Transportation

West Virginia Continues to Lead Collision Likelihood List

Bloomington, Ill., Sept. 28, 2009 – The number of vehicles on U.S. roadways has grown by 7 percent over the last five years. But the number of times those vehicles have collided with deer has swelled by much more than that.

Using its claims data, auto insurer State Farm estimates 2.4 million collisions between deer and vehicles occurred in the U.S. during the two-year period between July 1, 2007 and June 30, 2009 (100,000 per month). That’s 18.3 percent more than five years earlier. To put it another way, one of these unfortunate encounters occurs every 26 seconds (although they are much more likely during the last three months of the year and in the early evening).

MORE DEER-VEHICLE COLLISIONS    » read more »

The most recent and most complete research shows that distractions that take drivers’ eyes away from the road for an extended period of time are a factor in nearly 80 percent of accidents

DEARBORN, Mich., Sept. 25, 2009 – The vast majority of U.S. drivers believes handheld texting while driving is very dangerous and should be banned nationwide, according to a new national survey released today.    » read more »

System with 5th Generation Fuel Cell Stack Could Be Commercialized in 2015

2009-09-24 -- Washington, D.C. -- The second generation hydrogen fuel cell system in development by General Motors Co. is half the size, 220 pounds lighter and uses less than half the precious metal of the current generation in the Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell electric vehicle.

And the production intent fuel cell powertrain can be packaged under the hood in about the same space as a four-cylinder engine. It contains GM’s fifth-generation fuel cell stack, which could be commercialized in the 2015 time frame.    » read more »

New Delhi, September 24, 2009: General Motors India and Reva Electric Car Company (REVA) have entered into a collaboration agreement to develop electric vehicles for the Indian market. This unique partnership will bring together two companies, established in their own field to develop car platforms, electric vehicle technology and advanced control systems.

The agreement was announced jointly by Karl Slym, president and managing director, General Motors India and Chetan Maini, deputy chairman and chief technology officer, REVA.    » read more »

September 17, 2009 -- WASHINGTON- U.S. Senate Appropriations Chairman Daniel K. Inouye announced today that the full Senate approved $60,550,000 million in funding for various transportation, housing and urban development initiatives in Hawaii.

The Honolulu High Capacity Transit Corridor Project will receive $30 million to fund the continuing preliminary engineering phases of initial facility and transit system design, in addition to the refinement of capital costs estimates, as required by the Federal Transit Administration.    » read more »

September 16, 2009 -- There's a good chance you've been hearing more about biodiesel lately. This article, the first of several short discussions about biodiesel that will appear in the next few months, lays out some of the basic terminology and qualities associated with this fuel. It also begins to illustrate important factors that vary among biodiesel fuels and fuel blends with petroleum diesel - variations that require fuel suppliers to make adjustments in order to ensure that these fuels perform well.    » read more »

New Interagency Program to Address Climate Change and Energy Security

September 15, 2009 -- WASHINGTON – U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Ray LaHood and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa P. Jackson today jointly proposed a rule establishing an historic national program that would improve vehicle fuel economy and reduce greenhouse gases.    » read more »

Provided jobs for 84 workers, including 12 previously laid off

9/17/2009 -- Raleigh -- Motorists traveling along Intestate 40 in Winston-Salem are not the only ones benefitting from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’s (ARRA) first completed project in North Carolina. The project provided work for 84 employees of APAC-Atlantic Inc., Thompson-Arthur Division of Greensboro and its subcontractors, including 12 who were previously laid off.

“This is one of many recovery projects across that state that are providing jobs now to North Carolinians and bringing lasting benefits to our state’s highways,” said Gov. Bev Perdue.    » read more »

September 17, 2009 -- JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - Missouri Governor Jay Nixon this week sent letters to Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood in support of federal funding for two projects that would provide economic benefits to the St. Louis region and the state of Missouri. The projects seek Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grants, which were authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009.    » read more »

September 17, 2009 -- AUGUSTA – Maine Governor John E. Baldacci today said he was pleased that the full Senate has voted in support of a one-year pilot program authored by Senator Susan Collins. The provision will exempt Maine’s Interstate highway system from the current federal truck weight limit. The Collins’ proposal was part of the Fiscal Year 2010 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations legislation.    » read more »

Communities Across State to Benefit from $20 Million Grants

September 17, 2009 -- CHICAGO – September 17, 2009 -- Illinois Governor Pat Quinn today announced that $20 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) will fund 27 alternative transportation projects across the state. The grants are part of the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program (ITEP) and are designed to improve the quality of life in Illinois by promoting alternative transportation, such as bike and hike trails, streetscape and beautification, and preserving transportation resources.    » read more »

Statement of Lena Pons, Policy Analyst, Public Citizen’s Congress Watch Division

Sept. 15, 2009 -- The Obama administration proposed a historic step forward today that would reduce our nation’s oil consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. The proposed standards it announced for fuel economy and emissions would save 1.3 million barrels of oil per day in 2020 and save drivers about $26 billion per year in 2020, based on the current price of gas.

Under the proposal, automakers would have to raise the average gas mileage across their fleets to 35.5 miles per gallon and reduce carbon dioxide to 250 grams per mile by 2016.    » read more »

Truck drivers can find idle reduction facilities using cell phones and PDAs

September 15, 2009 --
The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) expanded its suite of Web-based, fuel-efficiency tools by launching the Mobile Truck Stop Electrification Locator. This comprehensive mobile application helps truck drivers find public truck stops with idle reduction facilities using a cell phone, BlackBerry, or other mobile device.    » read more »

September 15, 2009 -- WASHINGTON – Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.) issued the following statement praising the proposed federal rule released today by the U.S. Department of Transportation and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to establish an historic national program to improve vehicle fuel economy and reduce greenhouse gases.

As chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee’s Clean Air and Nuclear Safety Subcommittee, Sen. Carper said:    » read more »

September 16, 2009 -- OLYMPIA – The Washington State Department of Transportation submitted applications for three high priority projects in King County, Vancouver, and Spokane to compete for the $1.5 billion available in TIGER Discretionary Grants, part of the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

“I am proud of the way Washington state and its agencies are aggressively fighting for recovery funds,” Gov. Chris Gregoire said. “We are doing all we can to improve our infrastructure, while creating jobs. I am confident the Department of Transportation has put together a competitive bid that will enhance our roads, while putting people to work.”    » read more »