Google Maps Feature, Transit Navigation (Beta), Lets You Know When To Get Off the Bus/Train (as long as you are not underground)

July 6, 2011 at 7:10 pm

(Source: Youtube via Jalopnik)

Google Maps 5.7  is now available with a deeper public transit navigation for users in nearly 400 cities around the globe. As shown in the above video, using your location along the route, the Transit Navigation feature on Google Maps will alert you when its time to get off at your destination or to make a transfer. Transit Navigation (Beta) requires a phone with Android 2.1+ (too bad, Apple users are missing out here) and the latest update of Google Maps for mobile. Oh, the only caveat is that the system works only for above-ground transit systems where the GPS signals can be reached.  And for those with plenty of time to spare, here is a hands-on review of the new feature, courtesy of Engadget. I can already surmise this is a god’s gift (or Google’s) for the international travelers.

Selling High-Speed Rail to the skeptics – USDOT Sec. Ray LaHood talks about strategy and benefits of HSR investments

May 9, 2011 at 7:44 pm

(Source: Fastlane – Sec. Ray LaHood’s Blog)

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced $2 billion in high-speed rail awards providing an unprecedented investment to speed up trains in the Northeast Corridor, expand service in the Midwest and provide new, state-of-the-art locomotives and rail cars as part of the Administration’s plan to transform travel in America. Shortly after making this announcement, he spoke to the financial media house, CNBC, about how these investments in high-speed rail investments are distributed and how they will benefits the various states that received this huge bonanza.

Twenty-four states, the District of Columbia and Amtrak submitted nearly 100 applications, competing to be part of an historic investment that will create tens of thousands of jobs, improve mobility and stimulate American manufacturing.  Here is an excerpt from the USDOT presser outlining the details of this disbursement:

The Department’s Federal Railroad Administration selected 15 states and Amtrak to receive $2.02 billion for 22 high-speed intercity passenger rail projects as part of a nationwide network that will connect 80 percent of Americans to high-speed rail in 25 years. The dedicated rail dollars will:

  • Make an unprecedented investment in the Northeast Corridor (NEC), with $795 million to upgrade some of the most heavily-used sections of the corridor. The investments will increase speeds from 135 to 160 miles per hour on critical segments, improve on-time performance and add more seats for passengers.
  • Provide $404.1 million to expand high-speed rail service in the Midwest. Newly constructed segments of 110-mph track between Detroit and Chicago will save passengers 30 minutes in travel time and create nearly 1,000 new jobs in the construction phase. Upgrades to the Chicago to St. Louis corridor will shave time off the trip, enhance safety and improve ridership.
  • Boost U.S. manufacturing through a $336.2 million investment in state-of-the-art locomotives and rail cars for California and the Midwest. “Next Generation” rail equipment will deliver safe, reliable and high-tech American-built vehicles for passenger travel.
  • Continue laying the groundwork for the nation’s first 220-mph high-speed rail system in California through a $300 million investment, extending the current 110 mile segment an additional 20 miles to advance completion of the Central Valley project, the backbone of the Los Angeles to San Francisco corridor.

Nearly 100 percent of the $2.02 billion announced today will go directly to construction of rail projects, bringing expanded and improved high-speed intercity passenger rail service to cities in all parts of the country. Thirty-two states across the U.S. and the District of Columbia are currently laying the foundation for high-speed rail corridors to link Americans with faster and more energy-efficient travel options.

Click here to read more.

Job Alert: Transit Safety and Security Specialist @ USDOT’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration – Oklahoma City, OK

April 20, 2011 at 4:05 pm

The Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA) seeks two Transit Safety and Security Specialist’s (Instructor) to join the Transit Safety and Security Division at the Transportation Safety Institute (TSI).  RITA coordinates the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) research programs and is charged with advancing rigorous analysis and the deployment of cross-cutting technologies to improve our Nation’s transportation system.  The Transportation Safety Institute (TSI) provides premier worldwide training, products and/or services for people in the public and private sectors through innovative, state-of-the-art methods and technologies that contribute to the protection of life, property, and the environment.  The Transportation Safety Institute training center is located in Oklahoma City, OK at the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center (MMAC), a Federal Aviation Administration training and materials facility.  Visit www.tsi.dot.gov to learn more.  The position is located in Oklahoma City, OK.

As a Transit Safety and Security Specialist (Instructor), you will develop training programs, instruct, manage and facilitate classes, perform evaluations, and conduct seminars and symposiums.  Programs include all facets of safety and security work with complex bus and light rail transit systems.

To succeed in this position you must have experience developing, implementing, and/or performing complex assignments in support of transit safety and security projects, programs, and plans, and ensuring compliance with safety oversight regulations.  You must have experience in developing, modifying, and instructing training course content and materials.  You must also have superb organizational, communication and presentation skills.  Payment of relocation expenses may be authorized.  Ability to obtain and retain a travel credit card is required.

This announcement is open to the general public and under merit promotion for current or former Federal employees and people eligible under special hiring authorities. Please note that merit promotion announcements are the vehicle through which Federal employees generally apply for Federal positions.

Click here for the Merit Promotion Announcement

Click here for the Public Announcement

Reaching higher and higher – Ambitious China ramps up construction of world’s highest high-speed rail network

April 11, 2011 at 6:13 pm

(Source:  Raman’s Strategic Analysis & Wikipedia)

On April 11,2011, the Government-controlled Xinhua news agency of China has disseminated from Lhasa a report on the construction of a fast rail line to connect Lanzhou, the capital of the Gansu province, with Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang province. The construction of this line, capable of carrying trains moving at 300 KMs an hour, was started in 2009 and is due to be completed in 2015. The Xinhua despatch has quoted some Chinese analysts as viewing the line as significant more from the national security and political angle than from the economic perspective.Though the Xinhua has not spelt it out in such terms, it should be apparent that the railway line will help strengthen Beijing’s control over the Tibetan and Uighur-inhabited areas of the country (11-4-11).

Some of the key highlights of this rail line as reported in the Xinhua report:

  • This rail line will connect Lanzhou, capital of Gansu Province, with Urumqi, capital of northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
  • China Railway 20th Group Co., Ltd., is in charge of the construction, which began in 2009.
  • Wages for construction workers is also double compared to the construction in the flatlands (due to tough  working conditions in high-altitudes)
  • According to Wikipedia, the rail tracks in the section near Qilianshan Tunnel will be at 3,858 meters above sea level[3], making it the highest high-speed rail track in the world.
  • Trains will run at 350 kilometres per hour on the line.[4][5]

Click here to read the full text of the Xinhua dispatch.

Editor’s note:  Though the pursuit of China’s high-speed in this northwestern region is discussed from the militaristic and national security-oriented perspective, it offers a glimpse of the national leadership’s desire to connect the vast outlying remote areas of rural China.  This offers an swift and safe access route for people and goods to flow between these regions and the big centers of trade/commerce and manufacturing situated along the coast line in the Eastern part of the country.  It is amazing to see how steadfast is the Communist leadership in its commitment to build this national strategic infrastructure asset.

Wake up, GOP? Amtrak’s growing ridership signals demand for passenger rail

April 8, 2011 at 7:55 pm

(Source: Tree Hugger)

I saw this article below on Tree Hugger and felt compelled to share with you all.  See my commentary in the Editor’s Notes section below.

Growing Amtrak Ridership On A Collision Course With Political Surrealism

The Hill reports that “Amtrak had more riders in March than it has had in any March in its 40 years of existence, the company said Thursday. There were 137,000 more Amtrak riders this past month, the company said, which was the 17th straight month of increased ridership. That puts the company on track to break its annual ridership record, which was 28.7 million last year, Amtrak said.”

Note: By the term “political surrealism” I mean that the railroads which once united America are being used as a “wedge issue” to divide the US politically. Don’t tell me ideological opposition to Amtrak and high speed trains is justified because ‘we’re broke’ and passenger rail should be privately owned, exclusively.

Click here to read the full article.

Editor’s Notes: As a nation, especially in the post-World War II era, the United States has identified itself as a world leader in innovation and as a business-savvy nation.  Even during the toughest of times, a class of creative entrepreneurs and  political leaders somehow managed to find ways to help innovate and keep the economy rolling, eventually leading the country to gain the top spot among world’s economies.  This American entrepreneurship always was rooted in one thing – a keen understanding of the market demands for a product or service and effectively finding a steady supply to meet that demand.  Time and again this demand vs supply model was successfully applied in the market by many savvy innovators and managers, leading to the creation of many successful business houses and millionaires/billionaires across the country.

All of a sudden now things are looking different.  The America at the start of the 21st Century America looks much different than the one in the decades before.  Now the business community seems totally out of touch with the market demand and the political class is not far behind, blindly groping around without any clue of what the people really want.  With a country of 300+ million that is growing every day and the price of gasoline shooting through http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/08/government-shutdown-2011_n_846525.htmlthe roof with every war (overt and covert) launched in a different part of the globe under the guise of spreading democracy, the country and the economic engines are grinding themselves to a halt.  The driver of this economic engine has always been the transportation industry and this industry seems to be on a shakier footing than ever.  The rail industry that once dominated the country is now virtually shut out in favor of the motorcars and the highways lobby.  Aviation industry is doing a much better job getting people around faster but the airports and the sector’s infrastructure are starting to show signs of fatigue. 

And along comes this great opportunity, in form of investment in high speed rail, and our political leaders are completely blowing off a golden chance to resurrect the American dominance by completely caving to party-line politics.   There have been way too many arguments made for and against building a high-speed passenger rail network so I’m not even going to attempt bringing them here. All I want to add here is that we have a golden opportunity to encourage the business community to come forward and invest in meeting this demand from consumers.  These ridership numbers from Amtrak are no less of an indicator for a growing demand for a service; unfortunately the government does not have the money to pay for building a rail service that can cater to this demand.  So why not encourage the private sector to get involved in providing that service.  If it takes a little bit of hand holding/encouragement (read as subsidies and tax reliefs), why not do that?  Let the likes of Virgin, JR East, etc come in and set up shop.. Let them build the high speed rail network.. Give them the contracts to develop the lines, as well as the track /train sets.. Let them figure out the economics..  All the political leadership, esp. the conservatives, needs to do is to work with the U.S.DOT and the White House and make it easy for the players to come in and play the field.  A lot of other nations have successfully done this and why are we not trying something that we have taught everyone in the world?  For a nation full of smart people I am not sure why it is taking us so long to understand the strategic benefits of investing in this form of transportation.

In simple terms, we have a lot riding on the rails and we cannot afford to squander this opportunity to build a new industry, especially when there is a growing demand.  Looking  back at the end of the last century, the US government did its best to encourage private sector participation in the creation and development of a brand new industry in the Silicon Valley – Software/IT Industry, which helped establish the country as the market leader in the technology sector and has since spawned many products and services.  It is not a stretch to say many of the advances we have made in the field of computing and technology would not have been possible without this joint private/public sector participation. So, why not replicate the same in the transportation field and encourage the private sector to come in and create a robust industry.  It is not impossible and it is not going to be easy either! But hey, it is any day better than squabbling to score political points and fighting wars in foreign countries.

So, let me conclude by saying this – we don’t just need a new form of transportation but some new, fresh, outside the box thinking and political will to go with it.

Job Alert: Director, Office of Transit Safety & Security @ Federal Transit Admn., USDOT

March 25, 2011 at 6:16 pm

(Source: USAJOBS)

Job Description

Dedicated to delivering results that matter to the American people, the FTA supports, improves, and promotes effective public transportation, the Nation’s fastest growing mode of travel. Through the administration, management, and oversight of a $10 billion annual grant program, FTA supports the development and construction of subway, light rail, and bus systems to help communities provide travel choices; improve access to jobs and health care; drive economic growth; and protect the environment.

You will serve as Director, Office of Transit Safety and Security (TPM-30) within the Office of Program Management.

You will carry out the duties and responsibilities outlined in this position description and reports to the FTA Associate Administrator of Program Management and Deputy Associate Administrator of Program Management. The duties and responsibilities include functioning as advisor in safety security matters to the FTA Administrator, and Deputy Administrator. You will serve as Director of the TPM-30 leadership team, which includes team leaders for security and safety. As a senior FTA expert in safety and security, you will represent FTA in promoting transit safety and security and is a focal point for all related programs and issues. You will also serve as a key liaison for FTA with other elements of the Department and other Federal agencies for transit safety and security matters.

You will be responsible for establishing the framework for coordinated and cooperative safety and security activities within FTA, with relevant DOT agencies, with other Federal agencies, and with concerned national organizations and State agencies. Ensures that safety and security is a priority with FTA grantees and contractors, the transit industry, and concerned interest groups. Responsible for directing, coordinating, controlling, and ensuring the adequacy of short- and long-range FT A plans and programs on all transit safety and security matters as they relate to the FTA strategic plan, its missions, programs, and objectives. Keep the FTA Administrator, and Deputy Administrator informed of emerging and controversial issues.

This position is ideal for a Senior Level professional with a broad range of transit safety and security matters and functioning as an advisor in such matters.

Click here for more information and to apply

Some pockets of GOP cheer for high-speed rail … at least when it is in a Hollywood movie!

February 11, 2011 at 8:50 pm

(Source: YouTube via Wonkette)

Washington DC’s political columnist Wonkette says this video below earned cheers during this year’s Conservative Political Action Congress (CPAC).  Hey, wait a second.. aren’t the conservatives dead against all things high speed rail? At least that what one would think reading this rebuttal from House T & I Committee leadership, (chaired by FL Republican  Rep. John Mica), slamming President Obama’s proposal to spend some big money on High Speed Rail projects to prop up the economy and job market.  Watching this makes me wonder if the Republican leadership in the  has seen it already? Did he know that this idea was received warmly by fellow Republicans?

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Bad timing, bro – Fare Jumper Caught Red Handed By Boston MBTA General Manager

December 9, 2010 at 6:14 pm

(Source: Boston Globe)

Boston MBTA’s General Manager Richard Davey was headed to Ashmont on the T’s Red Line for the unveiling of banners created by youth artists from Dorchester when he spotted the scofflaw attempting to climb over the fare gates at the lesser-used Winter Street entrance to Park Street.

He walked up the evader and confronted him for jumping over the turnstiles.  Caught by surprise and enveloped in shame, the  scofflaw retreats back. This is where it gets better.

“He kind of fumbled around, and he did not have the CharlieCard (aka the fare card) and had just a couple of bucks on him, so I actually offered to pay for him,” Davey said. “He declined and said he would get his own ticket.”

Oh well, at least the young man had the pride to pay for his own ticket after getting caught red handed.  Good job, Richard Davey.  MBTA should be proud to have a vigilant man at the top running the show.

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“Piss Off” – London Tube worker tells 7/7 inquest how he was refused first aid supplies when responding to the transit bombings

December 6, 2010 at 6:56 pm

(Source: The Guardian, UK)

Tube worker says station manager at King’s Cross refused to let him take bandages from control room to treat victims

London Underground worker who was among the first to arrive at one of the bombed tube carriages on July 7 was told to “piss off” by his superior when he rushed back to collect more first aid equipment to treat the injured and dying, he said today.

Imran Chaudhury fought back tears as he said one of the duty station managers at Kings Cross, Ken Leach, tried to obstruct him from collecting bandages from the station’s control room, despite the fact that his clothing was covered in blood and injured passengers could clearly be seen on CCTV emerging from the ruined train.

Leach’s superior, group station manager Peter Sanders, had also been in the room but had said nothing, said Chaudhury, which still “haunts” him, he told the inquest into the deaths of the victims of the bomb attacks. Fifty-two people died in the attacks, 26 were killed in the Kings Cross blast.

Click here to read the entire story

Note: It scares me to think how ill-prepared many of our U.S. transit systems across the country are even after such a coordinated mass-casualty event occurred in one of the busiest and well-policed systems around the world.  In Washington, DC I see so many security lapses day in and day out when I ride the system but given the complexities of the system and its vast network, it is definitely difficult to have a 100% fool-proof security.  While it is not possible to put a policeman in every station every hour of the day, I can see a lot of vigilant riders who help keep a watch on the system.  The system riders are sensitized to such dangers and have been repeatedly requested over the PA system, over the years, to inform station managers or authorities if they spot an unattended bag or any object that looks suspicious. As I write this, I can feel that stern lady voice over the DC Metro’s PA system: “Hi, Is That Your Bag?”, a part of the “See it Say It” public safety campaign, suggesting people to report any suspicious object they spot while riding the trains or on the Metro facilities such as stations and parking lots.   At times, I can’t help but feel over a period of time after listening to the announcements a gazillion times,  I feel like I have a part to play in keeping the system safe and secure.  The sense of alertness goes up when I read about a bomb threat or a situation regarding transportation security (the downside of being in transportation business). At times I feel that any failure on my part,  as a rider and user heavily-dependent on the system, to be vigilant may result in a possible strike keeps me alert (I admit sometimes it’s hard to stay awake after a long day at work).   I assume this social policing (rather social conditioning/sensitizing) initiative involving our public definitely has helped the transit police.  It will be great  to know if the if the Metro has ever compiled an evaluation report of sorts explaining how many calls were received and how many threats (minor and major) were averted/prevented/addressed since this campaign went into effect.

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Another “Made in China” effort enters the record books at 302mph – China claims new high-speed record for passenger train

December 3, 2010 at 5:51 pm

(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.

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