Vroom Vroom! This is how a sculptor relived his childhood dreams
Source: Imgur via Reddit
Pretty cool stuff. Artist Lorenz Quinn sculpted this one and used his own car. Check out his website.
Image courtesy: Imgur via Reddit
Infograph: U.S. Headlight Regulations – Requirements by State
Image courtesy: CarScoops.com
This neat infograph landed in my inbox today.. It offers an interesting roundup of headlight regulations/requirements for states across the U.S. If you are planning a road trip across the country at some point in time, you might as well add this to your list of driving tools.
Image Courtesy: Nissan via CarScoops
Job(s) Alert: Multiple Openings at Connecticut Department of Transportation
1948-style shields for US 6 and US 202 in Connecticut, with the state name abbreviated (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
(via YPTransportation.org)
Current CTDOT employment opportunities are listed below. Please follow the instructions listed on the posting if interested in applying. Many positions require pre-qualification exams, and taking these exams is a great start if you are interested in a position at CTDOT.
For additional information regarding current openings, please contact the Office of Human Resources at (860) 594-3174 or visit the CTDOT Office of Human Resources at 2800 Berlin Turnpike, Newington, Connecticut 06111. For statewide job openings and examinations, please follow the link for the Department of Administrative Services , which allows you to get the job specifications for all State of Connecticut Executive Branch job titles.
Information Technology Analyst
Transportation Engineer Trainee
Transportation Supervising Planner
Job Alert: Transportation Policy Coordinator (11686, Grade J) – Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission
- Job Type: Full time
- Start Date: – n/a –
- Salary: 75-100k
- Location: US – Maryland – Montgomery County
- Job Reference: 11686-Grade J
Description
The Montgomery County Planning Department of the Maryland- National Capital Park and Planning Commission is seeking an experienced supervisor with extensive local government planning experience to lead and manage the day-to-day activities of transportation planning policies.
Examples of Important Duties:
The successful candidate will lead the formation of the County’s transportation planning policies. The transportation coordinator will work with the Department’s travel forcasting team and multi – modal transportation staff to develop an overall approach to transportation to serve Montgomery County into the future. Requirements specific to the transportation policy coordinator position include:
1. Applied knowledge of multi – modes of transportation system mobility policies and current planning trends.
2. Ability to work with local, regional and state agencies to formulate appropriate policies for the Montgomery County Planning Board.
3. Familiarity with all forms of transit and roadway capacity issues and the practices of similar jurisdictions throughout the US and Internationally.
4. Demonstrated ability to work with internal staff and decision – makers to formulate practical policies that move local governments from suburban to a more urbanized transportation network.
Minimum Qualifications:
Master’s degree in Transportation Planning or Transportation Engineering and a minimum of six years of progressively responsible experience.
Click here to learn more and to apply.
Job Alert: Active Transportation Policy Fellow – Safe Routes to School National Partnership @ Greater Washington DC
Image courtesy: saferoutespartnership.org
The Safe Routes to School National Partnership (National Partnership) is seeking a professional and detail-oriented candidate with experience in bicycle and pedestrian advocacy or policy to join the National Partnership as the Greater Washington DC Active Transportation Fellow. This is a temporary, contract position.
The Active Transportation Fellow will work with the Regional Network Manager and Greater Washington DC Regional Policy Manager to advocate for improved transportation funding allocations and policies for Safe Routes to School, Complete Streets and walking and bicycling. Please review the scope of work for the position for detailed information and application instructions.
Required qualifications for the Greater Washington DC Active Transportation Policy Fellow include: demonstrated experience in social media; student work or personal work in bicycle and pedestrian advocacy or policy; knowledge of Safe Routes to School and/or Complete Streets; ability to write case studies, participate in work groups and present to a variety of audiences; self-starter; detail-oriented; proficient with social media such as Twitter, Facebook and WordPress, PCs and with MS Office software. The successful candidate will work from their home office with their own personal computer, internet access and telephone. Candidate must be able to attend meetings throughout the region, some of which are not Metro accessible.
The final deadline for applications is Wednesday, April 24, 2013 by 12:00 p.m. ET. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, so candidates are encouraged to apply early. Telephone inquiries are not accepted.
We look forward to hearing from qualified candidates interested in joining our dynamic, visionary and growing non-profit.
The Safe Routes to School National Partnership was founded in 2005 and is a network of more than 600 organizations. The National Partnership mission is to advocate for safe walking and bicycling to and from schools, and in daily life, to improve the health and well-being of America’s children and to foster the creation of livable, sustainable communities. The Safe Routes to School National Partnership is hosted by the nonprofit Bikes Belong Foundation which is an equal opportunity employer.
USDOT seeks responses to a task order proposal for two of its traffic flow optimization concepts
The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) is seeking responses to a task order proposal for two of its traffic flow optimization concepts
The Task Order Proposal Request (TOPR) is issued under the FHWA IDIQ contracts listed below. Task Order Proposal must be submitted by 3:00 pm eastern standard time on April 30, 2013. Please direct any questions to the contracting officer, Daniel Confer. He can be reached at Daniel.Confer@dot.gov .
ALL Contractors are eligible to compete on this Task Order Proposal Request but they need to partner with the following firms:
- DTFH61-12-D-00040 – Battelle Memorial Institute
- DTFH61-12-D-00041 – Booz Allen Hamilton
- DTFH61-12-D-00042 – Cambridge Systematics
- DTFH61-12-D-00043 – Iteris
- DTFH61-12-D-00044 – Kittelson & Associates
- DTFH61-12-D-00045 – SAIC
The scope of work of this task order is to: (i) develop a prototype of Dynamic Speed Harmonization with Queue Warning, which are two component applications of the Intelligent Network Flow Optimization (INFLO) bundle, (ii) conduct a small-scale demonstration of the prototype, and (iii) collect “before” (pre-demonstration) and “after” (during demonstration) data from the small-scale demonstration which will be used to support the assessment of the impacts of the prototype as well as a regional deployment of the two applications in an operational system. The USDOT expects the Contractor to apply sound software development and project management principles in conducting this work.
The INFLO bundle is a collection of high-priority, transformative applications that target maximizing roadway throughput, reducing crashes, and reducing fuel consumption through the use of frequently collected and rapidly disseminated multi-source data drawn from wirelessly connected vehicles, travelers’ communication devices, and infrastructure. This Statement of Work specifically addresses the prototyping of Dynamic Speed Harmonization (SPD-HARM) with Queue Warning (Q-WARN), a small-scale demonstration of the prototype, and collection of before and after data. SPD-HARM and Q-WARN are two component applications of the INFLO bundle.
Although the INFLO bundle includes a third application, namely the Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control (CACC), further research outside of the scope of this task order will be required prior to prototyping the CACC application. The USDOT wishes to advance SPD-HARM and Q-WARN from concept formulation (completed in 2012 during Phase 1 of the DMA Program) to prototype development and small-scale demonstration of the prototype (to be completed in Phase 2 of the DMA Program) to test if the two applications can be successfully prototyped and deployed in the future. The data and findings from the small-scale demonstration will help USDOT make more informed decisions regarding the technical feasibility and potential impacts of deploying the two applications more widely. Similar prototyping and small-scale demonstrations will be conducted for each of the DMA high-priority bundles. In Phase 3, the DMA Program will seek suitably tested and promising application bundles from the six high priority bundles for possible inclusion in a larger scale pilot deployment operational test.
A short description of the two INFLO applications is provided below. For a detailed description, please refer the INFLO Concept of Operations (1 Mahmassani, H., Rakha, H., Hubbard, E., and D. Lukasik. Concept Development and Needs Identification for Intelligent Network Flow Optimization (INFLO): Concept of Operations, Prepared by SAIC for USDOT, June 14, 2012.)
The two applications may be implemented with varying levels of complexities and interrelationships. These levels of complexity and potential interaction may change over time as underlying technologies mature and wireless connectivity between vehicles and the infrastructure becomes increasingly ubiquitous. The USDOT seeks near-term prototype concepts that are likely to yield system and user benefits even at early stages of connected vehicle technology deployment. Further, the concepts prototyped in this task should support an evolutionary path wherein the impacts associated with these applications grow as the number of connected vehicles increases.
Dynamic Speed Harmonization (SPD-HARM): The INFLO SPD-HARM application concept aims to maximize throughput and reduce crashes by utilizing infrastructure-to vehicle (I2V) and vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication to detect impending congestion that might necessitate speed harmonization; generating appropriate target speed recommendation strategies for upstream traffic; and communicating the recommendations to the affected vehicles using either I2V or V2V communication.
The SPD-HARM concept reflects an operational environment in which speed recommendation decisions are made at a Traffic Management Center (TMC) or a similar infrastructure-based entity, and then communicated to the affected traffic. In such an environment, the SPD-HARM application resides within the infrastructure-based entity and is external to the vehicle. Such an approach was taken since an adhoc V2V communication is not well suited to providing a comprehensive view of the roadway traffic conditions, which is fundamental to effective speed harmonization. Communication of target speed recommendations to the affected vehicles will always give priority to crash avoidance/mitigation safety applications when such applications determine that a safety alert is necessary.
Queue Warning (Q-WARN): The INFLO Q-WARN application concept aims to minimize or prevent impacts of rear-end or secondary collisions by utilizing I2V and V2V communication to detect existing queues and/or predict impending queues; and communicate advisory queue warning messages to drivers in advance of roadway segments with existing or developing vehicle queues. The Q-WARN concept reflects an operational environment in which two essential tasks are performed: queue determination (detection and/or prediction) and queue information dissemination. In such an environment, the Q-WARN application may reside in the vehicle or within an infrastructure-based entity, or utilize a combination of both. The queue warning messages may either be communicated by the infrastructure-based entity using I2V communication or broadcast by vehicles that are in a queued state to nearby vehicles and infrastructure based entities. It is important to note that the Q-WARN application concept is not intended to operate as a crash avoidance system (e.g., like the forward collision warning safety application). In contrast to such systems, Q-WARN will engage well in advance of any potential crash situation, providing messages and information to the driver in order to minimize the likelihood of a crash avoidance or mitigation actions later. As such, Q-WARN-related driver communication will always give priority to crash avoidance/mitigation safety applications when such applications determine that a safety-related alert is necessary.
Fellowship Alert: Designing Cities Fellowship @ National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO)
Start Date: May 2013
Duration: 6-month Fellowship
Salary: $25,000-30,000 /year
The National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO), a non-profit association which represents large cities on transportation issues of local and national importance, seeks a recent graduate in the field of city planning, sustainable transportation, architecture, urban design, or public policy for a six-month paid fellowship. Th
_DSC0441 (Photo credit: Eric Gilliland)
e fellow will work on both the Cities for Cycling Project and the Designing Cities initiative.
Responsibilities will include:
- Organize peer-to-peer conference calls for the Cities for Cycling group.
- Assist with development of the 3rd Edition of the Urban Bikeway Design Guide.
- Conduct regular and ongoing outreach to cities around the country regarding the Urban Bikeway Design Guide.
- Help to organize press events and workshops.
- Collect and write up case studies on sustainable transportation topics.
- Collect and post news and information about Cities for Cycling and Designing Cities regularly.
The desired candidate is self-motivated with an interest in working directly with city staff around the country on issues of sustainable transportation and major trends in urban planning, design, and policy.
Qualifications
- Graduate Degree (preferred) or Bachelor’s degree in Urban Planning, Urban Studies, Public Policy, Urban Design, Transportation Systems, or Architecture with a demonstrated interest in sustainable transportation.
- Relevant internship and work experience in sustainable transportation, urban development, and related fields.
Competencies Desired
- Advanced Computer skills in a Windows environment (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint)
- Adobe Creative Suite (Indesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator)
- Experience with WordPress, HTML ,and Blog design
Cover Letters and Resumes should be sent to nacto@nacto.org by April 22, 2013
If you are interested in posting a career opportunity on NACTO’s website, please email david@nacto.org.
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Job Alert: Manager – Environmental and Long Range Planning @ Metro-North Railroad, NYC
via YPTransportation
Metropolitan Transportation Authority (New York) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Objective
This position is responsible for assisting the Assistant Director, Environmental & Long Range Planning in the management and coordination of Metro-North Railroad (MNR) efforts in the identification and resolution of all planning, design and implementation issues related to MTA/LIRR East Side Access (ESA). Ensure protection of MNR interests as ESA design/construction progresses.
Responsibilities
Coordinate, communicate, and disseminate all ESA related issues within MNR with other MNR departments in resolving operational, environmental and institutional issues related to ESA.
Coordinate MNR’s involvement in the multi-agency (MNR, LIRR and MTACC) Rail Activation Plan. Provide support to MNR, MTACC and LIRR and attend Rail Activation Plan Task Working Group Meetings. Work with Metro-North representatives (various departments) to the Rail Activation Plan to ensure that MNR interests are protected. Identify issues from Rail Activation Plan meetings and work with teams to either resolve or bring issues to the attention of senior management. Assist in the preparation of the remainder of the Rail Activation Plan document. Provide assistance in developing Memorandum of Agreements, assessment and negotiation of cost sharing data with MTACC/ESA.
- Provide technical review, recommendations and analyses on Operation impact related to pedestrian flow, customer service, etc. in Grand Central Terminal (GCT)
- Act as liaison when needed, at ESA meetings and other external meetings related to ESA. Prepare and deliver presentations as needed.
- Draft status reports to Senior Management related to ESA
- Develop and coordinate annual internal control reviews
- Provide support for the Long Range Planning Department as designated PeopleSoft Representative
Required Experience
Bachelor’s Degree in Planning Strategic or Regional/Urban Planning, Environmental Studies, Engineering, Public Policy/Administration and/ or related field and a minimum of five (5) years experience in planning, design review and/or technical management of projects, preferably in a transportation operation.
Qualified applicants can submit an online application by clicking here. Applications due by April 16.
About Metro-North Railroad
Playing a vital role in the economy of New York State and Connecticut, Metro-North Railroad, a subsidiary of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), is the busiest commuter railroad in the nation with an annual ridership of over 82 million. A dynamic organization with a strong focus on customer service, safety, and new technologies, Metro-North employs approximately 5,900 people. Operating out of its home base in New York City’s historic Grand Central Terminal, the railroad’s three lines serve 120 stations in seven counties in New York and two counties in Connecticut. In 2011, Metro-North received the prestigious International Brunel Award for Overall Excellence in Railroad Design, recognizing its continuing work as a more efficient operation, its commitment to sustainability, and its focus on providing excellent customer service. Metro-North was the first American railroad to win this coveted award in its 26-year history. The competition is open to all passenger and freight railroads in the world. Metro-North has a reputation for rewarding employee resourcefulness and innovation, and offers excellent job opportunities in a challenging and diverse environment.
Even an Easter bunny is not immune to law enforcement in California’s roads
via NPR Car Talk.
According to KMBC-TV, California Highway Patrol pulled over the man in bunny costume for not wearing a helmet while riding a motorcycle on Interstate 8 in suburban San Diego on Saturday (the day before Easter). Reportedly the Bunny Man (or funny man?) was on his way to an Easter charity event. Looks like he got away with a warning but no tickets.
Hi officer, I wasn’t speeding.. Just hopping along. BTW, my name is Peter Cottontail.
