New initiative to pioneer 21st century solutions via greater coordination and interdisciplinary collaboration

(Source: MIT News)

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology today launchedTransportation@MIT, a coordinated effort to address one of civilization’s most pressing challenges: the environmental impact of the world’s ever-increasing demand for transportation. Building on MIT’s rich tradition of engineering research and interdisciplinary collaboration, the new initiative will knit together the wide-ranging, robust research already under way at the Institute and create new opportunities for education and innovation.

The program’s creation comes as the global movement of people and things becomes increasingly unsustainable — a problem that cannot be pinned on any one mode of transport. Two-thirds of the world’s petroleum consumption is taken up by transportation-related needs. Projections indicate that demand for petroleum, if unchecked, may outstrip supply within a few decades, while carbon dioxide output across the globe could triple by 2050.

“The global transportation challenge is as multi-faceted as a problem could be, and it is hard to think of an institution better equipped to tackle it than MIT,” said Dean of Engineering Subra Suresh. “By coordinating our own efforts and leveraging connections among faculty across our schools — from researchers exploring efficient new fuels to those studying transportation as a system to those rethinking how our cities are organized — we can make important and innovative contributions and encourage the rapid development of new ideas in sustainability, technology, business practices, and public policy related to all modes of transportation.

• @justincpeters Amen! I wonder if ICC would take similar action on Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka, two other hot spots that dwarf Darfur easily in reply to justincpeters #

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• @justincpeters Amen! I wonder if ICC would take similar action on Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka, two other hot spots that dwarf Darfur easily in reply to justincpeters #

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(Source: Street Films via Treehugger)

Thanks to Tree Hugger, Transportgooru got to know the biggest transit proponent that lives in the Western hemisphere.  I am proud to introduce you to the Bus Chick and her adorable family.  Meet Carla Saulter, aka Bus Chick (she has a blog on the Seattle Post Intelligencer’s website: Bus Chick, Transit Authority).  Check it out:

Car-Free and Loving It!

(Source: TreeHugger)

(Source:  GM’s Fast Lane Blogs, via TreeHugger )

GM Defends the Volt’s Design
A recent Carnegie Mellon University study (pdf) challenged the real-world gasoline savings and cost effectiveness of plug-in hybrids like the Chevy Volt. GM’s Vice President Global Program Management, Jon Lauckner, who has been involved in the Volt project responded on the company’s blog. Find out what he had to say below.

All-Electric Range

The first thing is the electric range of the car. Somewhat strangely, the CMU study found that “for urban driving conditions and frequent charges every 10 miles or less, a low-capacity PHEV sized with an AER (range) of about 7 miles would be a robust choice for minimizing gasoline consumption, cost and greenhouse gas emissions.”

7 miles? Really?

Well, Jon Lauckner responds:

I’ll cut to the chase; for starters, the study’s endorsement of plug-in vehicles with only a “token” electric-only range (seven miles) overlooks the inconvenience of recharging for the vast majority of drivers (approx. 90 percent) with a daily commute that exceeds seven miles. I mean, honestly, how many customers are going to stop every seven miles and wait at least 30 minutes (if a car has a high-capacity charger like the Volt with the same level of electrical energy to match it) for their battery to be recharged? […] And, if customers don’t recharge during the day, these “token” plug-ins will run primarily on gasoline. How is that consistent with reducing green house gas emissions and our dependence on petroleum?

Click here to read the entire article.

 Wednesday, March 4, 2009 — ISSN 1529-1057

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Register Today and Prepare for the Approaching Recovery: IBTTA’s Workshop on Managing in an Era of Changing Economic Times, April 19-21, 2009 in San Francisco, CA 

Join IBTTA in San Francisco for power-packed educational sessions and walk away with a world of knowledge on better managing your organization today and preparing for the approaching economic recovery. Learn how global issues are affecting your organization and the toll industry, the goals and efforts of the U.S. stimulus program, how to build a cost-conscious culture and make tough decisions, how to position your agency for unique opportunities during this slowdown, solid financing strategies and more. This is one meeting you don’t want to miss! Visit IBTTA’s website to view the preliminary agenda, make your travel arrangements and register today!

AVIATION

1) March/April Edition of FAA Aviation News Focuses on Technology

Link to newsletter:

http://www.faa.gov/news/aviation_news/2009/media/marapr2009.pdf

GPS / NAVIGATION

2) Police Use of Warrantless GPS Tracking Challenged in US Court

Link to AP story:

http://www.dailypress.com/news/local/virginia/dp-dc–gps-privacylaw0303mar03,0,1751321.story

OTHER

3) March Issue of Florida DOT’s SunGuide Disseminator

Link to newsletter:

http://www.dot.state.fl.us/trafficoperations/Newsletters/2009/2009-003-Mar.pdf

RAILROADS

4) European Railway Union Awards IT Contract for Freight-Rail Communications Project

Link to story in Progressive Railroading:

http://www.progressiverailroading.com/news/article.asp?id=19825

ROADWAYS

5) 24/7 Monitoring Keeps Ontario’s Highway 69 Project on Track

Sensors monitor settlement of nearby railroad tracks.

Link to story in Road Talk:

http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/transtek/roadtalk/rt15-1/#a5

SAFETY / SECURITY

6) Fatal Crashes Down in Ohio State Highway Patrol’s Metro Initiative

Specialized computer mapping and a public information campaign part of the effort.

Link to story in The Plain Dealer:

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2009/03/fatal_crashes_down_in_ohio_hig_1.html

Link to news release from the Ohio State Highway Patrol:

http://statepatrol.ohio.gov/media/2009/09-015.pdf

7) Puerto Rico Bans Music, Cell Phones for School Bus Drivers

Link to AP story:

http://www.nydailynews.com/latino/2009/03/04/2009-03-04_puerto_rico_bans_music_cell_phones_for_s.html

8) Texting on a Train

Where technology exists to prevent transportation tragedies, from air crashes to grade-crossing accidents, it should be used.

Link to editorial in USA Today:

http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2009/03/texting-on-a-tr.html

TRANSIT

9) WMATA Removes NextBus Public Test

Link to story on Greater Greater Washington:

http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post.cgi?id=1739

10) Chicago Transit Authority’s New Voice: Carolyn Hopkins

Link to story in the Chicago Tribune:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-talk-cta-voicemar04,0,7232148.story

TRAVELER INFORMATION / TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT

11) NYC Subway’s E-Mail Alerts Fail the Blizzard Test

Link to commentary in the Silicon Alley Insider:

http://www.businessinsider.com/nyc-subways-email-alerts-fail-the-blizzard-test-2009-3

12) Superhighway Info Great; Millions Spent on It, Not so Great

Link to editorial in The Bay City Times:

http://www.mlive.com/opinion/bay-city/index.ssf/2009/03/superhighway_info_great_millio.html

News Releases

1) MIT Takes on Global Transportation Challenge – New initiative to pioneer 21^st century solutions via greater coordination and interdisciplinary collaboration

2) The Google Maps vs MapQuest Online Mapping Portal War is Driving Map 2.0 Innovations

3) TransCore Selects GS&P for Team to Provide ITS Design Services for Florida DOT

4) NNG Global Services Selects Cellint for High-Resolution Traffic Service

5) CDW-G Launches Mass Notification Toolkit

Upcoming Events

Mississippi Valley Freight Coalition Spring Meeting & Conference – April 14-16 – Kansas City, Missouri

http://www.mississippivalleyfreight.org/2009meeting.html

Today in Transportation History

1824 **185^th anniversary** – The National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck was created in the UK.

http://www.rnli.org.uk/

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

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

© 2009 Bernie Wagenblast

(Source:  Wall Street Journal)

President Obama and Vice President Biden spoke with Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood Tuesday at Transportation Department headquarters, where they announced the first batch of stimulus funds getting distributed. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Mr. LaHood talked about spending stimulus money wisely, his opposition to an increase in the gasoline tax, new fuel emission standards and more. Below are edited excerpts from the interview.

* * *

The Wall Street Journal: What’s being done to ensure that the $48 billion going to transportation projects in the stimulus bill is spent wisely?

Mr. LaHood: Our people are in touch daily with these DOT secretaries. We generally, having worked with them for years and years and years, know what is fundable. It really falls under two categories. Projects that were started and then stopped because they ran out of money, and something that’s been sitting on a shelf in a DOT office because they didn’t have the money to fund it. Some of these, like the one we announced today (a road repaving project in suburban Maryland), have been in process…These are projects that these folks have known about and have been talking about for some time. This isn’t something brand new that’s been sprung up on them…I don’t think you’re going to see something weird pop up…It’s pretty traditional stuff. It really is.

WSJ: Are you concerned when you hear squabbles between mayors and governors over how to spend the stimulus money?

Mr. LaHood: [Cities] are concerned that 70% of the money is going to the states and they’re only going to get 30%…These disputes, look it, they’re going to take place….In the end, I’m not going to be able to change the idea that 70% of this is going to the states and 30% are going to them. I tried to make a case for them. But the way it’s designed here…it is what it is.

(Source: New York Times)

Click here to read the entire article.

(Source:  Transportation Research Board)

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