(Source: TheCityFix.com)

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced a 3 percent decrease in road fatalities between 2009 and 2010, which still adds up to 32,788 deaths. According to LaHood, last year’s traffic fatalities fell to the lowest levels since 1949, despite a 0.7 percent increase in the number of miles Americans drove—about 20.5 billion extra miles—and an 11 percent increase in congestion in the country’s 100 biggest metropolitan areas, making the decrease in traffic fatalities especially noteworthy.

Here is the USDOT’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Press Release:

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced that the number and rate of traffic fatalities in 2010 fell to the lowest levels since 1949, despite a significant increase in the number of miles Americans drove during the year.“Last year’s drop in traffic fatalities is welcome news and it proves that we can make a difference,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “Still, too many of our friends and neighbors are killed in preventable roadway tragedies every day. We will continue doing everything possible to make cars safer, increase seat belt use, put a stop to drunk driving and distracted driving and encourage drivers to put safety first.”

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) early projections, the number of traffic fatalities fell three percent between 2009 and 2010, from 33,808 to 32,788. Since 2005, fatalities have dropped 25 percent, from a total of 43,510 fatalities in 2005. The same estimates also project that the fatality rate will be the lowest recorded since 1949, with 1.09 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, down from the 1.13 fatality rate for 2009. The decrease in fatalities for 2010 occurred despite an estimated increase of nearly 21 billion miles in national vehicle miles traveled.

A regional breakdown showed the greatest drop in fatalities occurred in the Pacific Northwest states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Alaska, where they dropped by 12 percent. Arizona, California and Hawaii had the next steepest decline, nearly 11 percent.

“The decrease in traffic fatalities is a good sign, but we are always working to save lives,” said NHTSA Administrator David Strickland. “NHTSA will continue pressing forward on all of our safety initiatives to make sure our roads are as safe as they can possibly be.”

The Department of Transportation (DOT) has taken a comprehensive approach to reducing roadway fatalities by promoting strong traffic safety laws coupled with high-visibility enforcement and through rigorous vehicle safety programs and public awareness campaigns.

In 2009, Secretary LaHood launched a national anti-distracted driving campaign modeled on other successful NHTSA efforts to reduce fatalities, such as its “Over the Limit. Under Arrest.” and “Click It Or Ticket” campaigns to curb drunk driving and increase seat belt use. The U.S. DOT has launched a dedicated website, Distraction.gov, to provide the public with a comprehensive source of information on distracted driving. DOT has also hosted two national summits devoted to the issue, crafted sample legislation which states can use to adopt distracted driving laws, and initiated pilot law enforcement programs in Hartford, Conn., and Syracuse, N.Y.

NHTSA has also taken action to improve vehicle safety. The agency has urged automakers to swiftly and voluntarily report safety defects to keep the driving public safe. NHTSA has also encouraged the development and use of technologies to prevent crashes, such as electronic stability control, forward collision warning and lane departure warning systems. The agency also unveiled an updated 5-star rating system in 2010, which established more rigorous crash-test standards and began providing consumers with improved information about which cars perform best in collisions.

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has also been encouraging the use of Safety Edge technology — which reduces drivers’ risk of running off the road by shaping pavement edge — on new road and highway projects. FHWA has also promoted the use of rumble strips and cable median barriers to separate opposing directions of traffic to reduce the incidence of crossover head-on collisions.

To view NHTSA’s latest statistical projections of traffic fatalities in 2010, including regional estimates, click here.

(Source: ITDP & Streetfilms)

Cities worldwide are demonstrating innovation in transport planning by integrating bike, BRT and metro systems, with Guangzhou in China announced as winner of the 2011 Sustainable Transport Award. Guangzhou’s new world-class BRT system integrates with bike lanes, bike share and metro stations, raising the bar for all cities.

Last year the city made major strides to cut carbon emissions and reclaim space for people, opening new bus rapid transit and public bike sharing systems.  It now carries 800,000 passengers a day, seamlessly connecting riders to both the metro system and the city’s new bike-share network.

Editor’s Note: It will be interesting to see how the other mega cities in Asia (New Delihi, Mumbai, Shanghai, Jakarta, etc) will adopt this successful and sustainable transportation option into the existing mix.   With growing prices for petroleum products and rising congestion, the cities will be forced to explore/adopt this model sooner than later.

(Source: Orlando Sentinel via Yahoo News)

True to its tag line, NBA Cares, the residents of Miami got a chance to witness one of NBA’s best in action.  Seven time all star, Alanzo Mourning jumped out of his SUV to assist a citizen on wheelchair cross a busy highway in Miami, FL. Read up:

Mourning’s vehicle had been sitting in traffic on the right lane, when he spotted a disabled person sitting in a motorized wheelchair along the curb. Mourning jumped out of his SUV, stood in the road and stopped traffic by raising his long arms, while the wheelchair-bound pedestrian made it to the median. Then, the seven-time NBA All-Star immediately went to the southbound lanes and raised his arms to command stunned drivers to stop. All traffic movement instantly stopped, and the wheelchair safely made it to the other side.

After making sure the citizen was safe on the other side of the road, Mourning lowered his arms and headed to his SUV to the sound of cheering fans, who recognized the 6-foot-10 temporary crossing guard.

What a really caring gentleman and a wonderful citizen!  NBA ought to have more such example-setting characters who are so genuine! Way to go, Zo!

This is a good opportunity for students/emerging professionals who are interested in these issues.  See http://ecpaplanning.org/2011/01/ecpa-call-for-essays-from-emergin-professionals/ for full details.

(Source: Gizmodo via Telegraph)

Image Courtesy: Gizmodo.com

At 26.4 miles long, the Qingdao Haiwan Bridge would easily cross the English Channel and is almost three miles longer than the previous record-holder, the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway in the American state of Louisiana. The vast structure links the centre of the booming port city of Qingdao in eastern China‘s Shandong Province with the suburb of Huangdao, spanning the wide blue waters of Jiaozhou Bay.

Here is a collection of some amazing and interesting factoids gleaned from the parent articles cited above:

• You can easily run a marathon, entirely on the bridge span, and still will have 0.2 miles left before you set foot on Terra Firma (Marathon = 26.2 miles)
• Built in just four years at a cost of £5.5 billion ($8 Billion USD)
• Will feature a six-lane road bridge that is supported by more than 5,200 columns
• When it opens to traffic (in late 2011) , the bridge is expected to carry over 30,000 cars a day
• Expected to cut the commute between the city of Qingdao and the sprawling suburb of Huangdao by between 20 and 30 minutes.
• At least 10,000 workers were involved in building the bridge, in shifts around the clock
• Built with 450,000 tons of steel, which is roughly the equivalent of steel used in almost 65 Eiffel Towers
• 2.3 million cubic meters of concrete, which is roughly the equivalent of filling 3,800 Olympic-sized swimming pools
• The bridge will be strong enough to withstand a magnitude 8 earthquake, typhoons or the impact of a 300,000 tonne vessel.
• With its economy growing by 16 per cent a year, Qingdao is one of China’s fastest-growing and most prosperous cities.
• The main port of the Chinese navy and home of Tsingtao Beer, China’s best-known brew, it hosted the sailing events of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

What’s more astonishing. It would be this: “China is already home to seven of the world’s 10 longest bridges, including the world’s lengthiest, the 102 mile Danyang-Kunshan rail bridge, which runs over land and water near Shanghai.  And with Beijing pumping billions into boosting China’s infrastructure, the Qingdao Haiwan Bridge will not be the world’s longest sea bridge for very long.  According to the Telegraph,  work started in December 2009 on a 31 mile bridge that will link Zhuhai in southern Guangdong Province,  China’s manufacturing heartland, with the financial centre of Hong Kong. The £6.5 billion project is expected to be completed in 2016.”

Now, building the infrastructure at this break neck pace and still flush with more cash than a machine can count, China is not too far from becoming the Numero Uno aka the Big Daddy of the World economy.

Related articles

• China builds world’s longest bridge (telegraph.co.uk)
• China has built the longest bridge in the world… so you don’t have to dig that hole (engadget.com)
• World’s longest bridge completed (thesun.co.uk)
• China claims longest bridge over water with whopping 26-mile span (dvice.com)

This position is located in the Technical Services Branch of the Eastern Federal Lands Highway Division, Sterling, Virginia. The Civil Engineer (Transportation) serves as the Federal Lands Highway (FLH)-wide technical expert and authority for promoting, coordinating and implementing the various highway traffic operations, Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), and traffic monitoring activities. In this capacity, you will promote the development and implementation of innovative and state-of-the-art technologies, practices, and products to meet the FLH transportation related needs. The deadline for applications is January 21, 2011.

http://jobsearch.dot.gov/getjob.asp?JobID=95298113

(Source: Engadget)

This new documentary, produced by AT&T, one of the leading telecom services provider in the US, strings together a set of  stories told by accident victims and their  families and friends.  The documentary, at times high on the emotional quotient, offers a compelling message to any/all drivers, let alone the teenagers, to hang up their cellphones while operating the motor vehicles.  There is no blood or gory mess splashed across the windshield but the stories along with the photos of mangled metal and shattered lives is quite riveting.  Kudos to AT&T and other public and private agencies who have been actively engaged in promoting awareness among teens about the dangers of texting while driving.

Related articles

• AT&T releases dramatic anti-texting while driving documentary (engadget.com)
• AT&T Releases anti text-driving documentary (techburgh.com)
• AT&T Mini Documentary on Dangers of Text Messaging and Driving (laughingsquid.com)

Transportation Systems Engineer – IBI Group is currently recruiting an Engineer in Alexandria, VA office. Contact – Kristen McLean at kristen.mclain@ibigroup.com

This role would suit a graduate from a Masters Degree program in Systems Engineering, Computer Science/Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Civil Engineering or Transportation Engineering. Some experience or project/thesis work in intelligent transportation systems, public transportation operations, road user charging or highway operations is desirable.

The successful candidate will demonstrate excellent analytical and technical capabilities, strong written and verbal communications skills combined with solid work ethic and a progressive professional approach to all tasks with the main goal of complementing existing IBI Group professionals and meeting corporate objectives.

Responsibilities:
Below are some examples of what the Transportation Systems Engineer could be responsible for on a daily basis.

Systems:
• Assisting transportation clients in reviewing systems and technologies and selecting those that meet their requirements.
• Reviewing data and developing analytical reports.
• Testing and reviewing roadway and transit systems.
• Application of the systems engineering process, including development of user requirements, software functional design, system and hardware specification, and system verification and testing

Qualifications:
The successful candidate will have:

• Masters in Systems Engineering, Computer Science/Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or Transportation Engineering with some exposure to transportation systems is ideal;
• Experience with software development is beneficial;
• Ability to conduct data analysis using spreadsheet programs with macros and database software;
• Communications skills: specification and report writing, making client and public presentations, conducting client meetings;
• Possess excellent written/oral communication skills along with a good understanding of key management concepts;
• Be highly observant and detail oriented and comfortable in a high-volume, data management environment;
• Have the ability to multitask and to prioritize assigned tasks;

Note: IBI Group is also looking for a Transportation Systems Engineer on a full-time, permanent basis to work out of their Calgary (Canada) office. Contact – Kristen McLean at kristen.mclain@ibigroup.com

(Source: Copenhagenize via Treehugger)

Image courtesy: Mikael Colville-Andersen via Copenhagenize.com

This one image says a thousand words, and many of them indicate how a society is thoughtful, accommodative, encouraging and appreciative of its citizens’ efforts to use alternative modes of transportation, even during the punishing winter weather conditions.    Our beloved bike blogger, Mikael Colville-Andersen at  Copenhagenize.com, writes about the snow-removal practices in Copenhagen, Denmark,  where the focus is also given not only to travel lanes for cars and trucks but also for those bike lanes in the city.  Copenhagen,  as many of us know, has one of the highest number of bicycle commuters, who regularly use these bike lanes to get around the city.  You may ask but why snow-removal for bike lanes is a priority in the winter? Here is what Mikael has to say on his blog about this:

The result? Clear channels on which the bicycle traffic can move. Prioritizing the bike lanes is, of course, a great and necessary way to encourage people to ride bicycles all through the year. On the other hand, it is also a practical necessity. If the bicycle lanes weren’t cleared, a whole lot of people on the day after a snowstorm wouldn’t ride.Tens of thousands. They would seek alternatives. Cars, perhaps, but mostly public transport. Imagine the complications of having tens of thousands of people suddenly show up at train stations and bus stops. A logistical nightmare. So keeping the bike lanes clear is an important factor in keeping Copenhagen moving.

Hope other cities, especially the ones in the US (DC/NYC) realize the importance of keeping the snow off the bike lanes. Click here to read Mikael’s blog post and a few more awesome pictures from his collection.

Related articles

• A Picture Is Worth: Snow Removal In Copenhagen (treehugger.com)
• Copenhagen Cargo Bikes (streetfilms.org)
• copenhagen to berlin – in a box bike (ask.metafilter.com)
• Copenhagen to build superhighway for bikes (americablog.com)
• Copenhagen plans bike superhighways (grist.org)

(Source: AFP via Yahoo)

A Chinese passenger train hit a record speed of 302 miles per hour (486 kilometers per hour) Friday during a test run of a yet-to-be opened link between Beijing and Shanghai, state media said.

The Xinhua News Agency said it was the fastest speed recorded by an unmodified conventional commercial train. Other types of trains in other countries have traveled faster.

A specially modified French TGV train reached 357.2 mph (574.8 kph) during a 2007 test, while a Japanese magnetically levitated train sped to 361 mph (581 kph) in 2003.

State television footage showed the sleek white train whipping past green farm fields in eastern China. It reached the top speed on a segment of the 824-mile (1,318-kilometer) -long line between Zaozhuang city in Shandong province and Bengbu city in Anhui province, Xinhua said.

Click here to read the entire article.

Note: I can’t help myself marvel at how different the conditions are for High Speed Rail deployment in two different ends of the globe – China vs. USA.  Here is a story that outlines how a  political game played in Washington is wreaking havoc to any chances of deploying a successful high-speed rail network.  While American politicians are embroiled in petty politics, Beijing’s communist rulers have already bought into he value of investing in such a network, especially with an exploding demand for transportation in the decades ahead as the nation’s wealth increases, and are determined to show their commitment to a successful, wide-spread deployment.  It makes one thing clear  – we in the West are not really lacking in ideas and ambitions; our pitfalls (and therefore the poor performance in a competitive economy) are in our inability to come together and look at common good beyond party lines. Somehow we managed to convince, not just the nation but the entire world, a $744+Billions war  (an utterly unprovoked and unnecessary war whose costs are still climbing at a giddying pace) is worth bleeding for in terms of national security.  But somehow we are not willing to look past our differences to come together and execute a project that is only going to make us better. Why are our politicians adamant to not realize that such modern infrastructure projects are good for our nation’s economic security in the long run? Oh well, its gotta be the Democracy that we are trying to export as a successful model.

Related articles

• China passenger train hits 300 mph, breaks record (sfgate.com)
• China Unveils World’s Fastest High Speed Train (huffingtonpost.com)
• China Passenger Train Breaks World Record (abcnews.go.com)
• China claims new passenger train speed record (ctv.ca)
• Chinese passenger train sets new world speed record after reaching 302mph (dailymail.co.uk)
• imabonehead: China passenger train hits 300 mph, breaks record – Yahoo! News (news.yahoo.com)
• Chinese train sets speed record, Xinhua reports (cnn.com)
• Chinese passenger train breaks world speed record (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Chinese passenger train breaks world speed record (foxnews.com)
• Chinese passenger train reaches 302mph, claims speed record for unmodified trains (engadget.com)