TransportGooru

Mr. & Mrs. Wagoner- R.I.P (Relaxing in Propsperity)

(Source: ABC News)

(Relaxing in Prosperity)R.I.P Rick Wagoner – Gets $20Mil for losing tens of billions of dollars and tanking stock price from $60 (June 2000) to $1.27 (March 2009)

Rick Wagoner will leave his post as CEO of bailed-out General Motors with a $20 million retirement package, the company’s financial filings show.

Although the Treasury Department has barred GM from paying severance toWagoner or any other senior executive, Wagoner is eligible to collect millions in retirement benefits from his former employer, according to the documents reviewed by ABC News.

The Obama administration asked for Wagoner to resign Sunday, as part of its restructuring of the auto industry. President Obama said this morning that forcing Wagoner out indicated it was a time for new leadership. 

Under Wagoner’s leadership, GM lost tens of billions of dollars, took billions in taxpayer-financed aid, and announced plans to cut 47,000 employees by the end of 2009.

Click here to read the entire article.  For those interested in reading Wagoner’s farewell e-mail, please visit The Truth About Cars.  

For those who care to know, here is what GM’s Executive Officer Severance Policy  looks like (Thanks, an0nymous poster @EVcast): 

General Motors executive officers are generally at-will employees who serve at the discretion of the Board. In early 2005, GM adopted a policy applicable to executive officers requiring stockholder approval of any severance benefits if: 
• The executive’s employment was terminated prior to retirement; and 
• The present value of the proposed severance benefits would exceed 2.99 times the sum of the executive’s annual base salary and target annual incentive. 

Note: TransportGooru wonders if this culture of execessively compensating under-performing, over-paid must-be-retired executives will ever come to an end?   If Mr. Wagoner has any iota of ethics that his alma mater (Harvard Business School) tries to inculcate in its wards, he must politely decline and walk away without taking a penny from this $20mil payout.

 (Source: Jalopnik)

(Source: Autoblog; Image: Doug Mills @ New York Times)

 

President Obama has just finished his press conference on the government’s determination of the viability of General Motors and Chrysler, and the gist is that both automakers have failed to convince the feds that their business plans deserve further investment. Obama and his task force will give GM enough working capital to survive another 60 days and prove its viability, though no dollar amount was given. Chrysler, meanwhile, is being given another 30 days and working capital up to $6 billion to finalize a partnership deal with Fiat. If a deal can’t be made and another partner is not found, Chrysler will get no more federal aid. Also, Fiat won’t be allowed to take a majority stake in Chrysler until the automaker repays all the money it has borrowed from the government so far. 

Perhaps the biggest news from the press conference is that the U.S. government will now fully back the warranties on vehicles sold by General Motors and Chrysler in the hopes that buyers will continue to consider their products amidst these tumultuous restructuring efforts. Also, the President has pledged to work with Congress to find funds to pay for a U.S.-version of the Cash for Clunkers program that has been so successful in Germany. 

BREAKING NEWS Report from WSJ: The Obama administration’s leading plan to fix General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC would use bankruptcy filings to purge the ailing companies of their biggest problems, including bondholder debt and retiree health-care costs, according to people familiar with the matter.

Click here to read the entire article.  Also, shown below is the PDF version of Restructuring Fact Sheet  compiled by The Truth About Cars.

(Source: Wired)

(Source: Telegraph, UK)

A complaint letter sent to Sir Richard Branson is considered by many to be the world’s funniest passenger complaint letter.

REF: Mumbai to Heathrow 7th December 2008

I love the Virgin brand, I really do which is why I continue to use it despite a series of unfortunate incidents over the last few years. This latest incident takes the biscuit.

Ironically, by the end of the flight I would have gladly paid over a thousand rupees for a single biscuit following the culinary journey of hell I was subjected to at thehands of your corporation.

Look at this Richard. Just look at it: [see image 1, above].

I imagine the same questions are racing through your brilliant mind as were racing through mine on that fateful day. What is this? Why have I been given it? What have I done to deserve this? And, which one is the starter, which one is the desert?

You don’t get to a position like yours Richard with anything less than a generous sprinkling of observational power so I KNOW you will have spotted the tomato next to the two yellow shafts of sponge on the left. Yes, it’s next to the sponge shaft without the green paste. That’s got to be the clue hasn’t it. No sane person would serve a desert with a tomato would they. Well answer me this Richard, what sort of animal would serve a desert with peas in: [see image 2, above].

I know it looks like a baaji but it’s in custard Richard, custard. It must be the pudding. Well you’ll be fascinated to hear that it wasn’t custard. It was a sour gel with a clear oil on top. It’s only redeeming feature was that it managed to be so alien to my palette that it took away the taste of the curry emanating from our miscellaneous central cuboid of beige matter. Perhaps the meal on the left might be the desert after all.

Anyway, this is all irrelevant at the moment. I was raised strictly but neatly by my parents and if they knew I had started desert before the main course, a sponge shaft would be the least of my worries. So lets peel back the tin-foil on the main dish and see what’s on offer.

I’ll try and explain how this felt. Imagine being a twelve year old boy Richard. Now imagine it’s Christmas morning and you’re sat their with your final present to open. It’s a big one, and you know what it is. It’s that Goodmans stereo you picked out the catalogue and wrote to Santa about.

(Source: The Transport Politic & Telegraph, UK)

With support from Tories and Labour, project construction is virtually guaranteed

The United Kingdom, despite its intense population concentration and relatively straight-shot connection between its biggest cities, has yet to invest in a major high-speed program, unlike its peers in France, Spain, and Germany. Beginning late last year, however, the Conservative Party, under leader David Cameron and shadow Transportation Minister Teresa Villiers, began pressuring the Labour-controlled government to begin planning a high-speed rail link between London and Manchester, via Birmingham, as a replacement for the planned third runway at Heathrow airport. Plans to route the line through the airport to allow easy connections to flights were incorporated into the proposal almost immediately.

Though in January Labour did approve the runway at Heathrow as a way to relieve the significant congestion there, the U.K.’s ruling party has come to see a high-speed rail program as politically advantageous – especially as Mr. Cameron’s party has risen in popularity in recent years. It’s not surprising, then, to see Lord Andrew Adonis, the nation’s Minister of State for Transport, endorsing the line’s approval by early next year, before the next general election. With support from both major parties, the line is unlikely to face major opposition – and will likely get government funding as soon as its route has been finalized.

The map above illustrates the general consensus on the routing of the full route (in red). Running northwest from London, the line would hit Birmingham and then Manchester, before heading north to Leeds, Edinburgh, and Glasgow. A spur line from Manchester to Liverpool is likely, and, if conservatives and engineering company Arup get their way, the line would be routed through Heathrow Airport before extending north. Planning on the service has begun by a company called High Speed 2; the name is a reference to High Speed 1, the company that completed the Channel Tunnel Rail Link in 2007 (in black on the map above). High Speed 1 carries Eurostar trains from London to Paris and Brussels in 2h15 and 1h50, respectively, down 40 minutes from pre-construction travel times.

Click here to read the entire Transport Politic article.

 (Source:  CNNMoney.com Video: MSNBC via YouTube)

GM chief out in bailout shakeout

Rick Wagoner forced out of top spot as Obama administration moves to overhaul automaker.

 Friday, March 27, 2009 — ISSN 1529-1057

AVIATION

1) US Transportation Secretary Says New Air-Navigation System is FAA’s Top Priority

Link to story in The Wall Street Journal:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123810181998751549.html

2) FAA to Seal Bird-Strike Records

Link to story in USA Today:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-03-26-faa-birds_N.htm

3) American Airlines, Pilots to Resume Safety Program

Link to AP story:

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/American-Airlines-pilots-to-apf-14760201.html

CAMERAS

4) Get the Feeling You’re Being Watched? If You’re Driving You Just Might be

Link to story in The Wall Street Journal:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123811365190053401.html

CARTOGRAPHY

5) Google Makes User-Created Maps Searchable

Link to CNET News story:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-10206008-2.html?tag=newsEditorsPicksArea.0

ELECTRONIC TOLLING

6) New Zealand Toll Road‘s Charging Goes Awry Again

Link to story in The New Zealand Herald:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10563994

RAILROADS

7) Amtrak to Improve CRM, Passenger Information, Employee Information Management with Stimulus Money

Link to story on TMC:

http://callcenterinfo.tmcnet.com/analysis/articles/53139-amtrak-improve-crm-passenger-information-employee-information-management.htm

SAFETY / SECURITY

8) GE Unveils High-Speed Baggage-Screening System for Airports

Link to Dow Jones story:

http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/djf500/200903261638DOWJONESDJONLINE000969_FORTUNE5.htm

Link to news release from General Electric:

http://genewscenter.com/Content/Detail.asp?ReleaseID=6386&NewsAreaID=2&MenuSearchCategoryID

9) Risk-Based Approach Needed to Secure the Commercial Vehicle Sector

Link to report from the US Government Accountability Office:

http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d0985.pdf

TRAVELER INFORMATION / TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT

10) Seattle Launches Own Traffic Web Site

Link to story on KIRO-TV:

http://www.kirotv.com/traffic/19023782/detail.html

Link to City of Seattle Travelers Information Map:  http://web5.seattle.gov/travelers/

VEHICLES

11) US Appeals Court Upholds Ruling Allowing ‘Choose Life’ on Missouri License Plates

Link to story in The Kansas City Star:

http://www.kansascity.com/115/story/1109030.html

Upcoming Events

Railway Systems Suppliers C&S Exhibition – May 19-20 – Nashville, Tennessee

http://www.rssi.org/2009_exhibit

Friday Bonus

I’ve seen light rail credited with many things, but this is a first.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/401320_toilet25.html

Today in Transportation History

1794 **215^th anniversary** – The US Congress passed the Naval Act of 1794 establishing the nation’s first naval force.

http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=llsl&fileName=001/llsl001.db&recNum=473

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

The Transportation Communications Newsletter is published electronically Monday through Friday. 

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TCN archives: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/transport-communications

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

© 2009 Bernie Wagenblast

LA Transportation Blog:  Headlines for Friday March 27, 2009

by Metro Librarian

• American Maglev AcademicVC
• Amtrak Celebrates the Past, Present, and Future of Rail Travel with Nationwide Festivities in MayWebwire
• Anatomy of a Scene: ‘Knowing’ Alex Proyas, the director of “Knowing,” discusses the subway disaster scene from the filmNew York Times
• AnsaldoBreda Problems Aren’t in Los Angeles AloneTransport Politic
• As Transit Is Gutted in Orange County, Freeways Set to ExpandStreetsBlogLA
• Back to the Grid: John Norquist on How to Fix National Transpo PolicyStreetsBlogLA
• Car Free Fridays! Calling All Cyclists!Bike More LA!
• City approves longer green lights for MTA’s Rapid busesPasadena Star News
• Councilman Jose Huizar Appointed to Metro Board of DirectorsEastside Sun
• Expo Line could derail Bergamot StationLos Angeles Times/LA Now
• Follow-up: Metro Board MeetingI Will Ride
• Gold Line Extension Gets Push ForwardAmerican Chronicle
• Good News for Subway to the Sea & Downtown Streetcars? Villaraigosa Makes Major Changes on Metro BoardLAist
• LaHood wants all funding options on the table except fuel taxLand Line
• LA transit board unsure of Italian rail contractInternational Herald Tribune
• LB Transit implementing new fare pass technologySignal Tribune
• Local pol looking to solidify county commitment to Gold LinePasadena Star News
• Mayor appoints 2 to MTA board, considers rail contractLos Angeles Times/LA Now
• Mayor Appoints Downtown Councilman to Metro BoardBlogDowntown
• Metro board says hello to 2, goodbye to SnobleDaily News
• Metro Board Wrap: New Members, Delayed Rail Car Decision and 2001 LRTPStreetsBlogLA
• Metro Crenshaw Transit Corridor Meeting Held in InglewoodInglewood Today
• Metro Magazine: Travel Software to Aid Disabled Riders (Google Transit) Trillium
• MTA Approves Purchase Of 41 New Natural Gas Buses CBS
• MTA board wants to keep talking with Italian rail car firmLos Angeles Times/LA Now
• MTA’s chief Snoble attends his last board meeting Contra Costa Times
• Next authorization of surface transportation funds one of highest priorities, LaHood tells Congress The Trucker
• O.C. toll road price drops to attract commuters – The cost of a 10-mile trip on the 91 Freeway Express Lanes will drop 50 cents during seven time slots through the day starting Wednesday. Officials hope to encourage drivers to use the lanes Los Angeles Times
• Paris Metro entrance auctioned for $27,500 AP
• Portland gets its reward: Most sustainable city Oregon Live
• Ports’ growth cooling – TRADE: When shipping recovers, Long Beach and L.A. expect smaller cargo-volume increases Press Telegram
• Rail car firm gets extension in MTA contract – Italy’s AnsaldoBreda is granted a two-month reprieve in a deal to build 100 light-rail cars for the L.A. County transit agency Los Angeles Times
• Santa Monica to expand Big Blue Bus line KABC
• Sound Transit tunnel bids are cheaper than predicted – Two bidders on a Sound Transit tunneling contract are offering to do the job much cheaper than predicted by the agency’s engineers Seattle Times
• Thanks Gov., Even with Prop A City Facing Long-Term Transit Cuts StreetsBlogLA
• Transportation officials hear homeowners complaints about nearby freeway construction The Argonaut
• Use Google Maps to Find Your Way on Public Transit Commuter Dude
• US Infrastructure at Risk Irvine Center for Public Policy Research 

(Source: Jalopnik)

A UK university’s released a study proving what any car salesman’s ever told us, women judge men primarily by wealth and status, digging guys in expensive cars more than those driving an econobox.