Do Your Bit to Reverse Climate Change Today! Blog Action Day 2009 – October 15, 2009

October 15, 2009 at 6:03 pm

Bad-160-600

One of my favorite websites for all things Social Media, Mashable.com, got my attention today with their blog post about the Blog Action Day.  Today (October 15, 2009) is the third annual Blog Action Day, a yearly event in which thousands of blogs around the web pledge to write about a single global issue in an effort to focus global attention.

Raise Your Voice

Two years ago, the inaugural Blog Action Day tackled the environment, last year blogs across the world wrote about poverty, and this year over 8,800 blogs from 148 countries are uniting today to write about an issue of global importance: climate change.

You may ask what difference does it make by simply dropping a blog post on Climate Change? The possibilities are endless..Your one post can inspire someone else to write about this issue..The more people write about, the more people will get to read, and thus we create an awareness about the on going problem.. In the cacophony of today’s world, too many people have no time to even stop and think about this very important issue that threatens our very existence on this planet.  If your blog can divert the attention of someone – a friend on Facebook, or a random reader from Timbuktu who has subscribed to your blog’s RSS – even for a moment and make them think how they have contributed to this generations effort to save the planet, you have done your bit.  Trust me — that’s how we all make a difference in this world – in our own little ways.

For me there is a bit more close to heart on this issue.  Being a transportation engineer/nerd/nut/practitioner/wonk, etc, etc, I’ve first hand knowledge about the impact of fossil fuels on our planet.  In 2006, the world used 3.9 billion tons of oil. Fossil fuel usage in 2005 produced 7.6 billion tons of carbon emissions, and atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide reached 380 parts per million.  These numbers have continued to rise over the years and is expected to grow rapidly unless we curb the use of fossil fuels.

So what have I done personally towards mitigating this growing threat of Climate Change?

  • First, I made some lifestyle choices that have immensely reduced my carbon footprint.  It all started with moving to a house that’s closer to a train station.  Now I take transit (trains and buses) to work and walk a lot when I don’t have these options.
  • These days I drive a maximum of 20 miles in a whole week (primarily for groceries & other routine errands  that I need to do on weekends).  Just by doing that, I not only reduced my fuel consumption (which directly contributes to the reduction in Green House Gases which other wise may have come from my driving) but also saved a bunch of money on car insurance.  Now seriously thinking about going the “ZipCar” way, which means no insurance charges at all.
  • I started making it a habit to car pool if I know I am going to be in a place with some of my friends.
  • Starting to schedule my networking events (Happy Hours, Meetings, etc) at locations that are closer to the Metro rail stations.  (Hey, that way I can have an extra drink without having to worry about getting a DUI or DWI).
  • I encourage people in my network to think about leaving their darned cars at home at least for a day at work.
  • I recycle like crazy these days.
  • Stopped buying bottled water. PERIOD.
  • Stopped using plastic spoons, knives and forks as much as I can.
  • Buying products that are environmentally friendly (biodegradable).   I’m very determined to not buy products from companies that are not supportive of environmental initiatives (Here I must applaud Apple & Nike for sticking to their stands on the going green initiatives and walking away from the US Chamber of Commerce).
  • Hmmm..What else? Ah,   I encourage myself to publish more articles that talk about the various environmental initiatives related to transportation here on Transportgooru.com.

I already hear some of you growling that all these are possible because I live in an urban area or because I have a choice to do so due to my socio-economic status.  I agree with you – only to a degree.  Location matters only on issues such as transportation.  For the rest of the stuff to happen, I have to personally feel the need to do them.  I feel the urgency to act NOW and not tomorrow or the day after.  We already have a lot of  grim news about how fast we are spiraling downwards into a horrible environmental mess, thanks to the mainstream media and the  awesome social media networks.  For example, today there was a report on the possibility of no ice cover in the Arctic region by 2030.

Every generation had its challenge and they stood up to address them issues when they were called into action (World Wars, Pandemic Diseases, Natural Disasters, etc).  For our generation, I consider the Climate Change as the biggest challenge and truly believe that we will stand together and fight this battle to save this planet.  Someday in the future I do not want to hear the children and grandchildren tell us “Your generation screwed us royally by plundering the earth and ignored all the warning signs”.  Here I am doing my little bit, trying to make a difference and I hope you will join me in this fight to preserve the Earth that we all call HOME.   Now, you can go blog about your little bit if you already have a blog or a website.  If you don’t have one, I encourage you to start one and start talking about how you want to save this planet.  If you can’t do that, at least go change your light bulbs to something that is more energy efficient or recycle that trash that you have piled up in the corner of your basement.  Oh, if you are a US citizen, write to your congressman/congresswoman/Sentor telling them how you want the US to contribute towards the Climate Change efforts during the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen (December 2009) . Just do your little bit, that’s all.

Click here to read more and Click here to Take Action.

Webinar Alert — Fast Track:The Future of High Speed Rail – A Live Webinar Hosted by Trade Commission of Spain

October 13, 2009 at 5:08 pm

TCS

As the U.S. looks to improve passenger transportation, join us for a live Webinar where industry experts will share experiences, examine challenges and present various approaches of successful high-speed rail projects.

Register Today... Complimentary Live Webinar November 10 2:00 P.M. ET

Panelists include:
Rick Harnish, Executive Director of the Midwest High Speed Rail Association
Peter Gertler, Vice President of HNTB
Chuck Pineda, Rail Division Manager – US for OHL
Antonio Pérez, CEO of TALGO America
Susana Mate, Assistant Director of Industry and Technology for the Trade Commission of Spain in Chicago

The panel will discuss the elements of a high-speed rail system, as well as the similarities and differences of projects in Spain, the U.S. and around the world; from how they are planned and engineered to how they are built and operated.

Hosted by the Trade Commission of Spain in Chicago, www.spaintechnology/rail.

Register at: www.masstransitmag.com/hi-speedrail

espanaOHLHNTBMidwest High Speed Rail Assn.Talgo

Pimp my ride, Russian style! Buy the world’s most expensive ultra-luxury SUV featuring Whale Penis Leather for $1.5M

October 13, 2009 at 1:55 pm

(Source: Jalopnik)

Image Courtesy: GTSpirit.com - Click the image to see more pictures

Kudos to our awesome folks at Jalopnik who have a knack for finding such news.    The $1.5M Dartz Prombron Monaco Red Diamond Edition features, apart from the Whale Penis Leather, diamond-encrusted white gold gauges and gold-plated bulletproof windows.  Also to be noted is the wildly over-the-top 8.1 liter GM V8-powered Dartz Kombat T98, which is getting a name change to Prombron and along with it will come a complete and brain-maimingly bourgeoisie upgrade with the Monaco Red Diamond Edition. The world’s most expensive ultra-luxury SUV will debut at the 2010 Top Marques Monaco show with luxe features crazy enough to make a Maybach blush.  Prombron built armored cars from the late 1910 period for Czar’s and Communist dictators so it’s a fitting modern day re-incarnation.

Image Courtesy: GTSpirit.com - Click the image to see more pictures

For your $1.5 million you get the following features:

  • Ruby Red matte paint
  • Gold-plated bulletproof windows
  • 22″ Kremlin Red Star bulletproof wheels
  • Whale Penis Leather interior
  • Tungsten exhaust
  • Tungsten and white gold gauges with diamonds and rubies
  • White gold diamond and ruby encrusted badges – grill, side and dashboard
  • Special edition Vertu mobile phone with “alert” button
  • Additional outside kevlar coating
  • Rogue Acoustic Audio System.

Wait, wait, Wait.. That’s not all.  To stick to the Russian tradition, the makers have also thrown in THREE BOTTLES OF World Most Expensive Vodka – RussoBaltique Vodka, drink edition, same as in the RussoBaltique car when it visited Monaco at 1912.

Click here to read more.

American innovation @ its best; Two Kegs on Two Wheels Brings The Party To You

October 12, 2009 at 11:30 am

(Source: Wired; Bikeportland)

Hopworksfiets by Elly Blue.

Image Courtesy: Hopworksfiets by Elly Blue @ Flickr

The Hopworksfiets party bike was built in, where else, bike- and beer-mad Portland, Oregon, by the bike builders Metrofiets. All you really need to know in order to fall in love with this bike is that it carries not one, but two beer kegs along with a pair of taps to serve the suds.

The mobile bar, a custom build for Portland-based Hopworks Urban Brewery, is a long-wheelbase cargo bike with the load bed up front, which we guess means that pedestrians can’t sneak a quick pint when you’re stopped at the lights. There’s a “sound pannier” at the back, containing an amp and a speaker, and the rear rack is just the right size to carry a stack of pizza boxes.

This party is entirely human-powered, with the help of nine gears — any more would allow a rider to go faster than would be entirely wise, explained Ross. Sturdy looking disc brakes and chunky tires with full fenders adorn both wheels.

Hopworksfiets by Elly Blue.

Image Courtesy: Hopworksfeit @ Flickr

When fully loaded with pizza, beer, and ice, the bike should just about meet Metrofiets’ 400lb weight limit. Still, Ross is recommending that the bike be transported with pony kegs, and refilled with full-sized kegs on the scene.

The bike is a group effort. Ross and Nichols designed and built the bike. Damon Eckhoff inspired the sound system and did much of the wiring. Metropolis Cycles (2249 N Williams) built the wheels and provided general bike shop support. Michael Moscarelli of local brewing supply company F.H. Steinbarts did the beer plumbing; local high school biology teacher, homebrewer, and woodworker Gregg Heppner created the bar top and sound system shell. The bike’s components (including the tap handles) were donated by Chris King Components and Shimano.

Click here to read more and here to see the slideshow of the bike in action.

A glimpse at the parking lots of Walmart. Caution: You will die (laughing)

October 11, 2009 at 4:30 pm

(Source: PeopleofWalmart.com)

The picture(s) below gives you a glimpse of what you can expect to see in the parking lot of a neighborhood Walmart..

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Image Courtesy: People of Walmart

Seriously, who drives around the town in something that looks like this..?? The answer is: Someone who shops at Walmart.. Yet another gem of a capture from the parking lot of a Walmart store in Indiana..

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Image Courtesy: Peopleofwalmart.com

Looks like some customers of Walmart do prefer to hire this vehicle for that very special day..Please tune your vision to see the object on the trunk of this super-sophisticated limo..

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Image Courtesy: PeopleofWalmart.com

Peopleofwalmart.com has become one my “must visit everyday” websites.  Trust me, you will be a regular visitor the moment you get to see the home page..Very special people!

Adorable Parking Tickets say “The way you pulled in makes me wish your dad had pulled out” and much more

October 9, 2009 at 10:50 pm
Parking Tickets

Image Courtesy: Uncrate - Parking Tickets

How many times have you pulled up to a parking spot and see the idiot next to you has “double parked”?  Ever felt like leaving a note on his/her car telling how he/she should never been issued a driving license in the first place.  No worries, mate!  Here is Parking Tickets to your rescue, with a better idea to convey your feelings.  The creative souls behind this product, Shinebox Print, have this much to say about their beautiful “tickets” on their website ” Make no mistake about it; a parking lot is a battlefield. Armed with this bad boy, you can now let your enemies know exactly how you feel about their crappy parking. All without talking to them or keying their cars.This book of 20 unique pull-out cards (cost  US $6.95) is perfect for letting the parking-challenged know just where you stand, with heartwarming messages such as “Did you park like this or was there an earthquake?” “This parking job violates the law. Of physics.” and the classic “The way you pulled in makes me wish your dad had pulled out.”

(Source: Uncrate)

TransportGooru Exclusive: The Road Worrier Column by Glenn Havinoviski — Business as Unusual…

October 9, 2009 at 2:57 pm

Glenn N. Havinoviski is Associate Vice President for Transportation Systems with Iteris, Inc. in Sterling.  He was President of ITS Virginia from 2006 to 2007 and has been a columnist for the ITSVA Journal since 2002.

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Imagine, if you can…

Intelligent transportation systems are on their last legs in Virginia.  There is no political support for congestion reduction measures that require any kind of budgetary investment.  There is no popular desire for new measures to provide more travel choices, like express buses, rapid rail, or HOT lanes.  No one really cares to see travel time information along the road or any information about accidents or closures.  We’d rather spend more time in traffic so we can talk and text and Tweet on our cellphones, thus causing more accidents.

And hey, now they’ve got iPhone apps for traffic information, which give you nice green, orange and red lines over Google Maps!  COOL!  Who needs those electronic signs and cameras and service patrols and control centers that are run by the Marxists anyway?

Hey!  Let’s get rid of VDOT!   And how about that big Federal bureaucracy which doesn’t do anything!  We Virginians are resourceful.  The roads might crumble but we can all buy big American SUV’s again and go off-roading and impress each other at church on Sundays!  And they can tow boats too, for when all the bridges fall down. Look at all the American jobs this creates! We can take our kids to our private schools in the woods that don’t require state funding, which is fine since we also want to get rid of those so-called public schools anyway!  All kids need to learn is the Bible and the Constitution, except for those last 15 amendments!

And who needs to worry about oil?  We’ll just drill here, drill now, on the shores of the Potomac!  Heck, let’s drill off Virginia Beach!  We all go to the Outer Banks and Hilton Head anyway!  We can deport all the immigrants, and suddenly it won’t  be so crowded on the roads!  No more smelly buses either! Let the French have their trains! We won’t need any more Statist engineers and planners to tell us what to do! Problems solved!  “Carry me back to old Virgininny….”

Scary, huh? What about this scenario instead?

(Approved Press Release) The USDOT Office of Public Benefit, as directed by the President upon his signature of the Omnibus Reauthorization Welcoming Enhanced Life and Liberty in 2010 (ORWELL 2010),  has suspended all transportation projects funded in part or entirely by private sector entities, except for those providing rail-based transit services to corridors of population density less than 50 persons per square mile. In all cases, maximum fares and rate of return for shall be unilaterally set by the President’s Private Sector Compensation Czar.

Under the provisions of ORWELL 2010, all road tolling in the United States shall be ceased as of March 12, 2011, at which time all state departments of transportation and public, semi-public and private transportation authorities and their assets will become subject to USDOT jurisdiction.

All traffic signals, cameras, sensors and other electronic infrastructure commonly associated with so-called “Intelligent Transportation Systems” that are not powered by recyclable farm organisms shall be removed from public right-of-way by January 1, 2011.

ORWELL 2010 has decreed that all limited-access highways which have not otherwise bio-degraded or collapsed onto themselves shall be redesignated as Advanced Non-Individual Managed Access Lanes (ANIMAL) facilities.  An ANIMAL shall not permit access to individually-driven vehicles, via tolls or otherwise,  but will permit properly-licensed buses, bicycles, solar powered vehicles, Harley-Davidsons, and Toyota Priuses.

Henceforth, on all non-ANIMAL facilities, all travel containing less than four passengers in (or on) a motorized vehicle will be permitted between the hours of 10 pm and 5 am Monday through Friday, and for six non-contiguous hours on Saturday and Sunday to be individually approved by someone in USDOT.

ORWELL 2010 has mandated that all residents of a State, US territory, or possession, shall reside in an urban center of 50,000 population or more unless they can demonstrate they are excluded or protected entities including organic dairy farmers, custodians of wind farms, Native Americans, Members of Congress, or mammals.

All fuel taxes will be increased to a nominal rate of $25 per gallon also effective January 1, 2011, the proceeds of which will be used to build passenger rail lines on urban streets and also to demolish any housing more than 10 miles from an urban center of more than 50,000.  All families will be given 6 months to acquire dwellings within government-designated smart-growth areas,  with dwelling sizes not to exceed 150 square feet per human, or 250 square feet per dog, up to a maximum of 826 square feet.

All cats shall be permitted to roam freely within the smart growth zone (please refer to ORWELL 2010’s companion legislation, “Pelosi-McCain Feline Freedom Act”).

All broadcast, satellite and cable television and radio stations along with electronic and material mailings which present viewpoints which are contrary to the regulations and mandates stipulated in ORWELL 2010 shall be reported within 4 hours to the Office of Public Benefit, under penalty of prosecution.

“Kumbaya….”

How far are we from either of these?  Really!

After all, we are in a battle for hearts and minds,  not to mention money.  ITS and congestion management seems to be lost in the shuffle here.  Take a look at what is really happening.

For example, Arlington County has recently sued the Feds and the Commonwealth over the proposed project on I-95/395 to expanding and convert the existing HOV lanes to High-Occupancy Toll lanes, demanding the overturning of the project’s environmental Categorical Exclusion and suspending the project until their objections (notably not enough emphasis on transit, potential harm to air quality, concern about congested interchanges and local roads as a result of the project) were satisfied.

And, although years ago families saw that Arlington had run out of room and housing stock and had no choice but to move farther out, the County said “the project actually encourages additional sprawl, further exacerbating traffic congestion and harmful air emissions.”  Chickens or eggs first?

(I can’t help but think back to that California Air Resources Board study in the 1990’s which effectively said that congestion was good because fewer cars can use the road and people travel slower.  Guess we can’t win now.)

On the other hand, several freedom fighters from the “additional sprawl” in Prince William County have complained that HOT Lanes would endanger their sluglines, as people who picked up riders for their trips to the Pentagon would now selfishly pay tolls and drive by themselves, while the jilted slugs had to make do with taking the lowly bus instead.

Never mind all this counterpunching flies in the face of the HOT lane successes (from both a revenue and a congestion reduction perspective) in California, Utah, Colorado, Texas, Washington and Minnesota,  a coalition of red and blue states if I’ve ever seen one.  And the I-495 HOT lanes construction, which has a much larger impact on the surrounding communities than 95/395 would, is surging forward.

But then again, we shouldn’t worry.  After all, we all know that ITS and congestion management are a significant means of reducing greenhouse gases and improving our environment, right?  It must be true, because we’ve been saying so for years.

Well, witness the big brouhaha over the “Moving Cooler” study for Urban Land Institute with support from USDOT, the Environmental Defense Fund, EPA, ITS America, and others, which was to provide some ammunition on projected benefits of various transportation and land use strategies in curbing greenhouse gases.  The study,  to many, has left more questions than answers.

The estimates for ITS, and operations benefits were said to be a cumulative 0.3 to 0.6% reduction over 50 years for all such systems deployed together, which angered many experts, including AASHTO.  But the other individual benefits for road pricing,  transit  and land use changes did not exceed 4.4% each, and for the most part averaged 1 to 2%.

So how, when the four areas are combined, was there a cumulative 18% to 24% reduction in GHG?  And how much will individual activities cost, especially when cumulative investment would be $50 to $80 billion per year for 40 years?!  The benefits, including “reduced travel and reduced fuel consumption” did not get contrasted with any opportunity costs (e.g., relocations, additional percentage of income devoted to taxes, job shifts or losses, etc) associated with redefining our life styles. So the actual personal costs may add to the already substantial investment, either by or mandated from government.

Considering Virginia legislators haven’t been willing to make the investment in even a rudimentary transportation improvement program in the state,  this would mean we’re headed toward a giant Federal involvement in our society with all the attendant issues that brings, like constitutionality.

I attended the “Moving Cooler” media and political event in Washington in late July, presided over by several legislators (notably Rep. Oberstar-MN, Rep. Blumenauer-OR, and Sen. Menendez-NJ).  I was also surrounded by many people in small bow ties and luminescent plastic bicycle medallions on their lapels, so we do know that land use, bicycles and transit were a big deal, and we were repeatedly told that the Dutch and the Danes do over 30% of travel by bicycle, and that the Spanish and Chinese had exemplary national rail investment programs.  And we all need to be just like Portland, Oregon,  OK.

So do we only have a choice between “spend no money, everyone on their own, God Bless America”  and  “shame on you, greedy and slothful suburbanite, come live in our dense community, ride your bikes and take the trolley powered by electricity produced by some coal plant far enough away it doesn’t impact us”?    In reality,  we are faced with both situations happening, depending on what state or community you live in.  There may be a choice between these two.  But if we are not careful, there may not be any choices in between.

This combination of willful abandonment of a public sector role in our infrastructure (right wing) and direct control of our private lives and wealth (left wing) are a scary combination, and one we have to address with reasonableness, pragmatism, and the best that technology can offer.  As always, we need to push some simple facts about ITS and clear-headed transportation management strategies, which I think more than other can provide tools that keep us from descending into an abyss we cannot control.  In other words, Virginia (and other states) must step up, or get stepped on.

The key words we must use are CHOICES,  QUALITY, SAFETY and MOBILITY.   ITS enables all of these things.

ITS provides the information so travelers can make choices on when, where and how to travel, and can achieve them through alternatives that are priced based on relative convenience and utility.

ITS improves the quality of transportation services by providing timely information about their operational status, as well as actively managing the operation of the freeway, the arterial (including the bike lane or bike path) or transit service through messaging, signals, vehicle monitoring, dynamic road pricing, etc. to reduce delays.

ITS improves safety by improving information by advising of the otherwise unexpected (incidents, delays,  speed reductions needed because of weather/pavement/operational conditions, and if IntelliDrive becomes reality, various warnings of conflicts at intersections).

And finally,  all of this facilitates the ability for individuals to travel when and where they want or need to, enhancing personal mobility. It also enhances interstate commerce, which is an integral purpose of our Federal government.  It says so in our Constitution.

To me, mobility is an essential part of freedom, whether you are red or blue.

Some places may choose to barely maintain their overworked, underfed transportation networks and not invest. Some others may be willing to make enormous investments which may impact the public significantly, and force them to make lifestyle changes which may or may not be in their own self-interest.  Either way, we have to balance self-interest and the common good.  And ITS should be a part of the overall solution.

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Disclaimer: All opinions expressed are those of the author.  TransportGooru is proud to invite anyone and everyone who wishes to use this platform to engage the community in a social dialogue, there by creating a healthy debate on some of the pressing transportation issues that affect our quality of life.   Please register your comments below for the author so that he can hear the community’s voice on the issues he has addressed in the above paragraphs.

GAO Report on Affordable Housing in Transit-Oriented Development Says Key Practices Could Enhance Recent Collaboration Efforts between DOT-FTA and HUD

October 8, 2009 at 11:04 pm

(Source: GAO)

developments—compact,
walkable, mixed-use
neighborhoods located near
transit—through the Department of
Housing and Urban Development’s
(HUD) housing programs and the
Department of Transportation’s
(DOT) Federal Transit
Administration’s (FTA) transit
programs. GAO was asked to
review (1) what is known about
how transit-oriented developments
affect the availability of affordable
housing; (2) how local, state, and
federal agencies have worked to
ensure that affordable housing is
available in transit-oriented
developments; and (3) the extent to
which HUD and FTA have worked
together to ensure that
transportation and affordable
housing objectives are integrated in
transit-oriented developments. To
address these issues, GAO
reviewed relevant literature,
conducted site visits, and
interviewed agency officials.
What GAO Recommends
GAO is recommending that DOT
and HUD develop a plan for
implementing interagency efforts
to promote affordable housing in
transit-oriented developments,
ensure they collect sufficient data
to assess the results of these
efforts, and formalize key
collaboration practices. DOT and
HUD agreed to consider the
report’s recommendations.

Why GAO Did this Study

The federal government has increasingly focused on linking affordable housing to transit oriented developments—compact, walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods located near transit—through the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) housing programs and the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) transit programs. GAO was asked to review (1) what is known about how transit-oriented developments affect the availability of affordable housing; (2) how local, state, and federal agencies have worked to ensure that affordable housing is available in transit-oriented developments; and (3) the extent to which HUD and FTA have worked together to ensure that transportation and affordable housing objectives are integrated in transit-oriented developments. To address these issues, GAO reviewed relevant literature, conducted site visits, and interviewed agency officials.

What GAO Found

Characteristics of transit-oriented developments can increase nearby land and housing values, however determining transit-oriented development’s effects on the availability of affordable housing in these developments are complicated by a lack of direct research and data. Specifically, the presence of transit stations, retail, and other desirable amenities such as schools and parks generally increases land and housing values nearby. However, the extent to which land and housing values increase—or in the rare case, decrease—near a transit station depends on a number of characteristics, some of which are commonly found in transit-oriented developments. According to transit and housing stakeholders GAO spoke with, higher land and housing values have the potential to limit the availability of affordable housing near transit, but other factors—such as transit routing decisions and local commitment to affordable housing—can also affect availability.

Few local, state, and federal programs are targeted to assisting local housing and transit providers develop affordable housing in transit-oriented developments. The few targeted programs that exist primarily focus on financial incentives that state and local agencies provide to developers if affordable housing is included in residential developments in transit-oriented developments. However, GAO found that housing developers who develop affordable housing in transit-oriented developments generally rely on local and state programs and policies that have incentives for developing affordable housing in any location. HUD and FTA programs allow local and state agencies to promote affordable housing near transit, but rarely provide direct incentives to target affordable housing in transit-oriented developments.

Since 2005, HUD and FTA, and more recently DOT, have collaborated on three interagency efforts to promote affordable housing in transit-oriented developments including (1) an interagency agreement, (2) a HUD-FTA action plan, and (3) a new DOT-HUD partnership. While these interagency efforts have produced numerous strategies, local housing and transit officials told GAO that these strategies had little impact, in part, because they have yet to be implemented. However, the agencies have not yet developed a comprehensive, integrated plan to implement all efforts, and without such a plan, the agencies risk losing momentum. GAO has previously identified key practices that could enhance and sustain collaboration among federal agencies; when compared to these practices, GAO found that HUD, FTA, and DOT have taken some actions consistent with some of these practices—such as defining a common outcome. However, weaknesses in agency housing data and analytical transportation planning methods will limit these agencies’ ability to effectively monitor, evaluate, and report results—another key collaboration practice. GAO found that other collaboration practices, such as establishing compatible policies and procedures, could be taken to strengthen collaboration. Finally, without a more formalized approach to collaboration, including establishment of memorandum of agreements, these agencies may not effectively leverage their unique strengths.

What GAO Recommends

GAO is recommending that DOT and HUD develop a plan for implementing interagency efforts to promote affordable housing in transit-oriented developments, ensure they collect sufficient data to assess the results of these efforts, and formalize key collaboration practices. DOT and HUD agreed to consider the report’s recommendations.

Click here to read the entire study

I See You Hiding, Sneaky Rascal! Speed Trap App “Trapster” Downloads Hit 50,000/Day

October 7, 2009 at 11:29 am

(Source: Washington Post , FoxNews.com, & CNET)

Image Courtesy: CNET - Trapster alerts you to nearby speed cameras and "Smokey takin' pictures."

A must-have iPhone application for people who drive a lot is “Trapster” the app for avoiding speed traps. Or a better description by Paul Carr before he was fired from The Guardian: “Yes, that’s Trapster: the mobile distraction for when driving at high speed isn’t fucking dangerous enough.”

The free program uses the GPS receiver built into new iPhones to track a driver’s location and warn of nearby speed traps and red light cameras. It’s also available for phones running Google Android and some BlackBerries.  Drivers can add new locations to the app by hitting buttons to mark speed traps and red light cameras for other drivers. Users can also rate the accuracy of speed trap reports, which helps weed out fake inputs.

It’s been nearly a year since the debut of Trapster, a controversial but popular app that alerts you of nearby speed traps, cameras, and the like. It’s had more than 1 million downloads, and is “getting about 50,000 downloads a day right now” to add to that.

Version 3.5 released back in September, bringing with it some impressive–and, for many users, long-awaited–new features. Here’s the rundown ((courtesy of CNET):

  • Improved interface Five features (some of them new) are now accessible by tapping blue icons that span the right side of the screen.
  • Bluetooth audio If your car supports Bluetooth, you can pair Trapster to your stereo to get audio alerts over your speakers. Even better, if your car supports A2DP (i.e. stereo Bluetooth), you can take advantage of:
  • Built-in iPod controls Tap the little musical-note icon to slide open Trapster’s iPod audio controls. Obviously, you don’t need stereo Bluetooth to use them, but it sure is a nice combo.
  • Rotating maps Trapster tacks your position in real-time on a moving map. Now, that map can rotate depending on your direction of travel rather than staying in “always-North” mode. The top blue icon toggles this feature on and off.
  • Real-time traffic The bottom blue icon slides out a Google Traffic map, which shows you trouble spots in your area. Handy, but it’s too bad the developers could’t integrate this with the main map instead of requiring you to view a second one.

Image Courtesy: Trapster

Trapster crowdsources the data from its users who report speed traps.  This information is stored in the server and sharing with other Trapster users who come later near the same location, thus making the road safe . The more users, the more data, and the safer the roads are for speeders. The app potentially can help users speed or run lights more often. Nonetheless, police are largely supportive of Trapster, because they hope it will get users to slow down.

“Anything that gets people to slow down on the highway, or drive in a more responsible manner, is a good thing,” said Corinne Geller, public relations manager for the Virginia State Police.  She said the state itself uses that logic to announce some red light cameras and speed-limit enforcement areas.  “We don’t hide,” Geller said.

Here are some interesting stats from the Trapster website (as of Sep 10, 2009)

  • 1,621,254 Total Trapster users world-wide
  • 1,402,349 iPhones using Trapster
  • 818,205 Traps reported world-wide
  • Trapster is the 20th most downloaded app for the iPhone out of all 85,000 odd apps.
  • Everyday more people download Trapster for iPhone than all other traffic/driving related apps COMBINED.

Click here to read more.

Pod Life! San Jose dreams big with a Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) system

October 5, 2009 at 7:40 pm

(Sources contributing to this hybrid report: Boston.com, ULTraPRT.com & ABC7)

The city of San Jose is planning to build a PRT system that will run between the airport and a Bay Area Rapid Transit station as well as a nearby light rail station. They say it will include up to five stations, but this and other details are still being worked out.

Back in 2008, the city has issued a request for proposals and allotted $4 million to conduct an economic and technical evaluation, and then to work with a vendor. When San Jose compared PRT with an automated people mover, the kind of large, driverless shuttle that is common at airports, officials decided that PRT would be cheaper and more convenient for passengers. The government has not sworn off other options during this exploratory phase, but officials say they will most likely proceed with a PRT system.

Image Courtesy: ULTra PRT - Click the image for more details

One of the vendors, ULTra PRT whose first deployment is scheduled for London Heathrow Airport in Spring 2010, expected to serve Heathrow’s new Terminal 5, has published more details on this project.  The website notes ULTra PRT is an electric, 200-mpg-equivalent, elevated transit system with many 5-person vehicles.  Working as circulator transit for office parks, airports, universities, and other major activity centers, PRT is faster than a car. In these applications, PRT makes carpooling and transit more effective, by solving the “last mile problem.”

Laura Stuchinksy is a sustainability officer for San Jose’s Department of Transportation. She and other city officials are considering the idea of having such a public pod system link the Mineta San Jose International Airport with area businesses, hotels and other nearby transit options, like Caltrain, BART and the VTA Light Rail.

PRT also enables longer bike commutes and shopping trips.  The only existing, functioning example in the world is an eight-mile network built in the 1970s to move people around the West Virginia University campuses (which also happens to be TransportGooru’s Alma Mater; enjoyed riding this system while studying there back in the 90s).

San Jose is anticipating population growth of a half million people over the next 30 years, so an automated pod transit system could certainly improve quality of life in the city – plus generate thousands more clean-tech jobs. Here is a video  coverage of this story (courtesy of ABC 7).

HatTip: Peter Muller for sharing this via twitter.  Peter’s interesting feeds can be followed @PRTGURU on Twitter)