(Source: Bloomberg)

Cars and light trucks will be required to meet a U.S.fuel-economy average of 27.3 miles per gallon for 2011 models, a 2 mpg increase from the previous year’s level, the Transportation Department said.

The 8 percent gain announced today in Washington carries out a 2007 law intended to curb emissions and fuel use. The change, being put in place asGeneral Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC face possible bankruptcy, isn’t as aggressive as the 27.8 mpg target that President George W. Bush proposed in April 2008.

“This isn’t going to be a stretch for them to meet this,” David Kelly, former acting head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration under Bush, said of automakers. New-car fuel economy already averaged 31.3 mpg by 2007, NHTSA said in today’s rule.

Cars must average 30.2 mpg, up from 27.5 currently, under the rule. Light trucks will average 24.1, up from 23.5 mpg for 2010 models. The December 2007 law called for vehicles to meet a 35 mpg standard by 2020 models, a 40 percent increase from the average in 2008.

“The bad news is that the 27.3 mpg standard means that they’ll have to make up for it in future years,” said Dan Becker, director of the Safe Climate Campaign, a group in Washington that works for environmentally “clean” cars. “The goods news is that they have promised that they will.”

President Barack Obama’s administration had a March 31 deadline for setting the standard, giving the industry about 18 months to prepare its 2011 models to meet the requirement. Bush never issued his proposed standard before he left office.

Click here to read the entire article.

(Source: Boston Globe)

Mass. officials say public works that would have the biggest impact – and create the most jobs – may be left out

(Source: Streetsblog)

How can federal policy encourage walkable street networks instead of highways and sprawl? 

(Source: Autoblog & Oregon Live)

Michael Harold Lynch was ticketed for doing 54 mph in a 35 mph area that was also a construction zone. The fine was $206. Lynch decided to let his anger flow by placing $206 in a plastic bag, peeing in the bag and sending it in. Upon receiving Lynch’s little care package, the courthouse staff gave it to a police officer and declined to accept the pungent payment to clear the ticket. 
“It was nasty. It reeked,” said Sgt. Phil Anderchuk.

Anderchuk called a U.S. postal inspector to see if federal law had been broken, and learned that it’s not against the law to mail a box of bodily fluids, as long as it’s properly packed and doesn’t emit an obnoxious odor. 

In explaining why the courthouse couldn’t accept Lynch’s payment, the sergeant wrote that “the pile of coins emitted a strong, pungent odor of stale urine. This was very concerning to me.”

Anderchuk reminded Lynch he still owed for the ticket.

“I encourage you to submit your payment in a more traditional form,” he wrote in a January letter. He told Lynch to expect a visit from a postal inspector, presumably to talk about how close he came to violating federal law.

Lynch apparently got the message, because a few weeks later a check arrived. But it was made out to the wrong agency. Courthouse staff sent it back. In February, a new check arrived, but this time it was made out for the wrong amount: $206, which didn’t account for $65 in penalties for arriving late. Last week, the state turned Lynch’s case over to a collection agency.

Click here to read the entire story. 

(Source: Jalopnik); Pictures: The Mirror)

The 43-year old Brit was heading for a friends home near Todmorden, West Yorks when the system took him down a steep and treacherous footpath. His mindless progress stopped as his car hit a fence planted at the edge of a 100 ft cliff which Jones would have probably happily driven off if his navi had told him to. On his He-Man scale feat of stupidity, Robert said, “I just trusted the satnav. It kept insisting that the path was a road even as it was getting narrower and steeper. I rely on my satnav, I couldn’t do without it for my job. I guess I’m lucky the car didn’t slip all the way over the edge. But it has been a bit of a nightmare.”

Locals gathered during the nine hours it took for a crew to pull the car from its predicament, no-doubt snickering at the idiot in the BMW the entire time.

Click here to read the entire Jalopnik article.

Note:  The source article on the British Daily, The Mirror, reports that it is not the first time our British drivers had many such disastrous affairs with Satellite Navigation. It has compiled the Top 10 Sat-Nav disasters on its website and it is worth reading it.

(Source: Washington Examiner)

The majority of crimes in the system occur in Metro’s parking garages and lots, where items such as briefcases, laptops and cell phones are stolen from vehicles. Larceny rose 15 percent in parking lots since 2007.

Riders can take some solace that reported assaults declined somewhat. There were no rapes or homicides. But the number of thefts rose substantially.

Robberies, which involve theft from a person, jumped by nearly a third. Larceny, the most frequently reported crime, jumped 17 percent for a total of 864 cases, up from 739. Larceny is theft without the owner present.

“With more people in the system, more crime occurs,” said Metro Transit Police Deputy Chief Jeff Delinski.

Yet not all of the increase can be explained by the 3 percent increase in ridership, which was well below the increase in serious crimes reported. And though transit police made more arrests last year than in 2007, the growth was smaller than the number of serious crimes overall.

Click here to read the entire report.

(Source: Jalopnik & Daily Telegraph; Photo Courtesy: Jalopnik )

Clocked by police driving at 173mph in a 50mph zone, the Brit avoided jail after his defence team said his sports car was incapable of travelling that fast.

Tex O’Reilly, winner of the award for least Britishly-named man ever, was ticketed for 173MPH in a 50MPH zone while driving his Lotus Elise. One problem? The Lotus Elise tops out at a leisurely 127MPH.

Click here to read the entire article.

 (Source: The Transport Politic & GAO; Photo: Swanksalot@flickr)

General Accountability Office sees federal involvement in planning and financing as necessary for high-speed rail construction

(Source: Autoblog)

Aftermarket group warns Cash For Clunkers legislation will expand landfills

The House is currently looking at a Cash for Clunkers bill that would give owners of eight-year or older vehicles up to $5,000 to turn in their car or truck for a more fuel efficient vehicle. The deal sounds great for the owners of beaters, and automakers wouldn’t complain much either. The most politically friendly aspect of the legislation, though, is the perceived positive impact on the environment. More fuel efficient vehicles emit less CO2 than an older model, and less oil use means less drilling. Less drilling means a decreased dependency on foreign oil. That sounds like a win, win, win, win proposition, but one organization isn’t so sure.

The Fight Cash For Clunkers group claims that the legislation would do more harm to the environment than good. Aaron Lowe, vice president of government affairs for the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association, says Cash For Clunkers will lead to more vehicles being scrapped, which would then lead to more car waste in landfills. The group would rather owners of older vehicles take steps to improve the efficiency of the vehicles they already own. 

Click here to read the entire article and don’t forget to register your comments below on tihs very important issue.  Take action!

Note: Transportgooru wonders how other Governments such as Germany are able to successfully implement similar programs ( while battling this environmental/recycling challenge ).  Instead of fighting the Government, can Fight Cash for Clunkers work with the Government and find meaningful ways to approach this issue.  Failure to understand and implement this program soon, may soon lead to behemoth challenges, both economically and environmentally.  Here are some related  articles from the Transportgooru.com archives:

(1) Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save (CARS) Act revives “Cash for Clunkers” scrapping plan in U.S.

(2) Should the U.S. institute a vehicle scrapping plan?

(3) Germany plans to extend Abwrackprämie aka “Environmental Bonus” (in plain english, car scrapping program)

(Source: Autoblog)

Germany recently began a scrapping incentive program that gives buyers €2,500 to get rid of their old cars and buy new ones. The plan helped create a 21% jump in car sales during the month of February, even though the plan didn’t take effect until February 20. It was the kind of success that has both the UK and the U.S. mulling over such a program, and has Germany considering doubling the incentive plan by adding another €1.5 billion of government money. 

 According to The Local, a Düsseldorf paper – Rheinische Post report says that car sales have reportedly increased significantly since the scrapping bonus came into effect on February 20, and now there is “department-wide agreement” that is should be extended, citing an anonymous government source. 

But the scheme was only set to be available as long as funds lasted. The paper said the government plans to discuss the extension during a coalition committee meeting after Easter, and that most of the finance and economy officials had already given their consent.

Click here to read the entire article. Also,  shown below are two related articles from TransportGooru archives:

Should the U.S. institute a vehicle scrapping plan?

Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save (CARS) Act revives “Cash for Clunkers” scrapping plan in U.S.