The Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS America) is pleased to announce a series of Webinars focusing on how climate change can affect surface transportation.

• 
  “What Does Climate Change Legislation Mean for Surface Transportation?”  – Wednesday, July 8,  from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
• “How is California Addressing Surface Transportation Issues?” – Wednesday, July 15, from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
• “What is Detroit Doing to Alleviate Environmental Concerns in Surface Transportation?” –  Wednesday, July 22 from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

The registration fee for members of ITS America is $45 per Webinar (or $105 for the series) and $90 per Webinar for nonmembers or ($240 for the series).

To register, download the registration form here.

(Source: Wall Street Journal, Detroit Free Press,  Reuters, Autoblog, JDPower.com)

* Ford, Chevrolet close in on Toyota brand

* Lexus, Porsche rank No. 1 and No. 2 for new car quality

* BMW’s Mini ranks last in J.D. Power survey

New vehicles sold by Chrysler, Ford and GM’s domestic brands have improved in initial quality by an average of 10% compared with 2008, but Toyota Motor Corp. was the star of this year’s study on initial quality from J.D. Power and Associates.

The study was released today at an Automotive Press Association luncheon at the Detroit Athletic Club.

Image Courtesy: J.D Power and Associates via Autoblog

Toyota’s Lexus brand ranked first among all nameplates with 84 problems per 100 vehicles. Toyota also captured 10 segment awards — more than any other corporation in the 2009 study.

Luxury brands captured the top three spots, while Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota were in what amounted to a statistical dead heat further down in the rankings, the survey by J.D. Power and Associates found.

“Have the leading domestic nameplates caught up with Toyota? The answer is almost,” Dave Sargent, vice president for auto research at J.D. Power, told reporters at a briefing in Detroit. The quality gap between the foreign imports and the Detroit auto makers is now the smallest it has ever been, David Sargent, JD Power’s vice president of automotive research, said during a speech at the Automotive Press Association in Detroit. The domestics lagged behind the foreign auto makers by just six points.

The 2009 Initial Quality Study (IQS) provides information gathered from over 80,000 purchasers and lessees of 2009 model-year vehicles. Performance is measured using a “problems per 100 vehicles (PP100)” metric. A lower PP100 score indicates better performance and a higher PP100 score indicates worse performance. The 2009 study covers a total of 228 total problems, and organizes them into the following eight categories:

• Exterior
• The Driving Experience
• Features/Controls/Displays
• Audio/Entertainment/Navigation
• Seats
• HVAC, or Climate Controls
• Interior
• Engine/Transmission

The highlights of the 2009 IQS study (courtesy of J.D. Power & Associates):

• Overall, the industry average for initial quality is 108 problems per 100 vehicles (PP100) in 2009, down from 118 PP100 in 2008. Initial quality for domestic brands has improved to an average of 112 PP100 in 2009 from 124 PP100 in 2008, while import brands have improved to an average of 106 PP100 in 2009 from 114 PP100 in 2008.
• Lexus leads the overall nameplate rankings, averaging 84 PP100. This is the 12th time Lexus has been the highest-ranked brand in the 20 years it has been included in the IQS and the first time since 2005.
• Following in the rankings are Porsche, Cadillac (which moves from 10th rank position in 2008 to third in 2009),Hyundai (improves from 13th rank position in 2008 to fourth in 2009) and Honda, rounding out the top five.
• Toyota Motor Corporation captures 10 segment awards—more than any other automaker in the 2009 study—including five for Lexus, four for Toyota and one forScion. Lexus receives awards for the IS, GS, GX, LSand LX models. The Lexus LX has the fewest quality problems in the industry, with just 52 PP100. Toyota models receiving awards in their respective segments are the 4Runner (in a tie); Sienna; Tundra (in a tie); andYaris.
• Ford receives three awards for the Edge (in a tie); F-150 (in a tie); and Mustang. Garnering two awards each are Nissan (Altima and Z); and Honda (CR-V, in a tie, and Ridgeline).
• Also receiving segment awards are: Chevrolet TrailBlazer (in a tie), Chrysler PT Cruiser (in a tie), GMC Yukon, Hyundai Elantra Sedan, Mercury Sable and Scion tC.
• Suzuki is the most-improved nameplate in the industry this year. A reduction of 49 PP100 moves the Japanese brand from 32nd place in 2008 to ninth place this year. Suzuki is also the most improved nameplate for both Defects/Malfunctions and Design-related problems. Also, Saturn improves by 37 PP100 and Jeep by 30 PP100.
• The Toyota Motor Corporation assembly plant in Higashi-Fuji, Japan, receives the Platinum Plant Quality Award for producing vehicles yielding the fewest defects and malfunctions. Averaging just 29 PP100, the plant produces the Lexus SC 430 and Toyota Corolla. (Plant awards are based solely on average levels of defects and malfunctions and exclude design-related problems.)
• Among North and South American plants, the Honda plant in East Liberty, Ohio, which produces the Civic Sedan, CR-V and Element, achieves the Gold Plant Quality Award.
• In the Europe and Africa region, Daimler’s East London, South Africa, plant, which produces the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, receives the Gold Plant Quality Award.

The results underscored the competitive pressure on the industry at a time when U.S. sales have been driven to 30-year lows and both GM and Chrysler have been forced to rely on federal financing to restructure through bankruptcy.

U.S. automakers have spent heavily in recent years in a bid to close the gap with the Japanese automakers led by Toyota and Honda, which have established a reputation for eliminating flaws from engineering and manufacturing.

This year, GM’s Cadillac brand is the highest ranked domestic nameplate with 91 problems per 100 vehicles. Cadillac is ranked third and moved up from 10th last year.

Ford Motor Co. received the second most segment awards of any automaker with top rankings for its redesigned F-150 pickup, Ford Mustang mid-size sports car, Ford Edge crossover and Mercury Sable full-size sedan.

Brands that do well — typically luxury cars top the list — can use the results to bolster advertising campaigns. The vehicles were evaluated between November through February. “High quality enhances an auto maker’s reputation for reliability which is a critical purchase consideration for many consumers,” Mr. Sargent said.

Boosted by a strong reception for its high-end Genesis sedan, Hyundai Motor Co (005380.KS) pushed ahead of both Toyota and Honda Motor Co (7267.T) to become the top-ranked mass-market auto brand and No. 4 overall.

Honda ranked No. 5, followed by Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, Ford and GM’s Chevrolet.

Click here to read the entire 2009 Initial Quality Study Results.

(Source: Grist.org via T4America)

Image Courtesy: Photo illustration by Tom Twigg/Grist

You’ve heard all the reasons before: We drive too much. We eat too much meat and processed food. We spend too much time with plugged-in devices—computers, TVs, air conditioners.

But what problem are we talking about—climate change, or the worldwide rise in obesity?

Both, according to Globesity: A Planet Out of Control?, a book by four public-health researchers who show how climate change and obesity draw from a shared web of roots. Both problems worsen as car culture spreads, desk jobs replace manual jobs, and carbon-intensive foods (including meat) become available to more and more eaters, according to the book, published first in French and this spring in English.

The two issues spread across the planet in similar ways. Those paying attention to climate change know the planet can’t afford for the developing world to emit carbon dioxide at the same levels as the industrialized world. Public-health workers, too, foresee enormous trouble if developing countries adopt the worst dietary and lifestyle habits of rich countries. That shift is well underway, according to Michelle Holdsworth, Globesity’s lead author and a nutritionist with the World Health Organization (WHO) in Montpellier, France.

Rates of obesity—defined by the WHO as a body mass index of 30 or higher—are now higher in Germany, Finland, and the Czech Republic than in the U.S., according to data from the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF). The same is true in some Mediterranean countries famed for their healthy diets: Greece, Egypt, and Cyprus. Traditional olive oil-centric diets have become too high in fat for populations that are less active than they used to be, said Holdsworth. And traditional diets are losing ground.

(Source: Autoblog, Washington Post,  Detroit Free Press, AFP via Google)

Image Courtesy: Jalopnik

Clears Senate

After narrowly surviving an attempt by Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H. to strip it from a war-spending bill, the Cash for Clunkers program passed the Senate yesterday evening. Well, the $106 billion war-spending bill passed the Senate on a 91-5 vote, but the $1 billion scrapping program earlier survived Sen. Gregg’s attempt to have it removed and thus passed, as well. Now the bill makes its way to President Obama, who is expected to sign the bill into law, after which the U.S. Transportation Department reportedly has one month to figure out how the Cash for Clunkers program will be run. Since Congress reduced funding for the program from $4 billion to just $1 billion, it’s expected that the money will run out long before the program is scheduled to end on November 1.

“We are gratified that the Congress delivered on this administration priority, and President Obama looks forward to signing it into law,” according to an administration statement.

Details, Details, Details,

Vehicles purchased after July 1 will be eligible for the refund vouchers worth as much as $4,500 to turn in gas guzzlers and buy new cars that are more fuel efficient.

The agency in charge of administering the program, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, will work out all the details within 30 days of enactment, according to Rae Tyson, spokesman for NHTSA.

Congress predicts this will result in the sale of about 250,000 new vehicles. The funding is good only until Nov. 1 and could run out before that. In that case, the voucher pro gram — unless Congress ap propriates more — would end.

Consumers would be able to start using the vouchers as soon as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration finalizes the rules — a process that must conclude within 30 days of the president’s approval.

Under the program, trade-in vehicles, 1984 models or newer, must have average fuel economy of no more than 18 miles per gallon. And the new car or truck must get better gas mileage than the one that was scrapped.

The payoff grows depending on the difference in the fuel efficiencies of the old and new cars. For instance, a new car getting at least 4 more miles per gallon than the old car will be eligible for a $3,500 voucher. A new car getting at least 10 more miles per gallon would get a $4,500 voucher.

To guarantee vehicles are actually roadworthy — and not just sitting on cinder blocks — trade-ins must be registered and insured to the same owner for at least a year.

Kudos & Pats in the Backs

Image Courtesy: Apture

Cash for clunkers proponents in Congress said the subsidies will spur sales.”The simple fact is that we need to get Americans into car showrooms and this is the bill that will do it,” said Rep. Candice Miller, R-Mich., in a statement.

Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., said the program will boost jobs in auto states. “This program will provide an economic stimulus at a time when hardworking families need it most,” Stabenow said in a statement.

GM said it had decided to keep 60 of the more than 1,000 dealers with whom it had sought to terminate agreements. The reversals were made after the automaker corrected financial information that was used to evaluate which stores to keep.  Dealers applauded the Senate’s action yesterday, and some got additional good news.  John McEleney, chairman of the National Automobile Dealers Association, hailed the measure, saying it “will boost consumer confidence, get the economy going again and reduce our dependence on foreign oil. Congress is giving consumers a strong incentive to replace their older vehicles with new, more fuel efficient cars and trucks.”

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said “The program is an important step forward for America. “It provides incentives for consumers to buy new, more fuel-efficient cars and trucks, providing a boost to the auto industry and protecting jobs, while limiting fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions.”

The legislation comes with number-one US automaker General Motors in bankruptcy and Chrysler emerging from court protection under a government-backed alliance with Italy’s Fiat in the face of plunging auto sales.

Cash for Clunkers Update from Europe (Channel 4 via Autobloggreen)

Several other countries, such as China and Italy, have offered similar trade-in vouchers. And lawmakers point to the success of Germany’s program as indication that vouchers can turn dismal auto sales around.  At the end of the program’s first month, sales in Germany were up 21 percent from a year before. During the same period, U.S. sales slumped 41 percent. Now,  a leading provider of automotive data and intelligence says the European motor industry is showing signs of recovery following the introduction of scrappage schemes on the continent.  According to a new study by Jato Dynamics, the European automotive market may be rebounding ever so slightly from its alarming lows of early 2009.

Though new car purchases are down by just over 13 percent year-on-year, there was actually a mild 2.4 percent improvement in May over April. The German market is now 39.7% up on May 2008 – a 20.3% improvement over last month’s figures. France, meanwhile, is up 11.8% over the figures for April.  “If Germany provides a template for the other markets where scrappage schemes have been introduced, we may be at the very beginning of a period of recovery in Europe. It’s far too early to know what the sustained effects of the incentives will be, but at a time when the industry needs to see some rays of hope, it’s encouraging to witness some improvement ” says David Di Girolamo, Head of Jato Consult. Interestingly, small, fuel efficient hatchbacks are performing better than the rest of the market, which is thought to be due to the various scrapping schemes in Europe.

The US market has steadied somewhat from lows earlier this year but the sales pace in May remained 33.7 percent below that of one year ago.  Let’s hope the American consumers will follow their European counterparts in boosting the vehicle market> Eeven if it is only a liitle, the market can use any push to build its recovery.

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.

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: WorldChanging & Times of India)

Proposal brings worldwide carbon tax for airline passengers closer

(Source: RAND & Progressive Railroading.com)

The U.S. freight transportation system’s long-term efficiency and effectiveness is “threatened” by capacity bottlenecks, inefficient use of some components of the freight infrastructure, interference with passenger transport, the system’s vulnerability to disruption, and the need to address important emission and energy constraints, according to a study recently released by RAND Corp.

Despite the global financial crisis, experts continue to estimate that there will be increased demand for freight transportation in the future, even as the capacity of the nation’s highways, port and railroads are nearing their limits in key urban areas and transportation corridors.  The annual average road delay in the United States for rush hour travelers increased from 14 hours per year in 1982 to 38 hours per year in 2005. And the Association of American Railroads predicts that by 2035, more than half of the national rail network will be operating near or above capacity, resulting in significant travel delays and limiting the ability to maintain tracks and equipment. This would limit the opportunity to increase rail’s share of freight, which could help tackle environmental concerns and road congestion.

Titled “Fast Forward: Key Issues in Modernizing the U.S. Freight Transportation System for Future Economic Growth,” the study was supported by the Dow Chemical Co., U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, and Union Pacific Railroad.  The authors provide a broad overview of U.S. freight transportation, discuss its role in the supply chains of various types of businesses, and provide data about its capacity in relation to demand for goods movement. They conclude with a discussion of the need to modernize the freight-transportation system and the overarching issues this involves: increasing capacity through operational improvements and infrastructure enhancement, making the system more adaptable and less vulnerable to disruption, addressing the energy and environmental concerns associated with freight transportation, and building support for public and private investment in the system.

The report description on RAND’s website offers the following: Efficient movement of freight within the United States and across its borders is a critical enabler of future U.S. economic growth and competitiveness.

Freight transportation system delays and “uncertainty in the performance of the system” have meant higher prices for consumers and reduced productivity, according to the study.

RAND researchers determined there are four freight transportation and infrastructure issues that need to be addressed:

• increasing national and international freight system capacity through a combination of operational improvements and selected infrastructure enhancements;

• creation of an adaptable, less-vulnerable and more-resilient freight transportation system;

• critical energy and environmental issues associated with freight transportation; and

• the pursuit of public and private investments in supply-chain infrastructure, and sustainable funding priorities.

The study also recommends that “responsible” agencies conduct system-level modeling of the freight transportation system to determine where bottlenecks occur and to understand vulnerabilities, and shippers be encouraged to use alternative ports to reduce strain on the system.

Increasing the nation’s freight transportation capacity can be done by using a variety of strategies, not just through a massive program of adding new roads or rail lines. Suggested strategies include regulations, pricing, technology, improved operating practices and selective infrastructure investments. Examples of these improvements include adopting congestion pricing to promote more highway transportation during non-peak hours, encouraging more goods to be shipped by rail instead of truck and expanding some port operations to run 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

To make the system more flexible and less vulnerable to disruption, the report recommends that responsible agencies conduct system-level modeling of the freight transportation system to determine where bottlenecks occur and to understand its vulnerabilities. Encourage shippers to use alternative ports, instead of relying on just the largest, also would reduce strain on the system.

Transportation accounts for 25 percent of the nation’s hydrocarbon fuel use; of that amount, about 25 percent is freight transportation. So while passenger vehicles are the primary energy users and emitters of pollution, the freight transportation industry also must consider environmental effects as it develops expansion plans. Methods to reduce pollution include increasing the operational efficiency of freight transportation (which also increases capacity) and such direct mitigation measures as cleaner fuel, better engines and more-aerodynamic vehicles.

Finally, the report suggests that a greater effort needs to be focused on developing sustainable priorities for public investment in the freight transportation system.

Click here to access the PDF version of the Full Report or the Executive Summary.

(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.