserity re-appears. The two current contenders? Battered Britain andSlumping Sweden. Sweden may be in the lead, as Saab has tanked, and Swedish King Carl Gustaf has already reportedly purchased two TH!NK electric vehicles – in blue and gold, of course.

Click here to read more about this “migration” plan.

(Source: Detroit News via Autobloggreen)

 After driving the Chevy Volt prototype and sitting down for a number of discussions, the members of the president’s task force on the auto industry have returned to Washington. While the team was in Michiganover the past few days, they had a chance to see GM’s latest technology, look at what Chrysler has brewing, and spent time reviewing the viability plans of the automakers.

“We have been and will continue to work as hard and tirelessly as we can,” the official said. “This is obviously a very substantial undertaking and we want to move with all deliberate haste.”

The group spent most of the day in Detroit, visiting UAW President Ron Gettelfinger and other union officials in the morning before heading to Warren for meetings with GM and Chrysler.

Advisers to the task force visited Chrysler’s Warren truck assembly plant, meeting Chairman and CEO Robert Nardelli and other top executives, the company said in a written statement.

“In addition to meeting, the group toured the assembly plant and reviewed Chrysler current and future products, including electric and hybrid vehicles,” the company said. The meeting also included Chrysler Vice Chairmen Tom LaSorda and Jim Press and Chief Financial Officer Ron Kolka.

(Source: LiveLeek via  Gizmodo)

Pilot And Stewardess Smoke Hashish During Flight and record their feat.

 Gotta love our funny friend Jesus Diaz@ Gizmodo for this lovely Note he added to his post on Gizmodo:

Note to self:  Never ever book an Aeroflot flight. And with that I really mean “become a pilot and join Aeroflot.” 

No cats were harmed in the making of this video. (This link will take you to another video that shocked a lot of us Gizmodo fans when it became public).

(Source: Federal Computer Week)

The Transportation Department has established a special team to oversee the $48 billion it is slated to receive under the economic stimulus law, said Calvin Scovel, DOT’s inspector general. 

The Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery team would make sure that the department provides accountability and transparency for the massive amount of additional funding authorized by the law, Scovel said in testimony before the House Appropriations Committee’s Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee today. 

However, dealing with that large infusion of money, which must be distributed quickly and with the limited staff resources available, will force the department to limit its focus on its mission of transportation safety, Scovel said.

DOT must balance the quick distribution of funds to create jobs with significant oversight of that money and the $70 billion the department spends annually on safety and mobility projects, he said. The stimulus funds would flow through existing DOT program spending, most of which is channeled to the states in the form of grants, he added.

(Source:  bizjournals.com; Photo courtesy: AndrewJ@Flickr)

AT&T Inc. announced Wednesday that it will spend more than half a billion dollars over the next 10 years on alternative-fuel vehicles.

The Dallas-based telecom giant (NYSE: ATT) will invest $565 million on about 15,000 vehicles over the next decade, including $350 million on 8,000 compressed natural gas vehicles — the largest investment in that vehicle type by an American company in history.

The remaining $215 million will be spent replacing more than 7,000 passenger cars with other fuel-efficient models.

“AT&T and other U.S. corporations have a unique opportunity to partner with the new administration as it works to lead the country out of this economic downturn,” said Randall Stephenson, chairman and chief executive officer of AT&T. “This investment is a first step on our part to help boost other industries while at the same time encouraging wider use and production of efficient vehicles and domestic fuel alternatives.”

Billing it as a way to not only go green but also create infrastructure and jobs in a flagging economy, AT&T said its spending will either create or save about 1,000 jobs each year for the next five years. Both the chassis manufacturing and the conversion to CNG will take place domestically.

Wide access to U.S. roads granted to Mexican trucks in NAFTA would be terminated. Critics cite safety concerns, but a spokesman for the Mexican Embassy calls it ‘protectionism, plain and simple.’

(Source: LA Times)

 (Source: National Post, Canada; Photo: bensonkua@ Flickr)

Organizers for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics have unveiled their $157-million transportation plan for the event.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009 — ISSN 1529-1057

BICYCLES

1) Attacks on Bicycle Commuters Spur Rider-Awareness Campaign

Link to story in The Seattle Times:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008838541_webcyclists10m.html

CAMERAS

2) Governor Gets Plan to Ban Red Light Cameras in Mississippi

Link to AP story:

http://www.wdam.com/Global/story.asp?S=9988021

CARTOGRAPHY

3) California Lawmaker Wants Google Maps to Blur Certain Buildings

All hospitals, schools, churches, and government buildings that appear on online maps would be blurred under proposed legislation.

Link to CNET News story:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10193171-93.html 

Link to video report on KUSI-TV:

http://www.kusi.com/news/goodmorning/40796132.html?video=YHI&t=a

Link to bill from California Legislature: 

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/09-10/bill/asm/ab_0251-0300/ab_255_bill_20090211_introduced.html

MARITIME

4) Third Maritime Safety Package General Framework

Link to memo from the EU:

http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/09/105&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

ROADWAYS

5) I-19 in Arizona Losing Kilometer Signs

Link to story in The Sahuarita Sun:

http://www.sahuaritasun.com/articles/2009/03/06/breaking_news/00mileposts0308.txt

6) Roadkill GPS Navigation System to Protect Animals

Link to National Geographic News story:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/03/090311-roadkill-GPS.html

7) Signs Still Missing in Houston-Area Six Months After Ike

Link to story and video report on KHOU-TV:

http://www.khou.com/news/local/stories/khou090309_mp_signs-blown-down.219b8238.html

SAFETY / SECURITY

8) Freeway Call Boxes Going the Way of the Cassette Tape

Link to story in the Orange County Register:

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/call-boxes-county-2330660-orange-mile

9) Terrorist Watch List Hits One Million

Link to story in USA Today:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2009-03-10-watchlist_N.htm

10) State Officials Report Better Communication with US Department of Homeland Security

Link to story in Federal Computer Week:

http://fcw.com/articles/2009/03/11/states-see-better-communication-with-dhs.aspx

Link to further information from the National Governors Association:

http://www.nga.org/Files/pdf/0903HSASURVEY.PDF

11) Hard Lessons of Fog Tuesday from Abu Dhabi

Link to story in The National:

http://www.thenational.ae/article/20090311/PAGETHREE/53252817/1119/FOREIGN

TELEMATICS

12) Tracking Assets with Telematics

Telematics is helping contractors track and manage their equipment, but the lack of standardization frustrates managers and stands in the way of better productivity.

Link to story in Light & Medium Truck:

http://www.lmtruck.com/articles/petemplate.aspx?storyid=404

13) The Best In-Car Technology

A comparison of infotainment features offered for vehicles.

Link to story from AOL Autos:

http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/wayoflife/03/11/aa.best.in.car.technology/index.html

TRANSIT

14) GPS Systems Will Inform Massachusetts Commuters About Train Delays

Link to story in The Boston Globe:

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/03/11/gps_systems_will_help_inform_commuters_about_train_delays/

Link to news release from the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority:

http://www.mbta.com/about_the_mbta/news_events/?id=16809&month=&year

TRAVELER INFORMATION / TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT

15) Virginia Radio Stations Report Few Glitches with New Traffic Reports

Link to story in The Virginian-Pilot:

http://hamptonroads.com/2009/03/stations-report-few-glitches-outofstate-traffic-reports

VEHICLES

16) World’s First Open-Source Car Hits Geneva Motor Show

Link to column on CNET News:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13505_3-10193838-16.html

17) Analysis of Benefits and Costs of Roll Stability Control Systems for the Trucking Industry

Link to report from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration:

http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/facts-research/research-technology/report/09-020-RP-Roll-Stability.pdf 

News Releases

1) Maritime Safety: Towards Better Prevention of Maritime Accidents in EU

2) King County and Metro Unveil New Tools for Staying in Tune with Transit Disruptions

3) Fujitsu Launches Graphics SoC for Digital Dashboards & Car Navigation

Upcoming Events

APTA 2009 Bus & Paratransit Conference & International Bus Roadeo – May 1-6 – Seattle, Washington

http://www.apta.com/conferences_calendar/seattle_shared/

Today in Transportation History

1779 **230^th anniversary** – The US Congress authorized a Corps of Engineers.

http://www.usace.army.mil/History/Pages/Brief/index.html

=============================================================================================

The Transportation Communications Newsletter is published electronically Monday through Friday. 

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Questions, comments about the TCN?  Please write the editor, Bernie Wagenblast at i95berniew@aol.com.   

© 2009 Bernie Wagenblast

(Source: GAO)

 The Department of Transportation received about $48 billion of recovery funds for investments in transportation infrastructure from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. As with other executive agencies, DOT is faced with the challenges of using these funds in ways that will aid economic recovery, making wise funding choices while spending the money quickly, and ensuring accountability for results. GAO will report to Congress bimonthly on how states and localities use the recovery funds received from DOT.

DOT and Congress will also be faced with numerous challenges as they work to reauthorize surface transportation and aviation programs.

Click here to read the HTML version of the entire report.  Or download the PDF file here. 

[ipaper id=13181892]

(Source:  Wall Street Journal)

Ok. Ok. So this might be a bit wonky, but we never let a good chart go to waste.

This one – which appeared in a GAO report released Tuesday – shows the declining uncommitted balance in the Airport and Airway Trust Fund, a pool of money used to help pay for services such as the Transportation Security Administration and the Federal Aviation Administration.

The trust fund grew over the years mostly from the 7.5% excise tax on tickets and the federal segment fee of $3.40 assessed on every flight. Fuel taxes and other federal fees, like the international arrivals and departure tax, go into the fund as well. As ticket prices decline and travel slows, those taxes don’t produce as much revenue, and the government has been drawing down the fund, which originally was set up to pay for future modernization of air travel. The GAO reported that the uncommitted balance in the Trust Fund has decreased since fiscal year 2001.

Click here to read the entire article.