TransportGooru

Tuesday, April 19, 2011 – ISSN 1529-1057

Register Today for IBTTA’s Interoperability and All-Electronic Toll Collection Workshop ― May 15-17, Plano, TX

Register today for IBTTA’s Interoperability and All-Electronic Toll Collection Workshop, the fifth in a series of workshops focused on violations enforcement, open road tolling, all-electronic toll collection (AETC), and interoperability. Held in concert with this Workshop, IBTTA will offer a live webcast of the general session “Tolling Technology: Initiatives and Impacts” on Monday, May 16 at 8:30am (Central Time).  Visit www.IBTTA.org/PLANO to view the brochure, register, and learn about sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities. To view IBTTA’s entire 2011 Education Series, click here.

AVIATION

1) FAA Suspends Controller for Watching Movie on Duty

Link to AP article:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2014810647_apusaircontrollermovie.html

2) Single European Sky Starts to Show Signs of Progress

Link to article in Flight International:
http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2011/04/19/355626/single-european-sky-starts-to-show-signs-of-progress.html

Link to news release from the European Commission:

http://tentea.ec.europa.eu/en/news__events/newsroom/air_traffic_over_central_europe_improving_thanks_to_eu_project.htm

3) Electronic Flight Bag for iPad: Will Your Pilot be Using This in 2012?

Link to article on CrunchGear:

http://www.crunchgear.com/2011/04/18/efb-for-ipad-will-your-pilot-be-using-this-in-2012/

Link to more information from GlobalNavSource: http://globalnavsource.com/efb.php

BICYCLES

4) FHWA Issues Interim Approval for Optional Use of Green-Colored Pavement for Bike Lanes

Link to further information from the Federal Highway Administration:

http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/resources/news/news_detail.asp?ID=730

CAMERAS

5) License Plate-Reading Cameras Gain Legal Backing

Link to article in The New York Times:

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/14/license-plate-reading-cameras-gain-legal-backing/

6) New South Wales Camera Audit to Skip Accuracy Check

Link to article on ZDNet Australia:
http://www.zdnet.com.au/nsw-camera-audit-to-skip-accuracy-check-339313501.htm

CARTOGRAPHY

7) Google Turns to Users for Guidance on US Maps

Link to AP article:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2014812889_apustechbitgooglemapmaker.html

OTHER

8) Minnesota to Test Miles Driven for Taxing vs. Gasoline Pumped

Link to article in the Star Tribune:
http://www.startribune.com/business/yourmoney/120195829.html

9) ERTICO Interviews Phil Blythe, Professor of ITS and Director of the Transport Operations Research Group at Newcastle University

Link to interview from ERTICO:

http://www.ertico.com/the-ertico-april-2011-interview/

RAILROADS

10) Website Upgrade Derails Amtrak’s Online Ticketing for Second Day

Link to article in the Los Angeles Times:

http://www.latimes.com/travel/deals/la-trb-amtrak-website-20110418,0,1722434.story

Link to news release from Amtrak:

https://www.facebook.com/note.php?created&&note_id=10150156153061127&id=9411224013

SAFETY / SECURITY

11) Amtrak Taps Into Rail Fan Base to Boost Security

Link to AP article:

http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9MMBSBO4.htm

12) How Social Media Fits Into Los Angeles’ Crisis Communication Strategy

Link to article in Emergency Management:

http://www.emergencymgmt.com/disaster/Social-Media-Los-Angeles-Communication-Strategy-041811.html

13) Public Safety Agencies in Hot Pursuit of 4G Infrastructure

Link to article in Government Technology:

http://www.govtech.com/public-safety/Public-Safety-Pursues-4G-Infrastructure.html

TRAVELER INFORMATION / TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT

14) New App Brings Hands-Free, Live Traffic Alerts to Your Phone

Link to story and video on WDAF-TV:

http://www.fox4kc.com/news/wdaf-new-app-brings-handsfree-live-traffic-alerts-to-your-phone-20110418,0,7914515.story

VEHICLES

15) Motorcyclists Gain Profiling Protection from Washington State

Link to article from The Columbian:

http://www.theolympian.com/2011/04/17/1619496/motorcyclists-gain-profiling-protection.html

16) Google to Help US Find Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

Link to article in The Detroit News:
http://www.detnews.com/article/20110419/AUTO01/104190395/1148/auto01/Google-to-help-U.S.-find-electric-vehicle-charging-stations

17) Saab Communication ‘a Catastrophe’: FKG

Link to article on just-auto:

http://www.just-auto.com/news/fkg_id110446.aspx?lk=dm

18) Company to Test Technology on Idaho National Laboratory Buses

Software prods drivers to be more fuel-efficient.

Link to article from the Post Register:

http://apps.itd.idaho.gov/Apps/MediaManagerViewer/NewsClipping/Story.aspx?Id=55844&Type=NewsClipping

19) Highly Automated Driving Takes Shape

Link to article in EE Times Europe:
http://eetimes.eu/en/highly-automated-driving-takes-shape.html?cmp_id=7&news_id=222906973

News Releases

1) New Joint Standards Initiative on Intelligent Transport Systems

2) Free In-flight Wi-Fi a Hit Among Norwegian Air Shuttle Passengers

3) easyJet Update on Volcanic Ash AVOID System

4) San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency to Add Pay-by-Phone Convenience to Parking Meters
5) OnStar Mobile App Expands to China
6) TomTom Extends Footprint in Latin America, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific
7) Boeing Introduces More Capable, Lower Cost Flight Simulation Hardware
8) Autoliv Expands in Active Safety – Signs License and Cooperation Agreement with Hella
9) Federal Communications Commission Announces Forum on Earthquake Communications Preparedness

Job Postings

–  Transportation Policy Analyst – Reason Foundation – Location Negotiable

http://reason.org/about/jobs/

Upcoming Events

Webinar: Developing Successful Transportation Management Plans for Work Zones – May 3

https://www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov/resources/webconference/web_conf_learner_reg.aspx?webconfid=22852

Today in Transportation History

1971 **40^th anniversary** Salyut 1, the first space station, was launched.

http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/masterCatalog.do?sc=1971-032A

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

The Transportation Communications Newsletter is published electronically Monday through Friday.

To subscribe (for free) or unsubscribe, please contact me at bernie@bwcommunications.net.

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

Become a TCN fan on Facebook!

Questions, comments about the TCN?  Please write the editor, Bernie Wagenblast at bernie@bwcommunications.net.

© 2011 Bernie Wagenblast  www.bwcommunications.net

Monday, April 18, 2011 – ISSN 1529-1057

AVIATION

1) FAA, Air Traffic Union Discuss Dozing Controllers

Link to AP video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=na5CfyQ1uhk

2) South African Airways Asks to Allow Cellphones on Planes

Link to article in the Cape Argus:

http://www.iol.co.za/scitech/technology/telecoms/bid-to-allow-cellphones-on-planes-1.1058217

3) Philippine Government Seen Still Unable to Enforce International Aviation Standards

Link to article in BusinessWorld:

http://www.bworldonline.com/content.php?section=Economy&title=Gov%E2%80%99t-seen-still-unable-to-enforce-international-aviation-standards&id=30019

4) New Technologies Facilitate Easier Air Travel at Indian Airports

Link to PTI article:

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/154263/technologies-facilitate-easier-air-travel.html

CAMERAS

5) Queensland Ramps Up Number Plate Recognition Over Easter

Link to article in Computerworld Australia:

http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/383524/queensland_ramps_up_number_plate_recognition_over_easter/

GPS / NAVIGATION

6) Pre-planning Your Trip with Maps or GPS – What’s Best for You?

Link to article in the Westmoreland Times:

http://westmorelandtimes.com/news/2011/04/pre-planning-your-trip-with-maps-or-gps-whats-best-for-you-17041106483001/

OTHER

7) An Interview with Laurie McGinnis, Director of the Center for Transportation Studies at the University of Minnesota

Link to article in Minnesota:

http://www.minnesotaalumni.org/s/1118/content.aspx?sid=1118&gid=1&pgid=2884

8) Emphasis on Communication with Employees Brings Good Words About These Companies

Link to article in the Chicago Tribune:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-0417-top-workplaces-20110417,0,615197,full.story

9) Presentations from the ITS Heartland Annual Conference

Link to presentations:

http://matc.unl.edu/itsheartland/2011_presentations.php

RAILROADS

10) Bombardier Delivers Central Railway Traffic Management System in Mumbai

Link to PTI article:

http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfeed/news/bombardier-delivers-cr-traffic-mgmt-system-in-mumbai/650691.html

ROADWAYS

11) Their Sign Business has a Big Following

New Jersey company makes a variety of roadway signs.

Link to column and video in The Philadelphia Inquirer:

http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/kevin_riordan/20110417_Kevin_Riordan__Their_sign_business_has_a_big_following.html

SAFETY / SECURITY

12) Cellphone Ban Rejected by Alaska House Committee

Link to article in the Juneau Empire:

http://juneauempire.com/state/2011-04-16/cell-phone-ban-rejected-house-committee

13) Vietnam Government Earmarks $1.6 Billion for Road Traffic Safety, Including ITS

Link to article in Viet Nam News:

http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/Economy/210430/Govt-earmarks-16b-for-road-traffic-safety.html
14) Tsunami Response Reveals Poor Radio Interoperability

Link to article on Nextgov:

http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20110415_3972.php

TRANSIT

15) SMS to Track Late Trains in New South Wales

Link to article in The Sunday Telegraph:

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/sms-to-track-late-trains/story-e6freuy9-1226040243399

TRAVELER INFORMATION / TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT

16) Wellington, New Zealand Traffic Operations Center Opens in Time for Easter

Link to article on Voxy News:

http://www.voxy.co.nz/national/wellington-traffic-operations-centre-opens-time-easter/5/88151

17) E-Signs to Show Drive Times on Long Island Expressway

Link to article in Newsday:

http://mobile.newsday.com/inf/infomo;jsessionid=99396B02DBACB54CBE3B.3102?site=newsday&view=top_stories_item&feed:a=newsday_1min&feed:c=topstories&feed:i=1.2821175&nopaging=1

18) I-95 Welcome Centers a Throwback to Pre-GPS Era

Link to article in The Florida Times-Union:

http://jacksonville.com/entertainment/2011-04-17/story/i-95-welcome-centers-throwback-pre-gps-era

19) Tax Dollars Better Spent on Roadways, Not Signs

Link to editorial in the Livingston Daily:

http://www.livingstondaily.com/article/20110417/OPINION01/104170329

News Releases

1) Traffic Technology International – Free subscription to magazine covering latest developments in advanced traffic management and ITS worldwide

2) New Book: The Third Generation Roadway – Metropolitan Transport for the 21^st Century

3) US DOT Launches Pipeline Safety Awareness Website

4) ORION Awards Celebrate Ontario’s Achievements in Mobile-Base Transportation Software, Other Fields

5) Leading Transportation Experts from Bombardier, IBM, and Eaton to Share Their Vision for Future Travel at Frost & Sullivan’s Flagship Event in London

6) Reagan National and Dulles Airports Announce Free Wi-Fi

Upcoming Events

Northeast Association of State Transportation Officials Annual Conference – June 5-7 – Groton, Connecticut

http://174.120.3.124/~nasto/?page_id=269

Today in Transportation History

1911 **100^th anniversary** The first flight took place at what would become Sydney Airport.

http://www.sydneyairport.com.au/Sacl/SPContent.aspx?PageID=63&ItemID=249&count=1

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

The Transportation Communications Newsletter is published electronically Monday through Friday.

To subscribe (for free) or unsubscribe, please contact me at bernie@bwcommunications.net.

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

Become a TCN fan on Facebook!

Questions, comments about the TCN?  Please write the editor, Bernie Wagenblastat bernie@bwcommunications.net.

© 2011 Bernie Wagenblast  www.bwcommunications.net

(Source: Houston.culturemap.com)

Anti-big brother Houstonians rejoiced when a referendum passed last November to take down the city’s network of red light cameras. Nearly six months later, data collected by the camera service provider, Phoenix-based ATS, suggests that citizens’ temporarily cautious attitude towards red lights has already reversed.

ATS analyzed 10 high-traffic intersections in different parts of the city that had seen noticeably decreases in violations when the cameras were installed, but have now suffered unprecedented increases. For example, the westbound intersection of Richmond Avenue and Hillcroft Avenue dipped from 5,628 violations in 2009 to 2,532 in 2010 — only to rocket back up to 3,799 in the first few months of 2011.

Editors Note:  This is yet another study that bolsters the need for installing the enforcement devices at intersections.   Oh well, there is always a counter to this and wait till someone surfaces with a new study showing how the removal of these devices has made life a lot better for poor Houstonians.

Thursday, April 14, 2011 – ISSN 1529-1057

Register Today for IBTTA’s Interoperability and All-Electronic Toll Collection Workshop ― May 15-17, Plano, TX

Register today for IBTTA’s Interoperability and All-Electronic Toll Collection Workshop, the fifth in a series of workshops focused on violations enforcement, open road tolling, all-electronic toll collection (AETC), and interoperability. Through both general sessions and simultaneous breakout sessions, this conference will focus on lessons learned, case studies, business rules, and future decision making about AETC, interoperability, and the implications of universal vehicle miles traveled (VMT) charging. Visitwww.IBTTA.org/PLANO to view the brochure, register, and learn about sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities. To view IBTTA’s entire 2011 Education Series, click here.

AVIATION

1) FAA Official Out Amid Sleeping-on-the-Job Cases

Link to story and video on CNN:

http://www.cnn.com/2011/TRAVEL/04/14/faa.resignation/index.html

Link to statement from FAA Administrator:

http://www.faa.gov/news/press_releases/news_story.cfm?newsId=12666

2) Changes on the Way for Orlando International Airport? ‘Airport of the Future’ Hits Snag

Link to article in the Orlando Sentinel:

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/os-oia-airilne-software-dispute-20110413,0,7474708.story

CAMERAS

3) Traffic Cams Catch Drunk Drivers in Minnesota

Link to story and video on KMSP-TV:

http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/dpp/news/minnesota/drunk-driver-video-traffic-cams-apr-14-2011

4) Interview with TrafficLand: Traffic Camera Aggregation

Link to podcast on GPS Business News:

(Free link to podcast only available for a limited time)

PEDESTRIANS

5) Will London’s New Wayfinding System Get More People Walking?

Link to blog on This Big City:

http://thisbigcity.net/will-londons-new-wayfinding-system-get-more-people-walking

ROADWAYS

6) Inaugural Newsletter of the Mileage-Based User Fee Alliance

Link to newsletter:

http://goo.gl/7rEPM

SAFETY / SECURITY

7) NOAA Eyes Upgrade of Outdated Tsunami Warning Centers

Link to article on Nextgov:

http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20110413_5801.php

8) Kentucky Releases App to Report Suspicious Activity

Link to article in Government Technology:

http://www.govtech.com/public-safety/Suspicious-Activity-Reporting-Mobile-in-Kentucky.html

Link to news release from the Kentucky Office of Homeland Security:

http://homelandsecurity.ky.gov/news/kohspr033011.htm

TELEMATICS

9) The Trajectory Group: ‘Telematics is Finally Here to Stay’

Link to interview in Telematics Update:

http://social.telematicsupdate.com/executive-viewpoint/trajectory-group-%E2%80%9Ctelematics-finally-here-stay%E2%80%9D

TRAVELER INFORMATION / TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT

10) Transportation Management Center Opens in Springfield, Missouri

Link to story and video on KOLR-TV:

http://ozarksfirst.com/fulltext?nxd_id=437886

VEHICLES

11) HD Radio Looks to ‘The New Dash’

Link to article in Radio World:

http://www.rwonline.com/article/117734

News Releases

1) Georgia DOT Re-launches Improved NaviGAtor 511 Travel Information System: Features New Technology, Smartphone App and Sponsorship Partners

2) #1 Issue for Consumers in FAA Reauthorization is Making Airline Hidden Fees Visible, Finds New Survey by Consumer Travel Alliance

3) Navigon Updates iPhone Navigation App with Augmented Reality and Safety Camera Features

4) GO Transit Launches Online Customer Panel: Let GO Know

5) Study: Voice-Based Navigation Safer Way to Get Around

6) Freight Transport Association Trial Finds that Telematics Brings Convincing Returns to Smaller Fleets

Upcoming Events

2011 ITS-NY Eighteenth Annual Meeting and Technology Exhibition – June 9-10 – Saratoga Springs, New York

http://www.its-ny.org/pdf/AnnouncITS-NY2011Annual3-3-11.pdf

Today in Transportation History

1961 **50^th anniversary** A sub-committee of the American Standards Association approved the standard size of shipping containers of 8’x8′ with a length of 10, 20, 30 and 40 feet.

http://goo.gl/foAhM

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

The Transportation Communications Newsletter is published electronically Monday through Friday.

To subscribe (for free) or unsubscribe, please contact me at bernie@bwcommunications.net.

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

Become a TCN fan on Facebook!

Questions, comments about the TCN?  Please write the editor, Bernie Wagenblast at bernie@bwcommunications.net.

© 2011 Bernie Wagenblast  www.bwcommunications.net

(Source: MSNBC)

An air traffic controller was suspended Wednesday after being asleep while a medical flight was landing in Nevada, marking the fifth lapse so far this year among controllers at the nation’s airports. Four involved sleeping controllers.

In response to the lapses, the Federal Aviation Administration announced it was immediately putting a second controller on the midnight shift at 26 airports and a radar facility around the country that currently have only one overnight person.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011 – ISSN 1529-1057

Register Today for IBTTA’s Interoperability and All-Electronic Toll Collection Workshop ― May 15-17, Plano, TX

Register today for IBTTA’s Interoperability and All-Electronic Toll Collection Workshop, the fifth in a series of workshops focused on violations enforcement, open road tolling, all-electronic toll collection (AETC), and interoperability. Through both general sessions and simultaneous breakout sessions, this conference will focus on lessons learned, case studies, business rules, and future decision making about AETC, interoperability, and the implications of universal vehicle miles traveled (VMT) charging. Visitwww.IBTTA.org/PLANO to view the brochure, register, and learn about sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities. To view IBTTA’s entire 2011 Education Series, click here.

AVIATION

1) US Navy Wants Its Drone to Land on a Carrier with a Mouse Click

Link to article and video in Wired:

http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/04/navy-wants-mouse-click-flying-for-its-carrier-based-drone/

2) Weathering Heights: FAA Cockpit Simulator to Help Airline Safety

Link to article in Flight International:

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2011/04/12/355344/weathering-heights-faa-cockpit-simulator-to-help-airline.html

CAMERAS

3) Camera Scans of Car Plates are Reshaping Police Inquiries

Link to article in The New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/12/nyregion/12plates.html?_r=1&src=twr&pagewanted=all

PUBLIC INFORMATION / EDUCATION

4) California High-Speed Rail’s PR Mess

Link to article on Neon Tommy:

http://www.neontommy.com/news/2011/04/california-high-speed-rails-pr-mess

TRAVELER INFORMATION / TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT

5) TomTom Makes Connected Traffic Updates a Paid Service

Link to article in PC Magazine:

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2383479,00.asp

VEHICLES

6) Electric Vehicles Get an IT Assist

Link to article in Computerworld:

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9215661/Car_tech_Electric_vehicles_get_an_IT_assist_

News Releases

1) Cybit and Masternaut Combine Forces, Creating Europe’s Leading Telematics Provider

2) ERTICO and National ITS Associations Sponsor Video Competition

3) New Seattle Metro Policy to Allow Resumption of Bus Ads from Non-Profit Organizations

4) Mineta Transportation Institute Wins Department of Homeland Security Award for Terrorism Attack Database

5) Automotive Night Vision Market to Reach $5 Billion by 2016

6) Bilbao Receives Award in Field of Freight Transport for FREILOT Project

Solicitation

–  Public Arts Call – RapidRide B Line: Mobile Game Project – 4Culture and King County Metro Transit

http://www.4culture.org/publicart/calls/index.aspx

Upcoming Events

Webinar: Posting Travel Times on Dynamic Message Signs and Third Party Data Best Practices and Lessons Learned – April 27

https://www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov/resources/webconference/web_conf_learner_reg.aspx?webconfid=22921

Today in Transportation History

1861 **150^th anniversary** Confederate forces fired on Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor to begin the US Civil War.

http://www.nps.gov/fosu

1911 **100^th anniversary** Theodore G. Ellyson became the first US Navy officer designated an aviator.

http://www.militarymuseum.org/Ellyson.html

1911 **100^th anniversary** Pierre Prier made the first non-stop flight from London to Paris.

http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=F20E12FD3F5517738DDDAA0994DC405B818DF1D3

1961 **50^th anniversary** Yuri Gagarin became the first person in space on Vostok 1.

http://yurigagarin50.org/

1981 **30^th anniversary** The Space Shuttle Columbia blasted off on the first mission of the Space Shuttle.

http://www.floridatoday.com/section/news0208

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

The Transportation Communications Newsletter is published electronically Monday through Friday.

To subscribe (for free) or unsubscribe, please contact me at bernie@bwcommunications.net.

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

Become a TCN fan on Facebook!

Questions, comments about the TCN?  Please write the editor, Bernie Wagenblast at bernie@bwcommunications.net.

© 2011 Bernie Wagenblast  www.bwcommunications.net

(Source: You Tube via reddit)

Our President tries his best to assure the nation that the future for our children is bright.. But if you ask anyone who looks at this video(s) above, the would disagree with the president;  they would even go to the extent of saying such a future for our children is more steeped in a culture of fear and suspicion.. The six year old seen in this video would grow up to ask why did I endure this shameful treatment.  Where was the application of common sense n all this?

As much as I pity the TSA workers, at some point in time the protocols they follow, such as these are only going to make them look more and more idiotic.. If you ask, they would tell you that they’d rather not do these checks but are required to carry out what is prescribed in their manuals.  It is always this one size fits all treatment meted out to everyone that makes TSA more like a “machine” rather than an agency that cares for the safety of human.  Someone please tell Sec. Janet Napalitano that her agency needs an image makeover and it is needed NOW!

(Source: The City Fix Blog)

What a creative way to encourage riding public transportation! The two videos below created by De Lijn, the company that runs Belgium’s public transport system, are part of the “Penguins and Fireflies” commercial campaign and won the 4th Annual UITP International Marketing Awards in 2009.

The International Association of Public Transport (UITP), a global advocate in promoting public transportation, is accepting entries for its 5th Annual UITP International Marketing Awards until April 15. It is the only international competition that rewards commercial and printed campaigns from the public transport sector.

 

The Marketing Awards are a part of UITP’s International Marketing Conference that will be held in Venice, Italy in November 2011. The conference is a time to provide organizations with marketing strategies to help them successfully compete against car culture, increase profits and boost ridership.

Click here to read more.

(Source: Fast Company)

A new report from the American Public Transportation Association counters the GOP strategy on high-speed rail and turns the anti-HSR rhetoric argument on its head by saying it is in fact good for the economy.   This report focuses on key issues critical to private investors as they consider investments or future expansion into businesses serving the growing passenger rail markets.

Here is  the crux of the report as explained by the Fast Company: High-speed rail can be a huge driver of jobs and economic growth, and the government has already committed to at least $10 billion worth of spending, with plans for tens of billions more in the coming years.

The report, “The Case for Business Investment in High-Speed and Intercity Passenger Rail” (PDF) by the American Public Transportation Association finds that in addition to the obvious, but temporary, construction jobs, the benefits ripple out throughout an economy. Most importantly, for each $1 billion spent on train construction, 24,000 permanent jobs are created. That’s a mere $41,667 per job, which looks downright cheap when you’re staring down 9% unemployment.

The California High-Speed Rail Authority estimates that building a high-speed rail link between L.A. and San Francisco would result in 600,000 construction jobs and 450,000 permanent new jobs. There are currently 2.2 million unemployed people in the state; high-speed rail would halve its unemployment rate.

Click here to read the Fast Co. analysis.

Shown below is the APTA presser accompanying this report.

New report shows tangible economic benefits of investments in building a 21st century rail system

Washington, DC – April 6, 2011 –The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) released a report detailing the enormous impact high-speed and intercity passenger rail projects will have in driving  job development,  while also rebuilding America’s manufacturing sector and generating billions of dollars in business sales.  This report focuses on key issues critical to private investors as they consider investments or future expansion into businesses serving the growing passenger rail markets.

The report, “The Case for Business Investment in High-Speed and Intercity Passenger Rail” reinforces the point that investments in high-speed and intercity rail will have many direct and indirect benefits.  Nationally, due to proposed federal investment of high-speed rail over a six-year period, investment can result in supporting and creating more than 1.3 million jobs.  This federal investment will be the catalyst for attracting state, local and private capital which will result in the support and creation of even more jobs.

According to this new report, investments in building a 21st century rail system will not only lead to a large increase in construction jobs, but to the sustainable, long-term growth of new manufacturing and service jobs across the country.

“It is evident that investing in high-speed and intercity rail projects presents one of the clearest and fastest ways to create green, American jobs and spur long-term economic growth,” said APTA President William Millar. “Investing in high-speed rail is essential for America as we work to build a sustainable, modern transportation system that meets the environmental and energy challenges of the future.”

APTA noted for each $1 billion invested in high-speed rail projects, the analysis predicts the support and creation of 24,000 jobs.

In addition to the thousands of new construction jobs, investments in high-speed rail will jumpstart the U.S. economy. The Economic Development Research Group for the U.S. Conference of Mayors studied the business impact of high-speed rail investment in different urban regions.  For example, in Los Angeles, CA, high-speed rail investment generates $7.6 billion in business sales and $6.1 billion in Chicago, IL.

“Federal high-speed rail investment is a strong driver in getting private companies to invest,” said Kevin McFall, Senior Vice President at Stacy and Witbeck Inc., a leading public transit construction firm. “This program can be a shot in the arm for the manufacturing industry.  These high-speed rail projects will give us the opportunity to put people to work building the rail infrastructure this country desperately needs.”

“U.S. businesses have been known for their cutting edge technologies and innovations, said Jeffrey Wharton, President of IMPulse NC. “We need to put this expertise to work, providing business and employment opportunities while catching up with the rest of the world in high-speed rail and its associated benefits.”

“We are excited about the prospect of putting Americans to work building the rail tracks and equipment that will keep America’s economic recovery moving forward,” said Charles Wochele, Vice President for Industry and Government Relations at Alstom Transport. “We look forward to partnering with the federal and state governments to ensure these projects get off the ground.”

Here is a related article (and some interesting comments to go with it) I posted a couple of days ago.

(Source: Jalopnik)

Too bad the cops just left before the fury from hell was unleashed on that poor Cadillac Deville.. There is no stopping this one mad woman who is hell bent on taking it all out.. I’m assuming the man identified as the “bitch ass punk” seen lurking in the background is the party responsible for this outburst.. He did the best thing anyone could have asked for in such a domestic situation without getting hurt.. He stayed the hell away from her and did not take a chance of stopping her from doing what she needed to cool herself.. Damn!

Thank you, Jalopnik for delivering such gems! And as sadistic as this sounds, I liked the music in the background, which Jalopnik identified as the jilted woman vandal anthem sung by Jazmine Sullivan