Category Archives: Governance

U.S.DOT’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics Releases Report on America’s Container Ports

June 19, 2009 at 10:37 pm

Image Courtesy: USDOT

The Bureau of Transportation Statistics of the Research and Innovative Technology Administration today released “America’s Container Ports: Freight Hubs That Connect Our Nation to Global Markets”, an overview of the movement of maritime freight handled by the nation’s container seaports in 2008 and trends in maritime freight movement since 1995.  The report covers the impact of the recent U.S. and global economic downturn on U.S. port container traffic, trends in container throughput, concentration of containerized cargo at the top U.S. ports, regional shifts in cargo handled, vessel calls and capacity in ports, the rankings of U.S. ports among the world’s top ports, and the number of maritime container entries into the United States relative to truck and rail containers.

The U.S. marine transportation system continues to handle large volumes of domestic and international freight in support of the nation’s economic activities. The demand for freight transportation responds to trends in global economic activity and merchandise trade. When U.S. businesses produce more goods, the demand for freight transportation services to move raw materials and finished products to markets and customers around the country and world will increase. When economic conditions result in less production, the demand for transportation services will decrease.

This report provides an overview of the movement of maritime freight handled by the nation’s container seaports in 2008 and summarizes trends in maritime freight movement since 1995. It covers the impact of the recent U.S. and global economic downturn on U.S. port container traffic, trends in container throughput, concentration of containerized cargo at the top U.S. ports, regional shifts in cargo handled, vessel calls and capacity in ports, the rankings of U.S. ports among the world’s top ports, and the number of maritime container entries into the United States relative to truck and rail containers. The report also presents snapshots of landside access to container ports, port security initiatives, and ongoing maritime environmental issues.

The principal findings of the report include the following:

  • Maritime freight handled by U.S. container ports fell sharply towards the end of 2008, and the decline continued into the first quarter of 2009. Total U.S. containerized cargo for December 2008 was down 18 percent compared with December 2007. The decline was severe at the nation’s two leading container ports, Los Angeles and Long Beach, which experienced 13 and 25 percent drops, respectively.
  • Overall in 2008, U.S. container ports handled 28.2 million loaded TEUs (20-foot equivalent units—a measure for counting containers), a 3 percent drop from the 29 million TEUs handled in 2007.
  • In 2008, containerized freight throughput fell for each of the leading ports in the Pacific/west coast, Atlantic/east coast, and gulf coast regions. West coast ports had a 5 percent decline, east coast ports a less than 1 percent decline, and gulf coast ports a 3 percent decline.
  • The consequences of the 2008 decline in container throughput at the nation’s seaports reached beyond the marine ports and terminals, affecting containership fleet capacity, the railroads and commercial trucks that service the seaports, and the inland warehouses and distribution centers that provide logistical support for the entire multimodal freight supply chain.
  • In 2008, the decline in maritime containerized cargo impacted international intermodal containers handled by the nation’s Class I railroads, which fell 7 percent from 2007. It also affected overall trucking activity, which saw record declines in the second half of 2008.
  • Despite the 2007 to 2008 declines, today 1 container in every 10 that is engaged in global trade is either bound for or originates in the United States, accounting for 10 percent of worldwide container traffic.
  • On a typical day in 2008, U.S. container ports handled an average of 77,000 TEUs, up from 37,000 TEUs per day in 1995.
  • In 2008, the top 10 U.S. container ports accounted for 86 percent of containerized TEU imports and exports, up from 78 percent in 1995.
  • In 2008, 3 U.S. ports—Los Angeles, Long Beach, and New York/New Jersey—ranked among the world’s top 20 container ports when measured by TEUs, placing 16th, 17th, and 20th, respectively.
  • In 2007, there were nearly 20,000 containership calls at U.S. seaports, accounting for 31 percent of the total oceangoing vessel calls made by all vessel types at U.S. ports.
  • In 2007, there were about 12 million oceanborne container entries into the United States, down slightly from 2006 but still double those of 2000.
  • In April 2009, a U.S.-flagged container vessel with 20 American sailors was hijacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia, highlighting the challenge of fully securing maritime cargo throughout the entire global logistics supply chain.

The report can be found at:
http://www.bts.gov/publications/americas_container_ports/2009/

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    REGISTER NOW! TISP Summer Forum: Enhancing Infrastructure Resiliency through a Planned Investment Strategy

    June 19, 2009 at 9:12 pm

    TISP Summer Forum: Enhancing Infrastructure Resiliency through a Planned Investment Strategy

    July 29, 2009

    8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

    Embassy Suites DC Convetion Center

    900 10th Street NW

    Washington, DC 20011

    Register HERE for this Forum

    On July 29, 2009, at the Embassy Suites DC Convention Center, Washington, DC, The Infrastructure Security Partnership (TISP) hosts its Summer Forum on Enhancing Infrastructure Resilience through Planned Investment Strategies with a focus on the Transportation and Energy CI/KR Sectors. Resilience is more than a buzzword used to describe the strength of community. When considering the subject of infrastructure protection, we ignore many other crucial aspects of securing the nation and its critical infrastructure. Infrastructure resilience addresses the development and implementation of exercised measures and policies to reduce the disaster and devastation impacts of all types of hazards to manageable effects that can be quickly overcome. Investment strategies that take into consideration the reduction of risk, stabilization of the work force, improved efficiencies (such as improvements to the road and rail transportation system that result in faster cargo supply chains), redundancy, business continuity and quick recovery from a catastrophic event will realize significant returns to stakeholders and investors. Infrastructure operations, safety, maintenance, protection and resiliency are so closely intertwined in today’s world that they must all be part of any investment strategy if it is to be cost-effective and long-lasting.

    Facilitating public and private sector discourse regarding investment strategies for infrastructure resilience is essential to the TISP mission to lead collaborative effort that advances the practice and policies of infrastructure security and resiliency. We will bring together decision makers, policy analysts, and experts in transportation and energy infrastructure resilience and planning. This forum is designed to encourage audience participation, with a morning discussion of cross-sector topics and with two afternoon breakout sessions (one for transportation and the other for energy sectors).

    The issues and recommendations identified by the Forum will be documented and distributed via a summary report to of all participating organizations and an article published in the TISP e-Newsletter and shared with infrastructure resilience stakeholders.

    Registration Rates

    TISP Dues-paying Members: $75.00

    Public Agency Rate: $75.00

    TISP Partners (non-paying members): $100.00

    Hotel Location and Directions

    Embassy Suites DC Convention Center

    900 10th Street NW

    Washington, DC 20011

    202-719-1423

    Map and Directions

    Register HERE for this Event.

    For more information about TISP and this Forum, contact Mr. Bill Anderson, 703-549-3800 Ext 170. For assistance in registering for this Forum contact Carie Losinski, SAME Online Registration Specialist, at 703-549-3800, Ext. 154.

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    Cash for Clunkers Update – June 19, 2009: Bill clears the Senate; Next-up President’s signature; Europe reports sales boost after scrapping plan

    June 19, 2009 at 3:27 pm

    (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.

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    Rubber Meets the Road (& Gas Tank, Clouds, etc ) – USDOT Proposes New, Consumer-friendly Environmental & Fuel Efficiency Rating Labels for Tires

    June 19, 2009 at 2:05 pm
    (Source:  NHTSA & USA Today)

    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.

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    Riches to Rags: Once powerful Porsche, now left struggling for power – Sales Fall 15%; VW dream turns into a nightmare; Arabs infuse money and get controlling stakes

    June 19, 2009 at 10:15 am

    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)

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    Google Transit delivers “Dump the Pump” day gift for urbanites – Now you can use voice search on Trip Planner

    June 18, 2009 at 10:46 pm

    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)

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    Cash for Clunkers Update: Bill hits Speed Bump in the Senate;Hyundai Top Beneficiary of UK’s”scrappage” plan; Global sales slump reported

    June 18, 2009 at 2:32 pm

    (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!

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    Transportation Reauthorization Updates for June 18, 2009: Bill Outline released; LaHood Blogs, Oberstar stays upset & moves press briefing to 2PM; etc., etc…

    June 18, 2009 at 10:59 am

    (Source: NY Times, USDOT Secretary’s FastLane Blog, AP via Google, Transportation for America)

    Late-breaking: The full outline of Rep. Oberstar’s proposed bill is now available on Transportation for America’s website.  For those readers brave enough to wade into 90 pages of policy detail, please click here to download a copy of the PDF file.  Personally,  (after a super-quick glance) I was left scracting my head about the directions of cutting edge programs like Intelligent Transportation Systems. Absolutely no mention of it except under some transit discussion.  Also, I did not see any references to how this program will help spur the infrastructure development aspects of electric vehicles (like charging stations, etc)? Possibly dealt through CMAQ or other climate-friendly avenues in ths bill?  Would love to know what y’all found out after a careful reading of the outline.  Please leave your thoughts in the comments sections below.

    With plans for a six-year, $450 billion transportation bill hung up over the question of how to pay for it, the Obama administration said Wednesday that it wanted to put off the thorniest questions for now. Instead, officials proposed essentially extending the existing law for 18 months and finding a short-term way to pay for highway and transit projects.

    Rather than face a series of three-month extensions of the law, which has happened in the past, Mr. LaHood said it would be less disruptive for everyone to plan for an year-and-a-half extension now. “We think this is the most realistic approach,” he said.  In an interview with Bloomberg, LaHood describes his decision as one to “face reality” instead of “stringing Congress along with three-month or six-month extensions.”

    The media reports indicate there is a serious fight happening in the Hill between the Secretary and the folks who spent months working on this bill.  The AP report states that at LaHood’s request, Oberstar and key members of the committee met with the transportation secretary Wednesday morning, a half hour before the congressman was scheduled to brief reporters on his bill. LaHood laid out for the surprised lawmakers a plan that seeks to approve money for transportation for another 18 months, eliminating the likelihood that highway and other transportation projects would come to a halt for lack of dollars. The plan would require Congress to approve an estimated $13 billion to $18 billion in stopgap cash.

    Rep. John Mica, the senior Republican on the transportation committee, likened LaHood’s presentation of the finance plan to a bomb being dropped on committee members.

    “That’s a real slap in the face to a lot of hard work … earth-shattering,” Mica said. “I would have been mortified if this had been done to me under Bush.”

    LaHood asked to meet with Oberstar as soon as the administration worked out the details of its plan and went straight to Capitol Hill, said Jill Zuckman, a Transportation Department spokeswoman.

    For his part, the Secrtary used his blog to convince the public that he did what he and the Obama administration think is the best approach rather than  rushing for a reuathorization bill.

    Here are his words: ” Yesterday and today, I briefed members of Congress on the Highway Trust Fund situation and proposed an immediate 18-month highway reauthorization that will replenish the Fund. This is an unusual step, I know. But, with the Fund likely to run out of money by late August, it’s a little too late to worry about business as usual.

    Beyond keeping the Highway Trust Fund solvent, an immediate 18-month reauthorization provides Congress the time it needs to fully deliberate the direction of America’s transportation priorities. That’s the kind of thoughtful decision-making America deserves.”

    Making a case for his proposal, Sec. LaHood first brought up why we are in this mess and how the Highway Trust Fund went south over the years and months past.

    Image Courtesy:USDOT Secretary Ray LaHood's Blog - Fast Lane

    As the chart below shows, even in years of relative economic security and gas-price stability, the Highway Trust Fund ended the fiscal year with less money than it started. He pointed to the change in the consumption patterns of the US consumer who was losing sleep over the economic concerns that rocked the country (as well as the entire planet).   The prolonged economic insecurity and gas-price volatility, like the one we experienced in 2008, when people bought less gas and Fund’s revenue source dropped off  (evident from the chart above). Congress had to kick in an extra $8 billion to the Fund. He warned that the Fund is likely to run out of money once again, and soon. Expenditures will stop; states will be in danger of losing the vital transportation funding they need and expect; projects will shut down; jobs will be lost.  That’s the road we’re on right now. Once again, the Highway Trust Fund will need a massive cash infusion.

    Can we really go through this every year? Is that really the best this Nation can do?.  With that question, he brought the hammer down on Oberstar’s plans. saying “I don’t think so. That’s why I went to the Hill yesterday and why I’ll be there today.”  He strengthened his argument for his delayed reuathorization proposal, saying “Time is running out, and the Highway Trust Fund must be made solvent. Then, and only then, can this country get the kind of thorough transportation discussion needed to address our infrastructure investments in a smarter, more focused way, a way that best meets the real demands of the country.”

    Representative James L. Oberstar, who is chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, still plans to introduce a new bill’s outline today at 2PM (The House T & I Committee Twitter note annoucned that the 11AM briefing is now moved to 2PM), but Democrats said they had not determined how to pay for it.  Oberstar had been counting on a looming Oct. 1 deadline — that’s when the current law authorizing federal highway and transit programs expires — to force lawmakers to make tough decisions on how to pay for transportation programs over the next six years.But Oberstar’s spokesman Jim Berard conveyed the Chairman’s displeasure:  “The chairman is not too pleased with the administration’s proposal.”

    All is not bad for the Secretary.  He enjoyed the support of some of his powerful allies in the Senate.  Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee and a key player in the federal transportation re-write, expressed her support for the delayed reauthorization proposal put forward by the Secretary.  “I am very pleased that the White House is being proactive in working with the Congress to address the shortfall in the Highway Trust Fund.  As we work our way out of this recession, the last thing we want to do is to drastically cut back on necessary transportation priorities.  The White House proposal to replenish the Trust Fund until 2011 will keep the recovery and job creation moving forward and give us the necessary time to pass a more comprehensive multi-year transportation authorization bill with stable and reliable funding sources.”

    Two congressionally mandated transportation commissions — one in 2008 and one earlier this year — have recommended raising gas taxes as the most practical solution for making up projected declines in revenue over the next several years. The most recent commission also recommended moving to a system that would use GPS technology to tax motorists based on the number of miles they drive as the best long-term revenue solution.

    Either step is expected to be politically difficult.

    DeFazio said the administration’s plan risks tens of thousand of jobs because contractors need cash commitments beyond 18 months for major, multiyear construction projects.

    LaHood acknowledged his plan will be unpopular with some lawmakers and transportation interest groups.

    “With the reality of our fiscal environment and the critical demand to address our infrastructure investments in a smarter, more focused approach, we should not rush legislation,” LaHood said in a statement. “We should work together on a full reauthorization (bill) that best meets the demands of the country. The first step is making sure that the Highway Trust Fund is solvent. The next step is addressing our transportation priorities over the long term.”

    Late Breaking Update: Transportation for America(T4America), the ever popular website that has been a great source for reauthorization updates just made available a summary of  Rep. Obsertar’s proposed bill (shown below, courtesy of T4America)and a 10 page breakdown of the consolidated/terminated programs. A quick analysis by T4America reveals Oberstar proposal terminates or consolidates 75 federal programs from the program and recommends a consolidation into a “performance based framework”.  Read the 17p summary and the 10p breakdown of consolidated/terminated programs now on the T4America blog.

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    Australia calls for aviation to be part of climate change treaty

    June 17, 2009 at 11:25 pm

    (Source: WorldChanging & Times of India)

    Proposal brings worldwide carbon tax for airline passengers closer

    The prospect of a worldwide carbon tax for airline passengers is gathering pace after the Australian government demanded the inclusion of the aviation industry in the global climate change treaty.

    The Australian administration has proposed that airlines are set a carbon dioxide reduction target as part of the treaty that will emerge from the Copenhagen summit this year. The latest plan would see responsibility for any aviation deal handed over to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, which is overseeing the treaty talks.

    The proposal is one of four suggestions for dealing with aviation emissions that will be discussed in Copenhagen. If the Australian plan is accepted, it is likely that airlines will join a global emissions trading scheme. British Airways backed a global scheme last week and its chief executive, Willie Walsh, said it would force up fares as airlines pass on the multibillion-dollar cost of acquiring carbon credits.

    Also on June 9, 2009, according to Times of India,  some of the world’s largest airlines called for the industry to set global emissions targets as part of efforts to include aviation in a broader climate agreement at the end of the year.  The seven airlines, including Air France/KLM and British Airways, along with international NGO The Climate Group, have backed a range of emissions reduction targets for negotiators involved in UN-backed climate talks to consider.

    The proposals, from carbon-neutral growth, a 5 percent reduction and a 20 percent reduction in emissions through to 2020, using a 2005 base-year, will be presented to negotiators at the latest round of climate talks being held this week in Bonn, Germany.

    The carriers, part of the Aviation Global Deal Group, said in a statement that participation in an international carbon trading market would be crucial to meeting their goals.

    Under the group’s proposal, a proportion of the sector’s emission allowances would be auctioned to generate revenues for climate change initiatives in developing countries.

    “Based on the scenarios assessed, auction revenues of up to $5 billion per annum could be generated to support activities such as climate adaptation programmes and initiatives to combat tropical deforestation,” the group said in the statement.

    The group also proposed that airlines’ carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are based on the carbon content of their annual fuel purchases and that CO2 pollution should be addressed through a global sectoral agreement, rather than a patchwork of regional schemes.

    Environmental campaigners welcomed the Australian proposal. Joss Garman, of Greenpeace, said: “Scientists project that unless world leaders take action, ships and planes would eat up 50% to 80% of the world’s carbon budget by 2050, making it essential that governments end these industries’ special treatment and include them in a strong Copenhagen treaty.”

    Click here to read the entire article report.

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    Event Alert: Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) ITS Program Strategic Planning Web Conference – June 24, 2009 @ 2:00PM

    June 17, 2009 at 4:42 pm

    The Federal Transit Administration’s Office of Mobility Innovation is holding a web conference on June 24, 2009 from 2:00-4:00pm to elicit discussion on the vision and direction for transit ITS research for the next five years and beyond.

    Specifically, FTA seeks input and insights into a proposed set of goals and research areas. FTA is also interested in exploring new opportunities for research and development, technology transfer, and evaluation of next generation transit ITS technologies. The web conference is designed to present the results-to-date of the strategic planning effort and to invite discussion from the public. All feedback will be captured and incorporated into FTA’s ITS strategic planning effort. Using this input, the FTA’s Office of Mobility Innovation expects to be able to program a robust agenda for research and deployment assistance that reflects the current and future needs of the transit industry.

    If interested in attending, please RSVP to:  Charlene.Wilder@dot.gov or   Robert.Marville@dot.gov.

    Please note the connection instructions below on your calendar.  There will be no confirmation or reminder Emails sent in response to your RSVP.

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    Instructions for Connecting to the Webinar:

    Webinar Date:  June 24, 2009; 2:00 – 4:00 PM ET

    First:  Connect to the web meeting at: https://www.mymeetings.com/nc/join/

    Conference number: PW4373046

    Audience passcode: STRATEGIC

    Second:  Dial into the web meeting teleconference:

    Toll Free Number: 888-677-1341

    Participant passcode (verbal): STRATEGIC

    Please connect to the webinar 15 – 20 minutes before the start time to facilitate the processing of attendees by the webinar operator.

    Cut and paste links into your browser’s address bar if they do not open automatically.

    IMPORTANT:  As of September 2008,  Live Meeting 2007 net conferencing software. You must download Live Meeting 2007 to join this Webinars. There is no upgrade from Live Meeting 2005 to the 2007 version.  Instructions are here:  http://www.pcb.its.dot.gov/t3/info_requirements.asp.  If link does not open automatically, cut and paste it into your browser’s address bar.

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