Auto companies out do everyone else when it comes to advertising during Superbowl
(Source: Autoblog)
The graphic says it all. To get more details on the data, recommend clicking image.
Image Courtesy: Autoblog.com
USDOT’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics Releases Pocket Guide to Transportation 2012
The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), a part of the Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA), has published the Pocket Guide to Transportation 2012 – a quick reference guide to significant transportation data. The 15th annual Pocket Guide covers data on transportation safety, state of good repair, system use and performance, economic competitiveness, and environmental sustainability. To order a copy of the Pocket Guide to Transportation 2012, go to the BTS website publications page. This free guide can also be obtained by contacting BTS by phone at 800-853-1351, by e-mail at ritainfo@dot.gov or by mail sent to Product Orders, RITA/Bureau of Transportation Statistics, USDOT, 1200 New Jersey Ave., S.E., Room E36-109, Washington, D.C. 20590. Non-orders contact Dave Smallen: 202-366-5568.
Toll or No Toll? Battle of the Bridges Just Got Hot in Seattle – Decision-Making Tools Aim For the Hearts, Minds and $$ of Commuters
(Source: Transportation Issues Daily, Komonews.com, Seattle Times)
The toll company operating the tolled bridge on Highway 520 in Seattle, WA has published the below infograph, which makes a compelling case to the customers in the region against using the congested bridge on I-90, just a few miles away. Both bridges across Lake Washington connect downtown Seattle with a very large population and employment region. The overall cost savings and reduction in travel times offer a great incentive to the drivers who favor the toll road.
Image Courtesy: TransportationIssuesDaily.com
In addition to the above , the commuters also have another handy decision-making tool – a smartphone app titled “520 or 90” whose tag line sells it easily: “Find out which bridge is faster or cheaper in less than 10 seconds.”
Image Courtesy: 520or90.com
The app creators expect drivers to save 8hrs of travel time per month if they took 520, which may only cost $90/month in tolls, the rough equivalent of a monthly phone bill. Those who opt to take I-90 may save the $90/month but the trade-off is eight extra hours stuck in traffic.
Local news portal Komonews.com indicates the faster travel times on the toll road 520 were due to a reduction in traffic volume as more driver quit the 520 to save the $$. It also quoted the researchers at INRIX, a well known traffic data company, saying that before the toll was implemented, I-90 drivers were going twice as fast as their 520 counterparts.
According to Seattle Times, the traffic volume on 520 has dropped of nearly 40% after the implementation of the tolls. It observed that much of the traffic, as expected, shifted to I-90, where volumes were up 20 to 25 percent for the morning but only 3 to 7 percent in the evening. In addition, the local transit operator (King County Metro) expects ridership on its cross-lake routes to pick up by 15 percent as a result of the tolls, spokeswoman Linda Thielke said. Riders on several routes confirmed buses were more crowded Monday.
Awesome Infographic from USDOT’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Showcases the Economic Impact of Aviation
(Source: FAA)
This nice infograph shows the economic impact of aviation.. What a great way to tell the story!
Image Courtesy: USDOT FAA - Click image to learn more
Flying on Empty – NPR Explores Why Airlines Keep Going Bankrupt
(Source: NPR Planet Money)
I was listening to this NPR podcast on the way to work and felt compelled to share with my readers.. Amazing Fact: Pretty much every major full service American airline has filed for Bankruptcy in the past two decades and one of them (U.S. Airways) actually declared bankruptcy twice in three years. “The industry in aggregate has lost about $60 billion over the 32 years since deregulation, ” says Severin Borenstein, an economist at the Haas School of Business at U.C. Berkley. Meh!
This left me shaking my head in disbelief! Aren’t we the country full of smart MBA grads from top business schools like Harvard, Yale, et al. running some of these businesses? Anyways, if you got a couple of extra minutes, do check out Severin Borenstein’s detailed paper that goes into great details explaining how the airline business is not for the weakest of heart.
On a related note, Boston Globe had an interesting article back in November 2011 that is somewhat optimistic about the future of aviation. Worth a read while you are still suspended in disbelief after reading/listening to the above NPR material.
No Ticket on ScotRail? This is what happens when you cheat on your train ticket in Scotland
Some poor bloke on ScotRail gets into an argument with the Ticket checker after getting caught for riding free on the train and doesn’t heed the call to get off the train. Repeatedly. Boom! There comes a fellow-rider who didn’t bat an eye and proceeds to gets involved.. What unfolded next can only be described as the “Scottish treatment” ..
Frugality or E’galité? French President Nicolas Sarkozy Rides a Suburban Train
(Source: AFP/Getty Images via The Daily Beast)
Just an awesome photo of French President Nicolas Sarkozy riding a suburban train. That’s all. Photo reportedly taken after his visit to the New Technology and Industry Centre.
Image Courtesy: AFP/Getty Images via The Daily Beast
The first thought that came into my mind : “Is he trying to show the way for rest of Europe that riding a subway is far cheaper than traveling in a huge convoy of cars?” The next thought: “Is it his election time stunt to show the voters that he is just like them, riding the rails to get around?” Whatever it is, I’m a big fan of such simple things that go a long way in making personalities like Sarkozy look just like the rest of us. It is more Presidential to ride a subway than in a crazy convoy of cars.
That said, I wonder if the Secret Service would ever allow the U.S. President to ride a transit system, let alone Washington’s WMATA during his time in Washington. It will be nice to see Pres. Obama rubbing shoulders with daily commuters on the Red Line in DC one of these days. Maybe that will convince the POTUS that our nation’s transit systems are falling apart and they do need some additional funding to serve the citizens who ride them everyday. That would be one good way to relate to the plight of commoners and no better way to make a statement to the voting public that you are indeed serious about cutting costs. Are you up for it Mr. President? Oh wait, his doesn’t really have a commute . It is just walking a flight of stairs down from his home to the Oval office in the White House and it definitely does not require a train.
Shame on us! Gut Wrenching Story on CBS 60 Minutes Portrays Hard Lives of Families Living in Cars
(Source: CBS 60 Minutes)
Came across this below story that aired on CBS this past Sunday (Nov 27) and felt compelled to share it with my readers.
Click here to read the entire story.
Editor’s Note: Shame on us, as a society, for letting these Americans and their kids live this way. After watching this gut wrenching video, no amount of explanation is going to convince an American with a conscience. What did these poor kids do to deserve this way of life? Maybe their parents did not make the best of choices or handle their finances smartly but that does not justify such a punishing life. It is UNAMERICAN and we cannot raise our next generation this way. While our political system in Washington is grinding itself into a shameless existence, we are once again left to fend for ourselves. I sincerely hope this documentary kicks off a national dialogue where we work together a nation towards solving this huge mess. SHAME ON US! A note of thanks to CBS 60 Minutes producers for bringing this compelling story to the nation’s attention. Kudos to the 60 minutes team for the great commentary (an incredible social service in its own merit).
Paid Next to Nothing – Did you know that some airport workers are paid illegally low wages
(Source: Huffington Post)
Whoa.. I did not know that some of the airport workers are making a living ONLY out of tips. How terrible – work at one of the swankiest places in town (airports) with people milling around dressed up in their high fashion. But how many of us know that the person pushing folks around in a wheel chair may not even have the money to buy a sandwich. Too bad these guys are stuck in a catch 22 situation, not able to tell their passengers that they work for tips due to some stupid federal law hence left out with nothing but a thank you for the service offered. Something has to change… Either the laws or the rules imposed by the airlines that pay hefty bonuses to their CEOs and leave these folks hanging. Read the story on Huffingtonpost.
Infographic: United States Has More Broken Bridges Than Golden Arches
Click image to enlarge
via 
