Image Courtesy: NHTSA, USDOT

The U.S. Department of Transportation today proposed a new, consumer-friendly replacement tire label which would include, for the first time, information about the tire’s impact on fuel economy and CO2 emission reductions. Tires with lower rolling resistance – and proper inflation pressure – can contribute to improved fuel economy (Click here to read the proposal.)

In addition to the new fuel efficiency ratings, the proposal by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) also would provide consumers with two other key pieces of tire performance information – wet weather traction and tread wear. All three ratings would be prominently displayed on a removable label attached to the replacement tire at the point of sale.  NHTSA is required by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to issue a final rule by December 2009.

The new, three-tiered ratings also will appear on safercar.gov to help consumers in compare ratings as they shop for new tires.

Making sure consumers know which tires are the best gas savers could take up to a 2% whack out of the 135 billion gallons of fuel the nation consumes every year, estimates the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

The removable label would be affixed to the tire, but since many consumers never see replacement tires that go on their cars, it would be available online, as well.  NHTSA already has lots of tire information on its SaferCar.gov website.

One of the main trade organizations for the tire industry, the Rubber Manufacturers Association, hasn’t taken a stand yet on the proposed federal rule, but supports the idea in concept.

You can see from the sample that the new label would include–for the first time–information about the tire’s impact on fuel economy and CO2 emission reductions, wet weather traction and tread wear.

NHTSA’s proposal would let consumers look at a single label and compare a tire’s overall performance as it relates to fuel economy, safety and durability, which should be pretty useful for consumers looking to buy a tire.

USAToday reports that the simplified labels have the blessings of an environmental group that has followed the effort. “Armed with efficiency ratings, consumers can choose replacement tires that can cut the gasoline consumption of their current car, minivan, SUV or pickup and save money with fewer trips to the pump,” said Luke Tonachel, vehicle analyst for the Natural Resources Defense Council in a blog note.

Since gas topped $4 a gallon last summer, more effort has gone into developing and marketing gas-saving tires. Goodyear says its new Assurance Fuel Max has 27% less rolling resistance than conventional tires. Michelin says its Energy Saver A/S is 8% more fuel efficient than other tires in its class.

While praising NHTSA for its efforts to push the new rating system, the Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in his blog “…proposal takes the guesswork out of buying the best tires for your vehicle.  Our proposal would let consumers look at a single label and compare a tire’s overall performance as it relates to fuel economy, safety and durability.”  He also noted that “while we’re talking tires, please remember that the best tires in the world will not keep drivers and passengers safe if they are underinflated or if vehicles are overloaded.”

For those interested in reading the proposal, click here.

(Source: Washington Post & Reuters)

General Motors executives will now fly commercial.

Image Courtesy: Autoblog

In a move that reflects the leaner company GM is seeking to become, the automaker on Thursday sought approval from a federal bankruptcy judge to terminate leases for all seven of its corporate aircraft, plus a hangar at a Detroit airport. Facing no objections, Judge Robert Gerber granted the request during a hearing in a Lower Manhattan courtroom that lasted less than 10 minutes.

“The new GM will have no jets — we’re all flying Delta,” GM spokesman Tom Wilkinson said in an interview.

The planes are leased from a division of General Electric and include five mid-range Gulfstream G350 business jets and two ultra-long Gulfstream GV jets, according to court documents.

Then-GM chief executive G. Richard Wagoner Jr. had been assailed by lawmakers at a hearing in November when he and other auto executives flew to Washington on private jets to ask for government funds. In March, Wagoner was pushed out by the Obama administration, which has pumped billions of dollars into GM and Chrysler.

In a recent court filing, GM said it was exercising “sound business judgment” in seeking to end the contracts. “The leases are not necessary or valuable to [GM’s] business activities,” the automaker said in the filing.

Corporate America has long argued that using private jets is a safety precaution and a way to maximize busy executives’ time by allowing them to avoid delays at crowded airports.

Chrysler also recently terminated its two aircraft leases. A spokesman for Ford, the only one of the Big Three Detroit automakers that hasn’t taken taxpayer funds, said the company is seeking to sell its five jets, which have been grounded since late last year. Ford’s chairman and chief executive have been chartering flights on an as-needed basis, the company said.

Click here to read the entire article.

A power struggle between Volkswagen chairman Ferdinand Piëch and Porsche’s management continued to intensify on Friday, just as the company announced that sales had crashed 15 percent.

Image Courtesy: Apture

Sales Tsunami

Friday’s numbers are creating a Tsunami of sorts at the German automaker. Bloomberg reports that Porsche SE’s sales for the period through April 30 declined to 4.64 billion euros ($6.46 billion) from 5.46 billion euros a year earlier, Stuttgart, Germany-based Porsche said today in a statement. The company reiterated that revenue and earnings will fall this fiscal year, based on “extremely poor business” in the first three months of 2009. Porsche’s nine-month vehicle deliveries fell 28 percent to 53,635 cars and SUVs, as Cayenne sales dropped 25 percent to 24,689 units. Deliveries of the 911 fell 18 percent to 20,254 cars. Sales of the less-costly Boxster model, including the Cayman version, fell 47 percent to 8,692 cars.

Changing Partners

The drop in sales will reduce Porsche’s options for paying back more than 9 billion euros of debt stemming from its purchase of a majority stake in Volkswagen AG, Europe’s biggest carmaker.   The sports car maker has entered exclusive talks with the Qatar Investment Authority, the sovereign wealth fund of the energy-rich Persian Gulf emirate. It could acquire as much as 25 percent of Porsche’s voting shares, which have long kept the Porsche family firmly in charge. The Qataris, who would get a seat on Porsche’s supervisory board, may also purchase the options Porsche has on VW shares.  Qatar could bring as much as €5 billion into the company, analysts estimate, helping to relieve the €9 billion debt load that Porsche incurred to acquire 50.76 percent of Volkswagen.

To tide it over, Porsche has applied for a loan of €1.75 billion from a fund the German government set up in March to help companies through the financial crisis. The request is being reviewed in Berlin, with a response expected in the coming days or weeks.

Dream Turned NightMare

Interestingly, the New York Times has a wonderful article explaining how Porsche’s top enchilada reacted to this reversal of fortunes.  When Wolfgang Porsche learned that his family’s sports-car maker, once bent on taking over Volkswagen, now had to beg its giant rival for money, he looked as if he were going to faint.  “He went absolutely white,” said one person briefed on that secret meeting, which involved executives from both companies. “It was as though he’d heard someone died.” A day later, on March 23, fax machines around Germany spit out a piece of paper for Volkswagen’s board members to sign: an emergency loan of €700 million, or $977 million, for Porsche from its former prey — Volkswagen.

Mr. Porsche is now on the verge of accepting Porsche’s integration into Volkswagen, rather than the hoped-for David-versus-Goliath takeover. On top of that embarrassment, Porsche also is seeking outside investors and a government bailout.

“This is becoming a reverse takeover on a financial level,” said Arndt Ellinghorst, head of automotive research at Credit Suisse in London. “Porsche has debt and VW has the luxury of cash.”

The company has responded to the sales drop by periodically suspending production. Porsche will halt work for two days between now and the end of July for a total cutback of 21 days for the fiscal year, Albrecht Bamler, a spokesman, said today.

Controlled by the Porsche and Piech families, the sports- car maker dropped its Volkswagen takeover plans on May 6, saying it will seek talks on creating an “integrated” company that would put Porsche alongside Volkswagen’s nine brands, which also include luxury unit Audi and mass-market manufacturer Skoda. Porsche said today that “there is a consensus” among family members to continue with creating an integrated group.

Arrival of Mr. McNasty & Blame Game

This change in fortunes has brewed a nastiness at the top levels of Porsche’s management that’s unseen in the history of the carmarker.  Controlled by the Porsche and Piech families, the sports- car maker dropped its Volkswagen takeover plans on May 6, saying it will seek talks on creating an “integrated” company that would put Porsche alongside Volkswagen’s nine brands, which also include luxury unit Audi and mass-market manufacturer Skoda. Porsche said today that “there is a consensus” among family members to continue with creating an integrated group.

Porsche CEO Wendelin Wiedeking and Piëch have been exchanging increasingly nasty words in recent days, the daily Süddeutsche Zeitung reported Friday. Piëch blames Wiedeking for increasing the company’s mountain of debt, now around €9 billion, in a failed attempt to take over Volkswagen.

Wiedeking, in turn, has said Piëch has harmed the company with his public criticisms at a sensitive time when the two companies are discussing a merger. Piëch is the grandson of Porsche founder Ferdinand Porsche and left a career at the company to work for Volkswagen in the 1990s.

In a letter to Piëch dated May 13, cited by the newspaper, Wiedeking warned Piëch that he would be help “personally responsible” if Porsche were harmed by Piëch’s verbal assaults. In the rarified world of German boardrooms, such strong language is almost unheard of and reflects the complex pressures brought on by rivalries between the Piëch and Porsche clans, collapsing car sales, industry consolidation and a credit crunch brought on by the financial crisis.

If this is not enough drama wait till you see what happens in the months ahead.  Looking ahead, the company declined to give a precise forecast but said sales were likely to fall below the level in its previous fiscal year.

(Source: The Local, New York Times, Bloomberg)

Image Courtesy: joannapenabickley.typepad.com

Personally, I am a big fan of Google Transit and Google’s approach to making transit a bit more easy for the general public. Today (June 18) being the “Dump the Pump Day” sponsored by the American Public Transit Association, the good folks at Google Transit published a post on their LatLong blog outlining how Google can help you find the transit options in the cities you live.

Here is an excerpt from the blog post by Jessica Wei, Strategic Partner Development Manager, Google Transit: Now, you may wonder how you can plan a transit trip easily if you’re not familiar with your local agency. The answer is – go to Google Maps. So far more than 100 agencies in the United States have made their data available in Google Maps through Google Transit Partner Program. In addition, Los Angeles Metro, City of Edmonton, Houston Metro, and Calgary Transit have released their GTFS data feed to the public so that developers can create innovative transit applications to further promote the awareness of public transportation.Now go to Google Maps on your computer or your cell phone, plan a transit trip, and go catch a train or bus. I bet your won’t miss the congested highway or increasing gas price!”

The last statement in the blog post caught my curiosity leaping and promoted a search on the web (of course using Google)to find out the mobile applications.  Surprise, Surprise!  I found out that this past weekend Google introduced a new version of its glossyMaps application for Android phones.

Version 3.1.0 brings with it several new features, including voice search to go with its text search field and transit and walking directions to go with step-by-step driving directions. “Whether you’re searching for an address, a business, or nearby windsurfing sports, just speak your query and Google Maps will find it,” Google wrote on its mobile blog. “After your search, you’ll see a map of places. To help you decide where to go, we’ve improved our business listings to include content such as store hours, prices, ratings, and reviews.”  Urbanites must be thrilled with this new addition!

Image Courtesy: Google Mobile Blog

The new features were tested by the folks at CNET and they were clearly impressed – an outcome that we have come to expect out of most Google products these days.

Here is what they had to say about the Trip Planner tool:  The trip planner in particular worked extremely well for San Francisco. As with the online version, Google’s Transit works in 250 cities. Indeed, Google Maps quickly and accurately planned and timed my commute, providing options for other routes in the near past and future. To get directions with public transit, tap “Directions'” from the menu, select the middle icon, of a bus, and enter the end point, which can be an address or a business name.

You’re also able to set a specific departure time or arrival time and day. For city-dwellers, accurate walking and transportation directions are a necessity.   Rolled into the release is an experimental feature. Updates, which is connected to Google Latitude, lets you actively change your Latitude status for friends to see–so long as they’re also using the latest version of Maps.

The erasure of Street View as its own map mode is another change you’ll see. Instead, it has been integrated into any search result where the view is applicable. Pressing a point on the map will also bring up a Street View thumbnail if there’s an available image.”

With the growing popularity of transit,  spread of Google Transit in more cities around the globe, such cool new features would make transit a compelling option.  It is a good time to recall that quote by New York Governor David Patterson “Google Maps for Transit is a truly innovative marriage of information and infrastructure. It is a perfect example of how the public and private sectors can partner together to benefit us all — and it didn’t cost New York taxpayers a penny. I applaud my colleagues at the MTA and Port Authority for making this a priority, and our friends at Google for continuing to make the world an easier place to navigate.”

We gotta admit that it definitely got a lot more easier to navigate as of this past weekend!

(Source: Google, CNET)

(Source: Detroit Free Press, The Detroit News, The Auto Channel, The Examiner, EEtimes.com)

Cash for Clunkers hit a speed bump Tuesday, June 16, 2009, in the U.S. Senate. It appears some Senators have “bailout fatigue” in general and “auto industry bailout fatigue” in particular. According to The Detroit News, Republican Senators are pushing back, citing the $85 billion in aid already provided to prop up ailing and bankrupt GM and Chrysler.

Image Courtesy: Apture

Some Democrats, including Diane Feinstien (D-California) also oppose the bill in its current form because they think it does not go far enough to improve fuel economy of vehicles on American Roads (there are, of course, Republicans in the opposition, but they oppose the measure because they think we’ve already spent too much money on the auto industry). As reported earlier, a Cash for Clunkers provision was added last week to a $106 billion bill to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The idea was to attach a Cash for Clunkers provision to an existing bill already moving through the Senate so quick passage could be assured. Wrong.

Senators who support Cash for Clunkers need 60 votes to keep the Cash for Clunkers provision from being removed from the wartime funding bill. That could prove to be a problem.

Just hours after Sen. Judd Gregg, a New Hampshire Republican, denounced the inclusion of the cash-for-clunkers amendment as “unfunded baggage” on the war spending bill this evening, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid delayed a vote until Thursday.

“It passes on new debt. Why would we do that?” Gregg asked in a floor speech. He said he would challenge the measure “at the appropriate time.” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid delayed voting on the bill until Thursday.

Democrats control 58 seats in the Senate. But two — Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts and Robert Byrd of West Virginia — are ill. And Democrats led by Diane Feinstein of California have opposed the legislation as it stands, saying it does not do enough to boost fuel efficiency.

The legislation narrowly survived in the House, but for reasons mostly unrelated to the car-sales measure. Republicans were near unanimous in opposing the spending bill, objecting mostly to a provision that would boost International Monetary Fund lending.

“This bad legislation runs a con game on the American taxpayers and America’s military men and women,” said Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Brighton. He and five other Michigan Republicans voted no.

Michigan Democrat Debbie Stabenow urged quick passage of the stimulus.

“It will not help as a stimulus if it is done six months or a year from now,” she said.

If the Senate approves it, the measure will go to President Barack Obama for his signature. Then the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will have 30 days to put regulations in place for the program which – under the war spending provision – will expire on Nov. 1.

In a related news item from across the Atlantic, Phakamisa Ndzamela writing for Reuters reported that South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Company has so far received the lion’s share of new car orders under the British government’s vehicle scrappage scheme, with sales boosted by an interest in smaller cars, according to figures obtained by Reuters.

The 300 million-pound ($491.9 million) scheme invites motorists to trade in cars more than 10 years old in return for a 2,000 pound subsidy to buy a new vehicle, in an effort to help an industry which has been severely dented by the recession.

The government earlier in the week said the scrappage scheme had resulted in 60,000 new orders in the period from April 22 to June 7.  Out of the 15 car companies in the UK that Reuters contacted, Hyundai was in pole position, stating that its latest figures, which covered the period from April 23 to June 7, amounted to 8,246 new orders

Ford came second in the number of car orders at 8,050 followed by Toyota at about 7,800 vehicles.  Following are company estimates of scrappage scheme new car orders covering the period April 22 to June 17:

• Hyundai 8,246
• Ford Motor Company 8,050
• Toyota Motor Corp 7,800
• Kia Motors UK 7,300
• Volkswagen 4,591
• Vauxhall 3,909
• Nissan 3,202
• Renault 2,600
• Peugeot 2,500
• Citroen 2,500
• Honda 2,335
• BMW and MINI 1,722
• Mazda 1,355
• Volvo 1,161
• Chevrolet 950

EETimes.com reports thatcrisis in the global automotive market is far from over. In May, the European market fell by 5 percent against the same month last year. Nevertheless, within the region, local markets developed extremely different, with Germany adding 40 percent (in terms of units) and Russia declining 57 percent. The reason for the hefty differences were the public incentives for buyers who scrapped their old car and bought a new one in some countries.  The US market has declined by 37 percent over the first five months this year. In may, sales for light vehicles declined by almost 34 percent to 923.000 units.  In contrast to other countries, the incentives in the United States will be connected to the fuel efficiency difference between old and new car.  Japan also fared weak, with sales declining 17 percent in May and 22 percent for the first five months.  the emerging markets, the crisis was far less pronounced. Brazil added 3 percent, boosted by an incentive program. India declined 1 percent in May, but over the first five months the market developed slightly positive with a plus of 2 percent. In China, the economic stimulus package and the reduction of sales tax on cars led to an increase by 55 percent in May. In that month, in China 728.000 light vehicles were sold. Thus, the Chinese market has become extremely relevant for European and Japanese car exporters. As a comparison: The entire European market (not restricted to EC countries) had a volume of 1.3 million units.

In light of all that’s reported, it seems the U.S. politicans needs to do everything to promote Automobile sales, including the passage of this Cash for Clunkers bill.  Wrangling over the details of a bill that can spur auto sales could have some severe consequences on the economy.  Will they do it?  Let’s hope so!

(Source:Autobloggreen & Wired)

Image Courtesy: Wired - Wired's Editor-in-Chief Chris Anderson (L) talks with Tesla's Elon Musk (R)

Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla Motors, is no stranger to controversy and has proved it time and again.  Be it labelling a poor reporter “douchebag” or calling the Toyota Prius “not a true hybrid,” he has always had a way to get into controversies. Appearing at WIRED’s business conference, Disruptive by Design, in Manhattan yesterday and said the following while declaring that he’d like a chance to run Detroit:

It’s not out of the question to have unions, but if there’s going to be a union, they’d better understand that they’re on the same side as the company. I’m against having a two-class system where you’ve got the workers and then the managers, sort of like nobles and peasants […] Most of our experienced factory workers come from unionized environments, and we asked them what benefit did they see in unions. They said, ‘Well, if their boss was an asshole, they had recourse.’ “I said, ‘Let’s make a rule: There will be no assholes.’ I fired someone for being an asshole. And I only had to do that once, actually.

(Source: Autoblog & Consumer Reports)

With Congress on the verge of passing some kind of ‘cash-for-clunkers’ legislation, it’s time to take a look at what cars are worth trading in for the scrappage credit and what models would be better to sell by other means. To help the average Joe Sixpack on the street, Consumer Reports has compiled a list that outlines the Make, model EPA combined mpg rating, etc.  The used cars listed are the newest vehicles likely to be available for less than $3,500, the minimum voucher value. For this to be worthwhile to the consumer, the vehicle’s trade-in value would need to be less than the voucher. Older versions of these vehicles are likely to be worth less, making the vouchers even more appealing. Many of the models have mechanical twins sold by another brand that may qualify, but we have not listed them here. The CR staff has examined the prices and concluded that pre-1993-94 Cadillac DeVilles, Eldorados and Sevilles are all solid candidates.

Click here to read the entire article. In a related news, US Senator Robert P. Casey Jr. (D-PA) has introduced legislation into the Senate that would add motorcycles to the controversial Cash for Clunkers program that was recently passed by both the US House and Senate, though with significantly reduced funding of $1 billion. If passed, the new amended bill would offer a $2,500 rebate for the purchase of a new motorcycle when an older trade-in is scrapped. FYI, Pennsylvania is the home for Harley Davidson, the renowned American motorcycle maker.

(Source: Autoinsane)

How often do we have a crazy coincidence lie this one? Unless such a thing you are about to read happened in a Toyota Prius dealership.  Now, lets read the story.  A 75-year old Maple tree came crashing down Monday in the middle of Broadway Street in Boulder, Colorado. Nothing unusual until you consider it fell on not one, but two, Prius. Our friends at AutoInsane got a video of the aftermath (via YouTube).

Diana Barnett was driving her light-green Toyota Prius with her 18-year old daughter in the passenger seat when she saw a large green blur fall in front of her followed by a “big crash.” In the aftermath Barnett’s Prius was impaled by a large branch from a 75-year old Maple tree blown over by a strong microburst of wind. The branch came down so violently it pierced the front windshield and traveled to the floor-board. Luckly Barnett and her daughter were not seriously injured, although Barnett did go to the hostpital with back pain.  Strange enough, another light-green Prius traveling in the opposite direction, driven by Lisa Bennett was also hit.

BTW, what’s the plural for Prius?  I think Priuses.  Please correct me if I am wrong.

(Source: AP via Google,  Fox Toledo, CSM & Toledo On the Move)

Image Courtesy: Auto Insane - Mayor Carty Finkbeiner

Often we have come across stories that involve strange politicians and sometimes even the stupidest one who make dumb decisions that will make you wonder what on earth was he/she thinking to do something like this.   We have one such pol from Ohio that beats everyone of them dumb politicians out there.

Some residents of Toledo, Ohio, are complaining that they received $25 tickets for parking their vehicles in their own driveways. Residents along North Holland-Sylvania Road were ticketed for parking in the gravel part of their driveways.   Toledo, Ohio Mayor Carty Finkbeiner (FINK’-by-ner), who is already up for a recall vote says he stands by the citations handed out last week by the Division of Streets, Bridges and Harbor. He says the tickets were issued under a city law against parking on unpaved surfaces, including gravel driveways. How can they do that? They just found an old law prohibiting drivers from parking on “unpaved” surfaces.. and technically gravel is unpaved.

During a news conference Monday, Finkbeiner ignored a reporter’s question of whether the crackdown and fines were related to the city’s budget crisis.

Although not outlined in the city charter, a city memo has allowed workers with the city of Toledo’s Division of Streets, Bridges and Harbor to issue parking citations to citizens.

It’s not as though Toledoans are hell-bent against paved driveways. It’s just that the decision to enforce a little known regulation is taking them by surprise. Take Charles Robertson, for example. He’s lived in the same house (with the same gravel driveway) for 43 years. He got his first ticket last week.

“I just can’t reach into my magic box of tricks and get 5 or 6 grand to pave my driveway,” he said.

Thankfully City Councilman Michael Collins disagrees with the tickets, calling them “Micky Mouse nonsense”. He has promised residents he’ll try to have the tickets recinded.

In a move that will make some of his residents happy, Collins has taken the tickets from residents and says he will pay for them. He also referred to the Finkbeiner administration as a psych ward. Collins says the city itself is in violation of the law because the city tow lot is only gravel.

After his fiasco, Mayor Finkbeiner can be assured that he wrote his own ticket for his recall vote. (Note the cars parked on gravel in the background of this story’s image).

(Source: USDOT)

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan, U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Ray LaHood, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson today announced a new partnership to help American families in all communities –- rural, suburban and urban – gain better access to affordable housing, more transportation options, and lower transportation costs.

Earlier this year, HUD and DOT announced an unprecedented agreement to implement joint housing and transportation initiatives.   With EPA joining the partnership, the three agencies will work together to ensure that these housing and transportation goals are  met while simultaneously protecting the environment, promoting equitable development, and helping to address the challenges of climate change.

Testifying together at a Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee hearing chaired by U.S. Senator Christopher J. Dodd, Secretary LaHood, Secretary Donovan and Administrator Jackson outlined the six guiding ‘livability principles’ they will use to coordinate federal transportation, environmental protection, and housing investments at their respective agencies.

DOT Secretary LaHood said, “Creating livable communities will result in improved quality of life for all Americans and create a more efficient and more accessible transportation network that serves the needs of individual communities.  Fostering the concept of livability in transportation projects and programs will help America’s neighborhoods become safer, healthier and more vibrant.”

“As a result of our agencies’ work, I am pleased to join with my DOT and EPA colleagues to announce this statement of livability principles” said HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan. “These principles mean that we will all be working off the same playbook to formulate and implement policies and programs. For the first time, the Federal government will speak with one voice on housing, environmental and transportation policy.”

“It’s important that the separate agencies working to improve livability in our neighborhoods are all pointed in the same direction.  We’re leading the way towards communities that are cleaner, healthier, more affordable, and great destinations for businesses and jobs,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “This partnership provides a framework to guide decisions that affect all communities.  This way, investments of financial and human resources by any one of our agencies will meet shared goals and confront significant challenges we all face together.”

The Partnership for Sustainable Communities established six livability principles that will act as a foundation for interagency coordination:

1. Provide more transportation choices.
Develop safe, reliable and economical transportation choices to decrease household transportation costs, reduce our nation’s dependence on foreign oil, improve air quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote public health.

2. Promote equitable, affordable housing.
Expand location- and energy-efficient housing choices for people of all ages, incomes, races and ethnicities to increase mobility and lower the combined cost of housing and transportation.

3. Enhance economic competitiveness.
Improve economic competitiveness through reliable and timely access to employment centers, educational opportunities, services and other basic needs by workers as well as expanded business access to markets.

4. Support existing communities.
Target federal funding toward existing communities – through such strategies as transit-oriented, mixed-use development and land recycling – to increase community revitalization, improve the efficiency of public works investments, and safeguard rural landscapes.

5. Coordinate policies and leverage investment.
Align federal policies and funding to remove barriers to collaboration, leverage funding and increase the accountability and effectiveness of all levels of government to plan for future growth, including making smart energy choices such as locally generated renewable energy.

6. Value communities and neighborhoods.
Enhance the unique characteristics of all communities by investing in healthy, safe and walkable neighborhoods – rural, urban or suburban.

Click here to access the USDOT Press Release on this new partnership.  Also check out the Secrtary of Transportation’s blog post on this significant interacgency partnership in his FastLane blog.