Are you an uninsured driver? The Big Brother is watching!!

March 24, 2009 at 6:18 pm

New Database Tells Big Brother You’re Uninsured

Busted

At least 16 percent of motorists tool around without insurance, and a Michigan company says it has developed technology that allows police to easily identify and cite them.

InsureNet’s database would compile names, license plate numbers and other information about motorists and provide it to some 35,000 law agencies through a nationwide network linking local, state and federal law enforcement. Cops and traffic cameras could use the information to instantly identify uninsured motorists. InsureNet claims the system could save the insurance industry billions of dollars in fraud and generate hundreds of millions in ticket revenue. It says Chicago and Mississippi are among those that may adopt the technology.

“Until now states have had very little opportunity to determine what vehicles on the road are insured,” Rowland Day, the company’s executive VP, told Wired.com. “We have developed a system that has the ability to be effective on a national level and therefore beneficial to every state.”

All states require automobile insurance of some kind, but uninsured motorists generally aren’t caught unless they’re stopped for another offense. InsureNet would make it easier to identify them and create another use for the traffic and surveillance cameras blanketing many cities. Civil libertarians warn such a system threatens our privacy and brings us closer to a surveillance state akin to England, where there’s a camera on nearly every corner.

The Insurance Status System compiles information provided by insurance companies and  makes it available to police through the National Law Enforcement Telecommunications System. The secure network, launched in 1961 and based in Arizona, links law enforcement agencies nationwide, allowing them to instantly share information.

Click here to read the entire article. 

Busted: FBI breaks up $25 million ‘car cloning’ ring

March 24, 2009 at 1:30 pm

 (Source: CNN)

There’s probably no way to describe the feeling.  Joe Pirrone’s pride and joy, his F350 Super Duty turbo diesel truck, turned out to be a stolen “clone.”

One moment, Guiseppe “Joe” Pirrone was on a long weekend at the beach.

The next moment, he found out the pickup that he bought a year ago is stolen, and he is still on the hook for the $27,000 loan.

Stories like Pirrone’s are scattered across the country, and Tuesday the FBI announced that it has broken up one of the largest auto theft cases in the U.S.  Capping “Operation Dual Identity,” arrest warrants for 17 people were executed in Tampa and Miami, Florida; Chicago, Illinois; and in Mexico City and Guadalajara, Mexico. The suspects were accused of “cloning” vehicles, which is making stolen cars look like legal ones.

The FBI says that the ring was operating in the U.S. for more than 20 years. More than 1,000 vehicles were stolen in Florida, with more than $25 million in losses to consumers and banks.

“Individuals have been victimized at every level, from the average Joe, to the banks, to big companies,” said Dave Couvertier, of the FBI’s Tampa field office. Car theft rings clone vehicles by taking license plates, vehicle identification numbers (VIN), and other tags and stickers from a legal car and put them on a stolen vehicle of similar make and model.

“This does not just affect big business. Anyone could become an unwitting victim of this particular scam. It could happen to anyone,” said Couvertier.

Pirrone knows how it was done because it happened to him.

Last year, he bought a used 2005 F350 Super Duty turbo diesel pickup to use for his landscape business in Fort Myers, Florida. He bought it off a small used car lot and took out a $27,000 loan from a credit union.

“I had it for about nine months. It was a great truck,” he told CNN.

Click here to read the entire article. 

A TransportGooru exclusive from Dr. Roadmap: Christmas in April? President Obama doubles tax breaks for ridesharers

March 24, 2009 at 12:14 am

TransportGooru is proud to team up with David Rizzo, better known as Dr. Roadmap,  a Commute Management expert who writes about issues such as improving gas mileage (mpg), alternate routes, traffic congestion, ridesharing, commuting behavior and intelligent transportation systems on California’s Orange Country Register.  He is well known for his comprehensive guide ever written on off-freeway commuting in Southern California, published in 1990.  Two years later he became the first traffic reporter to offer daily alternate routes in real time over the air on one of the most popular morning radio shows in Los Angeles.  Starting today, he will be contributing bi-weekly columns exclusively for TransportGooru.   Here is his first column on tax breaks, just in time for the tax season as we sharpen our pencils and start crunching the numbers before the arrival of April 15:

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Perhaps October 31, Halloween, is the scariest day of the year, or even Friday the Thirteenth and its specter of 24 hours of bad luck? Maybe. But the one day most working Americans dread most is April 15, the deadline for filling our income tax returns. However, a silver lining surrounds this annual dark cloud for those who share the ride on their way to their job.

On February 17, President Obama single-handedly doubled the tax-free benefit for ridesharers with the signing of the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009. Now people who take a train, bus or a vanpool to work can receive up to $230 per month from their employer, TAX FREE. That works out to $2760 annually. Anyone treated to a W-2 form at the end of the year qualifies.

Photo Courtesy: Paul Keleher@Flickr

Previously, this amount was limited to just $120 per month, or $1440 per year, as outlined in the Internal Revenue Code, Section 9010.

This fringe benefit encourages commuters to abandon their cars in favor of transit and vanpools, which feature a lower carbon footprint per passenger mile.

Referred to as the Commuter Choice program, it even benefits employers who provide these transportation fringe benefit funds in addition to, or in lieu of, existing compensation paid to their workers. What this means for those of us who haven’t earned a CPA credential lately, is employers realize a savings of at least 7.65% on the amount set aside, since payroll taxes do not apply.

Of course, you know there has to be a “gotcha” or two, but they’re not too bad.

The main catch is that your employer must pay for your commuting expenses by way of a bus pass, rail pass or Transit Check — which is a universal voucher produced by Commuter Check Services Corporation that acts like a gift certificate to purchase transit passes. Most transit agencies honor these.

An employer can also pay money to a vanpool provider, be it a company-sponsored vanpool or otherwise, just as long as the van seats seven adults (including the driver), and at least 80 percent of the mileage is for transporting employees from home to work and back again.

However, an employee cannot receive any cash directly. Otherwise, the IRS will seek a piece of the action.

Additionally, these benefits do not accrue to commuters who carpool. A possible reason behind this exclusion includes the fact that a van, bus, or train can remove far more vehicles off the road than a normal passenger car. Additionally, keeping track of what qualifies as a bona fide carpooling arrangement for commuting purposes only, could prove contentious and time consuming for any employer.

For the first time, though, anyone who pedals to work gets a break. Called the Qualified Bicycle Commuting Reimbursement, a biker can receive up to $20 per month from his or her employer, tax free, for reasonable expenses which include the purchase of a bike, bike improvements, repairs or storage.

President Obama also raised the tax-free parking allowance to $230 per month. And, yes, an employee can take advantage of BOTH benefits. Such would be the case for an employee who drives to a transit station that lacks free parking, then hops on a train for the rest of the trip to work. The potential tax-free income here adds up to a significant $5,520 per year.

While each state clings to its own interpretation of how employers can reimburse their employees for ridesharing, at least the feds have taken some of the sting out of tax time.

We need no longer lie panic stricken when April 15 rolls around.

©2009, Dr. Roadmap®

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Note: This is copyright-protected content.  Please contact Transportgooru if you like to use this article or portions of this article.  Thank you.

Secret Service to offer parking lessons for officers? – Jenna Bush’s Secret Service Vehicle Towed For Unpaid Tickets

March 23, 2009 at 4:41 pm

(Source:  Baltimore Sun/Investigative Voice via Jalopnik)

First Daughter and current South Baltimore teacher Jenna Bush‘s Secret Service detail vehicle was towed away this week because of unpaid parking tickets… and karma.

 According to Investigative Voice, the Baltimore Parking Authority towed one of the vehicles in Jenna Bush‘s Secret Service detail because of several unpaid parking tickets. Click here to read the rest.

TransportGooru’s musings:  I wonder if the tax payers have to bailout another Bush mess?

Another reason to quit living in the suburbs – Virginia is taking aim at one of the most enduring symbols of suburbia: the cul-de-sac.

March 23, 2009 at 10:38 am

(Source: Washington Post)

Targeting Cul-de-Sacs, Rules Now Require Through Streets in New Subdivisions

Virginia is taking aim at one of the most enduring symbols of suburbia: the cul-de-sac.

 The state has decided that all new subdivisions must have through streets linking them with neighboring subdivisions, schools and shopping areas. State officials say the new regulations will improve safety and accessibility and save money: No more single entrances and exits onto clogged secondary roads. Quicker responses by emergency vehicles. Lower road maintenance costs for governments.

Although cul-de-sacs will remain part of the suburban landscape for years to come, the Virginia regulations attack what the cul-de-sac has come to represent: quasi-private standalone developments around the country that are missing only a fence and a sign that says “Keep Out.”

Homeowners choose cul-de-sacs because, they say, they offer safety, security and a sense of community.

“Cul-de-sacs are the safest places in America to live,” said Mike Toalson, executive vice president of the Home Builders Association of Virginia, which opposes the new rules. “The first lots sold are often on the cul-de-sacs because they are safe.” As for developments with single entrances and exits, Toalson said, such configurations ensure that all traffic is local, neighbors watch out for each other and speeds are kept down. “Crooks look for multiple exits.”

Click here to read the entire article. 

Ethanol Makers Vs. California Law Makers – A volatile mix in the making

March 21, 2009 at 12:23 pm
Some ethanol producers are unhappy with California’s proposed low carbon fuel standards.
California wants to take a big-picture look at decreasing carbon emissions from transportation, and in doing so, it has managed to step on some toes, mainly some ethanol producers. Since California is often a trend-setter on these type of things, this case could be a good example of what the rest of us might see in our own states down the road.

Biofuels play a big role in this, but it’s the way they’re doing it that has some people riled up. I’m a biofuel fan myself and have two vehicles (both 25-year-old-plus diesels, one of which was featured on CNN.com’s American Road Tripsspecial) that I run on biodiesel, so I find this all quite interesting.

California’s proposing a “Low Carbon-Fuel Standard” aimed at decreasing carbon, not only from tailpipe emissions but also from the overall production of fuels and their use. As part of this, it has proposed a rule limiting the use of ethanol in the strategy, mainly because it says ethanol from corn (because of its land use and impact on food crops) can have a higher impact than regular gasoline produced in the state (according to the Los Angeles Times).

Supporters of the proposal claim they aren’t trying to ban ethanol or anything; in fact, according to the fact sheet I linked to above, they’re advocating going from an ethanol blend fuel called E5 (5 percent ethanol, 95 percent gasoline) to E10 (10 percent ethanol, 90 percent gasoline) and E85 (85 percent ethanol) for flex fuel vehicles.

Click here to read the entire post. 

Booking your air tickets? Now, TSA wants to know your birth date and gender!

March 20, 2009 at 4:43 pm

(Source: Yahoo Travel;  Photo Coutesy: TSA)

 TSA Adds a New Twist to Passenger Screening

Just when you thought you had the Transportation Security Administration rules all figured out, here comes a new procedure. Starting sometime in the next few months, you’ll have to provide your birth date and gender whenever you buy an airplane ticket. The TSA is giving the airlines some time to change their websites and retrain their phone-reservations agents to be able to implement the agency’s new Secure Flight program. Expect the changes on domestic flights by this summer.

The change is supposed to help reduce the number of Americans who are misidentified as individuals on the agency’s no-fly and “selectee-for-further-inspection” watch lists. Up until now, airlines have done the work of vetting their passenger manifests for suspect names, but under the new program, the TSA assumes the job of monitoring watch lists full-time and implements “a uniform, efficient matching process.”

In a related move, the TSA is bringing back “gate checks,” the practice of pulling aside passengers for searches while they wait at airport gates to board planes even after they have already passed through security checkpoints!

Click here to read the entire article. 

HUD and USDOT Announce Joint Sustainable Communities Initiative

March 20, 2009 at 12:18 pm

 (Source: The Transport Politic)

HUD and DOT will encourage communities to combine federally-mandated metropolitan area housing and transportation plans 

During the campaign, now-President Barack Obama argued that the federal government could contribute to the planning and development of neighborhoods around the country through a livable communities initiative, arguing that “Our communities will better serve all of their residents if we are able to leave our cars to walk, bicycle and access other transportation alternatives.” Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan testified today on the issue in front of the House Subcommittee on Transportation and Housing (part of the Appropriations Committee).

Both Secretaries argued that transportation and housing had to be planned together in order to handle the rising costs of both for most American households. Each pointed out that providing housing near public transportation allows for lower transportation costs and argued that transportation and housing in the United States should be organized in order to address climate change concerns.

HUD and DOT will establish a Sustainable Communities Initiative, which will encourage transit-oriented development. The initiative will encouraged integrated planning with HUD and DOT working together on neighborhood projects by encouraging metropolitan areas to consolidate their current government-mandated five-year housing plans and four-year transportation plans, both of which are used to determine federal formula appropriations to communities. The program will also consider transportation costs when determining the level of affordability in communities and develop “livability measures” to benchmark improvements that can be made to communities through federal funding. Finally, HUD and DOT programs and research will be “harmonized.”

Click here to read the entire article.  Click here to read a related article on tihs subject from the TransportGooru archives.

Brookings scholar articulates the connections between housing and transportation and the need for integrated planning

March 20, 2009 at 10:12 am

(Source: Brookings Institute)

Brookings Senior Fellow Robert Puentes tells a House Appropriations panel this week that “how and where we build in the future carries far-reaching implications for the health of our environment, our energy security, and our economic recovery and will continue to impact our metropolitan areas’ success and our ability to compete globally.”

Unfortunately, the U.S. track record here is not good.  Puentes’ research shows that between 1980 and 2000, the growth of the largest 99 metro areas in the continental U.S. consumed 16 million acres of rural land, or about one acre for every new household.5Indicative of this outward sprawl is the fact that more than 70 percent of the 100 largest metros’ recent population growth over the same period of time occurred outside of principal cities—the largest and most established cities within each metro in terms of population and employment.

Click here to read or download Mr. Puentes’ testimony to the House Appropriations panel.  Shown below is the read-only version of the PDF document.

Planning to visit Chicago? Better check your car insurance! Chicago’s Traffic Lights May Scan for Car Insurance

March 19, 2009 at 12:57 pm

 (Source: Gizmodo)

It wouldn’t matter if you ran the light or were driving conscientiously. The proposed system would exploit both existing stoplight cameras and general security cameras to scan your plate and hand it over to the InsureNet database. If InsureNet discovered that you were lacking insurance, you’d receive a $300-$500 ticket in the mail.

Click here to read the entire article.