TransportGooru

(Source: Autoblog via The Detroit News)

After weeks of speculation, Fiat confirmed today that its CEO, Sergio Marchionne, will assume the same role with Chrysler once it exits bankruptcy. According to statements from the Obama administration, Chrysler could emerge from “surgical bankruptcy” in as little as 30 to 60 days, after which Chrysler’s current chief executive Bob Nardelli will step down and Marchionne will step in. 

A dual Canadian and Italian citizen, the Ontario-educated Marchionne is credited with turning the Fiat Group around from a money-losing enterprise into one of the largest and most successful automakers in the industry. After taking over the helm at Fiat five years ago, Marchionne said he would need to double its sales to 5.5 million units annually in order to make the company financially viable. His vision for separating Fiat, Lancia and Alfa Romeo out of their parent company and into a new auto group together with Chrysler (and potentially with GM’s European and Latin America.

(Source: AASHTO)

Rough Roads Ahead:  Fix Them Now or Pay for It Later, a report released today by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and TRIP, reports that one-third of the nation’s major highways, including Interstates, freeways and major roads, are in poor or mediocre condition.  Roads in urban areas, which carry 66 percent of the traffic, are in much worse shape. 

Extracts from the press release: Driving on rough roads costs the average American motorist approximately $400 a year in extra vehicle operating costs. Drivers living in urban areas with populations over 250,000 are paying upwards of $750 more annually because of accelerated vehicle deterioration, increased maintenance, additional fuel consumption, and tire wear caused by poor road conditions.

 “The American people are paying for rough roads multiple times,” said Kirk T. Steudle, Director of the Michigan Department of Transportation, at a news conference held to release the report. “Rough roads lead to diminished safety, higher vehicle operating costs and more expensive road repairs. It costs $1 to keep a road in good shape for every $7 you would have to spend on reconstruction. It’s another drag on the economy.”  

 The report uses the latest government statistics to show pavement conditions in all 50 states and vehicle operating costs by state and urban areas. The report also finds that:

• 30 to 60 percent of the roads in the nation’s largest urban areas are in poor condition.
• 36 percent of the roads in the Detroit urban area are in poor condition compared to the Los Angeles area and surrounding communities, which have 64 percent of their roads in poor condition.   
• 61 percent of rural roads are in good condition.
• 72 percent of the Interstate Highway System is in good condition, but age, weather conditions and burgeoning traffic are eroding ride quality.

 “Our nation has invested $1.75 trillion in our public highway system over the past 50 years,” said John Horsley, AASHTO Executive Director.  “We hope Congress will make it possible for the federal government to sustain its share of the increased investment needed to keep America’s roads in good condition.  If not, it will cost the American people billions more later.”

 The report points out that traffic growth has far outpaced highway construction, particularly in major metropolitan areas.  The number of miles driven in this country jumped more than 41 percent from 1990 to 2007 — from 2.1 trillion miles in 1990 to 3 trillion in 2007. In some parts of the country, dramatic population growth has occurred without a corresponding increase in road capacity, placing enormous pressure on roads that, in many cases, were built 50 years ago.  

“The federal stimulus program is providing a helpful down payment towards repairing some of the nation’s rough roads,” said Frank Moretti, TRIP’s Director of Policy and Research. “But it will take a significant long-term boost in investment by all levels of government to provide Americans with a smooth ride.”

 The full report is available at http://roughroads.transportation.org, along with examples from states working to improve their highway systems, charts and photographs.  Rough Roads is part of Are We There Yet?  We Can Be!, AASHTO’s effort to build awareness and support for the nation’s transportation system. 

(Source: TOLLROADSnews)

Americans are driving less because of the recession but a survey by the Pew Research Center show they still rank a car as the number one necessity of modern life.  Driving less and eliminating “unnecessary” car trips has been one of the leading ways people say they save money, according to the poll (see bottom of this report.) Asked to say whether an item is a necessity or a luxury 88% say a car is a necessity compared to:

• 66% for a clothes dryer; 
• 54% home airconditioning
• 52% TV
• 50% home computer
• 49% cell phone
• less for other items

The Pew Center opinion pollers describe the automobile as the “ultimate survivor.”    “It’s been around for nearly a century, but in good times or bad, it retains its pride of place at the top of America’s list of everyday necessities.”  The survey was conducted April 2-8 2009 with a sample of 1003 persons. 

Click here to access/download the survey report.  Here is a related article published on Transportgooru reflecting a significant decline in the vehicle miles traveled across the US, somehow validates the data on the above image (“Is there anything else that you have done to save money during the recession”?)

Americans Driving Less- Temporary, or Permanent? – Esquire’s Nate Silver wonders if we are near the end of car culture

Americans still driving around too much? Not really, says USDOT: Decline In American Driving Still Evident

(Source: GreenBiz via Reuters)

The Obama administration established a Biofuels Interagency Working Group this week in a move that carries implications for the industry on several fronts, including regulatory and research and development. 
 
The Biofuels Interagency Working Group, comprised of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Energy (DOE)  and Department of Agriculture, will develop a biofuel market development program, coordinate biofuel infrastructure policies, study biofuel lifecycle and help existing biofuel producers secure credit and refinancing.

Meanwhile, the DOE will spend $786.5 million in stimulus funds on demonstration projects and research to accelerate the adoption of next-generation biofuels. 

For example, the agency will dole out $480 million on 10 to 20 pilot-scale and demonstration-scale projects, with a ceiling of $25 million and $50 million, respectively. Another $176.5 million shall be used to increase funding for two or more commercial-scale biorefinery projects that previously received government assistance.

The DOE biomass program also will dedicate $130 million toward research into ethanol, algal biofuels and biofuel sustainability research.

The proposal breaks down renewable fuels into four categories: cellulosic biofuels, biomass-derived diesel, advanced biofuels, and total renewable fuel. The fuels must produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions than conventional fuels, but there is great debate within the biofuel industry about how these lifecycle assessments should be calculated.

$480 million solicitation for integrated pilot- and demonstration-scale biorefineries

Projects selected under this Funding Opportunity Announcement will work to validate integrated biorefinery technologies that produce advanced biofuels, bioproducts, and heat and power in an integrated system, thus enabling private financing of commercial-scale replications.

DOE anticipates making 10 to 20 awards for refineries at various scales and designs, all to be operational in the next three years.  The DOE funding ceiling is $25 million for pilot-scale projects and $50 million for demonstration scale projects.

These integrated biorefineries will reduce dependence on petroleum-based transportation fuels and chemicals. They will also facilitate the development of an “advanced biofuels” industry to meet the federal Renewable Fuel Standards.

(Source: Green Car Congress)

This post is sponsored by LemonFree.com 

Reported sales of hybrids in the US reported by Toyota, Honda, Ford, GM and Nissan dropped 45.5% year-on-year in April to 21,735, despite full month sales for the new Honda Insight and the Ford Fusion and Milan hybrids. Total LDV sales in the US were down 34.4%. 

The reported sales represented a 2.65% hybrid new vehicle market share (based on Autodata’s total LDV sales figure)—the highest monthly new vehicle share for hybrids so far this year, but below the 3.2% high mark in April 2008. Year-to-date in 2009, hybrids are holding a 2.4% new vehicle market share.

Toyota. Overall, Toyota saw a 62.8% drop year-on-year in its combined hybrid sales in April 2009. Year-to-date US sales of Toyota hybrids through April are down 51% to 49,660 units from 101,334 for the same period last year.

In advance of the market introduction of the new 2010 Prius, Toyota Prius sales dropped 61.5% in April to 8,385 units from 21,757. Other results:

• Sales of the Camry Hybrid were down 67.1% to 2,198 units, representing 8.7% of Camry sales. Sales of conventional Camry models were down 31%.
• Sales of the Highlander Hybrid were down 63.8% to 933 units, representing 16.7% of Highlander sales. Sales of conventional Highlander models were down 37%.
• Sales of the RX 400h Hybrid were down 59.7% to 655 units, representing 10.5% of RX sales. Sales of conventional RX models were up 1%.
• Sales of the GS450h were down 59.8% to 33 units, representing 7.1% of GS sales. Sales of conventional GS models were down 71%.
• Sales of the LS 600h L were down 84.4% to 19 units, representing 2.5% of LS sales. Sales of the conventional LS models were down 60%

Honda. With the first full month of sales of the Insight, Honda moved up to the number two slot behind Toyota, with 5,457 units sold. The Insight sold 2,096 units in April, and pushed combined Honda hybrid sales up 25% year-on-year. In April 2008, Honda had the Civic Hybrid on sale as well as the low-selling Accord Hybrid (25 units in April 2008).

Honda sold 3,361 Civic Hybrids in April, down 22.3% year-on-year, and representing 12.8% of all Civics sold. Sales of conventional Civic models were down 23% in April.

Ford. The addition of the new Fusion and Milan hybrids pushed combined Ford hybrid sales to 2,299 units, up 21% compared to April 2008. Ford posted 1,134 units of the Escape and Mariner Hybrids, down 40.5% year-on-year, and representing 7.3% of Escape and Mariner sales. Sales of conventional Escape and Mariner models were down 13% year-on-year.

The new Fusion and Milan hybrid sedans sold a combined 1,165 units, representing 5.7% of all Fusion and Milan sales in April. Sales of conventional models of the Fusion and Milan climbed 3% year-on-year in April.

Click here to read the entire report.

Over 1.8 Million new and used cars

Wednesday May 6, 2009 – ISSN 1529-1057

Join the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association in Denver, CO to learn about best practices from around the world in Incident Management and Emergency Response. Sessions will explore the most effective tools and communication methods available to promote toll facility safety and security, maintain operations in the face of disruption, and effectively communicate with customers during all phases of an incident – from prevention to recovery. Other topics include crisis management during special events, Post Traumatic Distress Disorder and psychological impacts to employees, the role of engineering and maintenance in prevention and safety, and business continuity during disasters. Visit IBTTA’s website to view the preliminary agenda and register today! 

AVIATION

1) Audit: US Air Traffic Systems Venerable to Attack

Link to story in The Washington Post:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/06/AR2009050601882.html

2) Pilots Group Takes to the Airwaves

Link to story on Politico:

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0509/22138.html

3) A Look at Virgin Atlantic’s Cockpit Technology

Link to video on Gadling:

http://www.gadling.com/2009/05/06/gadling-gets-an-exclusive-look-at-virgin-americas-cockpit-tec/

4) Airlines Use Computers to Get ‘Personal’ with Customers

Link to story and video on KXAS-TV:

http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/AIrlines-Use-Computers-to-Get-Personal-With-Customers.html

CARTOGRAPHY

5) Does GPS Mean the End of the Road for Street Directories?

Link to story in The Daily Telegraph:

http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/story/0,28383,25440716-5007185,00.html

MARITIME

6) US Coast Guard to Harness Ocean Data to Improve Search and Rescue

Link to story in Government Computer News:

http://gcn.com/articles/2009/05/06/noaa-ocean-data-tool.aspx

OTHER

7) Latest Edition of Horizons Online

Link to magazine from US DOT’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration:

http://www.rita.dot.gov/publications/horizons/2009_05_01/pdf/entire.pdf

ROADWAYS

8) Boston Drivers Click to Fight Potholes

Link to story in Next American City:

http://americancity.org/daily/entry/1581/

Link to SeeClickFix:  http://www.seeclickfix.com/

9) Driving LED Signage Efficiently

Link to story in ECN:

http://www.ecnmag.com/article-Driving-LED-Signage-Efficiently-050609.aspx?menuid=334

SAFETY / SECURITY

10) Report: FBI Slow to Update Terror Watch List

Link to AP story:

http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=42669

11) Ensuring Work Zone Safety and Mobility

Link to interview with the Maryland State Highway Administration in the NTOC Newsletter:

http://www.ntoctalks.com/articles/workzonesafety.php

TRANSIT

12) Mobile Commerce Apps Gaining Ground in US

But near field communications slow to arrive, conference panelists say.

Link to story in Computerworld:

http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9132567&intsrc=news_ts_head

VEHICLES

13) Teens and Driving: Ford Gadget Seeks to Curb Teen Speeding, but 80 MPH Limit Draws Criticism

Link to story in the Chicago Tribune:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-talk-my-keymay06,0,881053.story

14) Car Talk

Could cars talk to each other directly to make the streets safer?

Link to story in Popular Science:

http://www.popsci.com/cars/article/2009-04/car-talk

News Releases

1) FAA Commends ARINC’s Performance in Support of Oceanic Flight Communications

2) Operation Lifesaver ‘Shark’ Safety PSAs Will be Featured in Amtrak Stations May 9

3) EASi and NeST Announce Strategic Partnership

4) Icomera Introduces Rugged Wi-Fi Cellular Router for Rail and Road Vehicles

Upcoming Events

APTA Intermodal Operations Planning Workshop – August 3-5 – Salt Lake City, Utah

http://www.apta.com/conferences_calendar/intermod/

Today in Transportation History

1909 **100^th anniversary** – Loyd Sigmon, the originator of the ‘Sig Alert’ system used for major traffic problems in the Los Angeles area, was born.

http://harrymarnell.net/sigalert.htm

=============================================================================================

The Transportation Communications Newsletter is published electronically Monday through Friday. 

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Questions, comments about the TCN?  Please write the editor, Bernie Wagenblast at i95berniew@aol.com.   

© 2009 Bernie Wagenblast

(Source: Esquire via Planetizen)

Nate Silver, the baseball stats guy turned election predictor, takes a look at the statistics showing that Americans are driving less.

Graphic: Bryan Christie Design/ We are driving a lot less in this country, even less than one would have expected in a bad economy with fluctuating gas prices. The graph above charts 1) actual miles driven per capita in America during each January for the last thirty years and 2) how many miles per capita we could have been expected to drive based on my model, which accounts for changes in population, gas prices, unemployment rates, and other factors. The downward trend last year was stark. Indeed, Americans have rarely cut back on their driving so consistently for so long.

In January, according to statistics compiled by the Federal Highway Administration, Americans drove a collective 222 billion miles. That’s a lot of time spent behind the wheel — enough to make roughly eight hundred round-trips to Mars. It translates to about 727 miles traveled for every man, woman, and child in the country. But that figure was down about 4 percent from January 2008, when Americans averaged 757 miles of car travel per person. And this was no aberration: January 2009 was the fifteenth consecutive month in which the average American drove less than he had a year earlier.

Gas prices, of course, were exceedingly high last summer, peaking at $4.06 a gallon in July 2008; it isn’t surprising that Americans were driving less then. But prices have since fallen by more than half, and Americans have yet to pick up the pace on the roads.

How much of it is just a result of the bad economy? The unemployment rate has soared significantly since last summer; perhaps the only good thing about losing your job is that you no longer have to endure the drive to work.

Thus, the continued decrease in driving today reflects, in part, a delayed reaction to hundred-dollar-a-barrel oil. Maybe our commuter finally did get fed up and move his family to the city, but it took him until now to do so. The real test will come as the summer unfolds and Americans have had time to get “used to” lower gas prices.

Still, there is some evidence that more Americans are at least entertaining the idea of leading a more car-free existence. Between October 2004, when gas prices first hit two dollars a gallon, and December 2008, when they fell below this threshold, three cities with among the largest declines in housing prices were Las Vegas (-37 percent), Detroit (-34 percent), and Phoenix (-15 percent), each highly car-dependent cities. Conversely, the two markets with the largest gains in housing prices were Portland, Oregon (+19 percent), and Seattle (+18 percent), communities that are more friendly to alternate modes of transportation.

(Source: Architect Online’s Federal Weekly Report,  Urban Land Institute  via, Planetizen)

IT’S NOT JUST U.S. INFRASTRUCTURE THAT’S OUTMODED, SAYS A NEW REPORT BY THE URBAN LAND INSTITUTE. THE WAY CITIZENS AND POLITICIANS THINK ABOUT IT NEEDS AN UPGRADE, TOO.

“We will not continue to be a major world power if we can’t get goods in and out of the country in an efficient, productive way,” ULI executive vice president for initiatives, Maureen McAvey, tells ARCHITECT. “And the more we waste time in congestion on our roads, in having inadequate ports and inadequate delivery systems, and having congested airports—that’s all loss of productivity.”

The ULI’s hope is for transit systems to be linked across jurisdictions and for transportation and land use to be integrated. Often, “there’s no easy way of getting from A to B, and those are all trips on the road,” McAvey says, which, in addition to causing congestion, means more carbon released into the air. “It’s a stupid way to run a country.”

Running throughout the report is the notion that the U.S. is at a tipping point, a moment when the country either shakes off the system it has been functioning under for decades and chooses to look at infrastructure, transportation, land use, and many other issues in a holistic and future-leaning way, or we continue to patch old problems, push solutions to the future, and hope to hold ourselves together. The latter, says the ULI, means the country will slide backward.

(Source: MSNBC)

Photo: Joe Raymond / AP file. In 2006, the 157-mile-long Indiana Toll Road was leased to a private operator for 75 years for $3.8 billion. Novel approaches to funding offer insights on how the U.S. will fund, build and manage its transportation infrastructure for years to come.

Click here to read the entire article.

Transportation for America hosted the fourth webinar in the ongoing series last Thursday, April 30. More than 270 people signed up to hear from health, safety and active transportation experts on the effects of our transportation policy on public health and safety.

 Following up on the webinar, we’ve released the 5th in a series of policy papers, focusing on public health and safety.

• Policy Brief: Transportation, Public Health and Safety (pdf)
• Audio and video recording of the entire webinar
• Podcast audio file (.mp3)
  
• Podcast video file (.mp4)
• Questions asked and answers (DRAFT)
• Sign up for more sessions on the webinars page

Our current transportation system puts our health and safety in jeopardy by contributing to sedentary behaviors, hazardous pollution levels, difficult access to health care, and preventable injuries and deaths.

As the panelists demonstrated, we need federal leadership to help make the critical link between health, safety, and transportation policies and create communities that promote active living, reduce pollution levels, increase accessibility, and ensure safety for all transportation users.  Panelists also addressed the transportation needs among older Americans, minorities, low-income residents, and people who live in both rural and metropolitan areas — all of whom deserve safe transportation that improves health outcomes.