Research update 11/1/07

Street Smart
Competition, Entrepreneurship and the future of roads
Edited by Gabriel Roth, forward by Mary E. Peters

California's High-Speed Train Project Should Be Derailed
Overstating ridership figures and understating costs doesn't make it a good idea
Adam B. Summers , Reason Foundation 10/30/07

Reimagining the Automobile Industry by selling the Electricity,
A Silicon Valley technologist who was in competition to become chief executive of SAP, one of the world s largest software companies, has re-emerged with a grand plan to reinvent the world s automobile industry around battery-powered all-electric cars.
John Markoff , New York Times 10/29/07

DOT: Some concrete substandard
Four decades of RI DOT ignoring rules for ensuring high-quality concrete.
Bruce Landis, 10/28/07

State of NJ defends secrecy of report on toll roads
A consultant's report analyzing how the state can generate more money off highways -- possibly by increasing tolls -- must stay private because it's incomplete, Governor Corzine's administration argues in court
Tom Hester Jr., A.P., 10/27/07

Official pushes for L.A. toll lanes
To reduce traffic congestion, the Los Angeles area needs to experiment with charging motorists to drive in special freeway lanes during peak periods, a Bush administration official told the Metropolitan Transportation Authority board Thursday.
Jeffrey L. Rabin, Los Angeles Times 10/26/07

After tragedy, political resolve collapses
While construction of a new bridge has already begun, the lingering political mess could derail $200 million in other transportation projects. Minnesota LGs management of DOT has a  $17 billion backlog of bridge and road repairs.
Eric Kelderman, Stateline.org 10/26/07

HIGHWAY FINANCE: Private toll roads proposed
Panel told I-15 toll lanes could fund highway construction
Ed Vogel, Las Vegas Review Journal, 10/26/07

Transport panel aims high in ideas for raising revenue
Raise $2 billion a year fixing CO highways: avg $100 a year increase auto registration fee, double 22-cents-a-gallon state gas tax, daily hotel room and rental car fee of $6, state sales tax increase of 0.55 cents and 2 percent increase in natural resources severance tax. Tax increases must be voter-approved.
Kevin Flynn, Rocky Mountain News, 10/26/07

It's full speed ahead on the Ryan
New lanes rid bottleneck... Although the Ryan Expressway finished ahead of schedule, its cost nearly doubled, to $975 million from $550 million, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation.
Ryan Haggerty and Jeremy Gorner, Tribune 10/26/07

New system may save lives on rural roads
An electronic system that gives people warning that there are vehicles approaching from the other direction...
Karla Hult, KARE 11 News, 10/25/07

Public Transit Program Funding Issues in Surface Transportation Reauthorization
Key Policy Considerations for Surface Transportation Investment Needs
Congressional testimony of Robert Puentes, Brookings Institution, 10/25/07

Public Not So Fast!
Key Policy Considerations for Surface Transportation Investment Needs
Congressional testimony of Robert Puentes, Brookings Institution, 10/25/07

The Chinatown express
In a testament to the power of the invisible hand, the rough-and-tumble success of the Chinese bus lines is attracting new competitors, and the industry is becoming less dodgy in the process.
The Economist, 10/25/07

Nevada toll road discussion renewed
Toll proposal resurrected to help reduce huge funding shortfall for Nevada.
BRENDAN RILEY, Associated Press 10/25/07

Metra fares may jump 30% by '10
Chicago Sunday service might be cut, no longer serving typical 43,3000 Sunday riders. $40 million deficit in 2008.
By Richard Wronski ,Tribune, 10/25/07

DOT praised, razzed on reforms, legislators are happy to see the DOT admit to problems but want solid proof of progress
Two NC DOT officials told committee members that the department will speed its work on road projects by breaking down a "silo mentality" that keeps parts of the agency from working smoothly together.
Bruce Siceloff, North Carolina News Observer, 10/24/07

Maine Turnpike authority scraps toll study
$2.2 billion funding shortfall, study on tolling existing freeways ousted.
Tess Nacelewica, Portland Press 10/24/07

Toll Roads to the Rescue
Thanks to recent advances in technology, road users can be charged electronically without having to stop their vehicles, and charges can be varied from place to place and time to time as traffic conditions change.
Gabriel Roth, The Independent Institute, 10/24/07

Loans to fix roads begin
Pennsylvania Turnpike borrows $532 million against tolls
Joe Grata, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 10/22/07

Tunnelling north
Largest road construction project in NZ, Northern Motorway Extension to open late 2008, 7.5 km NZ $360 million, to reduce traffic congestion between Orewa and Puhoi.
Cliff Taylor, NZ Herald, 10/21/07

New MIG chief to lead foreign push
Australia s MacQuarie Infrastructure Group (MIG) promotes new CEO to boost chances for North America, Europe and Australia toll projects.  At least 16 US states are either actively proposing or considering selling toll roads to pay for badly needed infrastructure improvements. Seventy US projects with $104 billion at stake.  
Danny John, 10/20/07

Highway to somewhere, Brazil, the private sector revs up its bulldozers
Brazil actions for private companies to improve and maintain 1,600 miles of roads.  Winning bidders offered to charge lowest tolls over 25-year life of contracts.
The Economist, 10/18/07

Who Really Owns the Roads?
Despite opposition, need for capital for infrastructure from private sector is huge, and taxpayers balk at raising taxes.
Barbara Kiviat, Time CNN,10/18/07

New study shows traffic congest costs the state billions each  year
Traffic congestion in the Baltimore and Washington areas costs Maryland citizens $3.1 billion annually, according to a new study.
Kate Prahlad, Capital News Service, 10/17/07

US DOT secretary remarks to Portland Business Alliance
[W]e can substantially reduce traffic congestion  and that we can do it in most cases in a matter of months.  Shifting trip time of five-to-10 percent of people on a rush-hour highway can largely solve the congestion problem.  New data shows that almost half of the people on a rush-hour highway are not taking work trips, and almost a quarter are retired.
Portland, OR 10/15/07

Going Nowhere: the Dimensions of the Transportation Problem in the U.S.
Dimensions of the Transportation Problem in the U.S.
Robert Puentes, Brookings Institution, 10/15/07

Washington State Auditor Performance Audit Report
DOT and Legislature should follow citizens 80% rating of congestion as transportation priority
Washington State Auditor Brian Sonntag, CGFM 10/10/07

Urban Transport And Economic Growth
The relationship between better urban mobility and economic growth
Presentation to Inter-American Development Bank, Demographia, 10/08/07

Frittering away road money
Commentary suggests the right step toward fixing our roads and bridges is to fix our priorities.
Ernest Istook, Washington Times, 10/1/07

Future Mobility In Georgia
Georgia faces a $51 billion shortfall through the year 2035 in funding for needed road, highway and bridge repairs and improvements.
TRIP October 2007

Public Transit Program Funding Issues in Surface Transportation Reauthorization
Without an increase in the federal fuels tax, the use of other dedicated revenue mechanisms, or more money from the general fund, federal funding available to support both highways and transit will slow in the short term, and may decline in the medium term.
Congressional Research Service Report, 9/27/07

Reduce Traffic Congestion, but Keep Out Government
How much worse does traffic have to get before we abandon our Soviet-style approach to highway transportation and allow road users to get the roads they re willing to pay for?
Gabriel Roth, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 9/24/2007

Research update 10/24/07

Reports

UnlivableStrategies:The Greater Vancouver Regional District and the Livable Region Strategic Plan
The plan contained serious flaws that are actually making the region less livable each year. The region's leaders could have focused on reducing the impacts of growth through technical solutions, such as controlling auto emissions, and through user fees for housing, transportation, and other choices.
Randal O'Toole, Fraser Institute, Public Policy Source No. 88, Oct 2007

Do you know the way to L.A.?
San Jose shows how to turn an urban area into Los Angeles in three stressful decades. Transportation planning has allowed transit agencies to hijack tax revenues that were originally dedicated to highways so they can build rail empires that will do little or nothing to relieve congestion.
Randal O'Toole, Cato Policy Analysis no. 602, Oct 17, 2007

Highway Subsidies 2004
Is our road and highway system fully paid for by its users, or is it the beneficiary of huge government subsidies?
Albert John Mallinckrodt, Rev 6, Sep 2, 2007

Are HOT lanes equitable?
Research on lanes across nation show drivers with different levels of income use HOT lanes.
Center for Transportation Studies, Univ MN, June 2005

Bay Area High Occupancy/Toll (HOT) Network Study
HOT lanes can be implemented to ensure priority for buses and carpools. A regional network of HOT lanes could provide funding to complete the priority network decades sooner than possible usingtraditional state and federal funding sources. HOT lanes benefits: improve reliability, reduce travel time, accessible to all impacted travelers.
Metropolitan Transportation Commission in cooperation with Caltrans, Consultant assistance by PB Americas, Inc. and ECONorthwest, Sep 2007

Regional HOT lanes Network Feasibility Study
Converting HOV lanes to HOT lanes and using today's HOV occupancy requirements is forecasted to have little effect on overall network VMT. However, this conversion reduces VMT in general purpose lanes by approximately 10%, increases VMT (and usage) of the HOV lanes by 55% to 74% depending upon horizon year (2030 or 2015).
Metropolitan Transportation Commission and CA DOT, Prepared by PB with ECONorthwest, Feb 8, 2007

HOT lanes: A better way to attack urban highway congestion
High-occupancy toll lanes benefit all highway users, not just the affluent.
Robert W. Poole, Jr. and C. Kenneth Orski, Cato, Regulation, Vol. 23, No. 1

Articles

Increasing Passenger Rail Service Could Make Traffic Even Congestion Worse
Passenger trains do not reduce traffic congestion. In fact, a material expansion of passenger train service could increase traffic congestion and impose economic losses.
Wendell Cox, Heartland Institute, Budget & Tax News, Nov 2007

Not so fast: Key policy considerations for financing transportation
Current conversations around finance and revenue distribution dominate the discussion about transportation in the U.S. today. These concerns are so prevalent today that they spawned not one but two national commissions to investigate how the nation should approach the issue of funding transportation over the long term.
Robert Puentes, Brookings, Oct 23, 07

Taming traffic all a matter of timing
In Virginia, Route 2 signals adjusted for better traffic flow
Kelly Hannon, Free Lance Star (Fredericksburg), Oct 23, 07

Neither renewable nor reliable
Increased dependence on ethanol would place the United States at the mercy of a highly volatile energy source
James Eaves, Stephen Eaves, CATO on Regulation, Fall 2007

Rail cheaper for commuters, study says, but fares wouldn't cover costs; subsidies needed, experts warn,
A new cost study shows people commuting would save a substantial amount of money if they chose to leave their cars at home and use a proposed commuter rail line.But the financial analysis also shows that, like existing commuter rail lines around the country, fares wouldn't cover the operation costs
John Mulcahy, Oct 21, 07

State budgets tenuous heading into '08
States awash in surpluses for the past two years are now treading water, with several desperately looking for lifelines to help them get out of budget trouble.
Pamela M. Prah, Stateline, Oct 10, 07

Re-vote coming on transit funds
After two days of scathing critiques from the Legislature, Utah Salt Lake County officials said they will vote in November on whether a sales tax hike that has been promised to transit should instead go to roads.
Nicole Warburton, Deseret Morning News, Oct 19, 07

Prop. 1 no cure for commute in NW
Opponents say it's ridiculous to spend that kind of money on a transportation plan that fails to make significant headway on the region's most critical transportation problem.
Gregory Roberts, Seattle PI, Oct 19, 07

Push for public transit spreads across Arizona
Traffic problems no longer limited to biggest cities. Phoenix and Tucson aren't the only Arizona cities betting new transit systems will slow the rising tide of traffic. Many of the state's rural communities are studying how to set up bus, van or trolley systems to handle the growing number of vehicles on their roads.
Glen Creno, Arizona Republic, Oct 19, 07

Lawsuit seeks to halt I-73 construction in Virginia
Interstate to run from Michigan, Ohio, W. Virginia, Virginia, to Carolinas. I-73 is No. 5 on the U.S. Department of Transportation's list of top priority roads.
Terry Ward, South Carolina Now, Oct 17, 07

Washington Metro needs Reform, not a Federal Bailout
This bill would do little more than reward poor performance with unprecedented taxpayer bailout. Congress should force fundamental market-based reforms on Metro by linking the continuation of the system's existing federal subsidies to reductions in operating costs, improvements in service, and an aggressive program of competitive contracting similar to the successful reforms implemented elsewhere
Ronald D. Utt, Heritage, Oct 16, 07

New multi-million dollar plan to get L.A. traffic moving
In hopes of improving traffic flow and reducing vehicle pollution, local officials announced a $150 million effort to synchronize traffic signals across L.A.
Miriam Hernandez, Oct 16, 07, KABC-TV

Traffic Congestion: A solvable problem
More creative use of existing highways and rights-of-way can help us build our way out of gridlock.
Peter Samuels, Reason, Jan 1999

Research update 10/17/07

Reports

Beyond the Automobile?
There is growing international consensus that the world needs a successor to the motor car.
Sir Peter Hall, UC Berkeley, Spring 2007

Restoring Regional Equity to the Federal Highway Trust Fund
Among the many flaws in the federal highway and transit program are the pervasive regional inequities in the way that federal highway spending is distributed among the 50 states
Ronald D. Utt, Ph.D., Heritage Foundation, 10/9/07

Review of Congressional Earmarks within Department of Transportation Programs
1,150% increase in earmarks from 167 ($789 Million) to 2,094 ($3.27 billion), 1996 to 2005
DOT Report # AV-2007-066, Office of the Inspector General, 9/07/07

Tolling and Public-Private Partnerships in Texas
Before Metrorail is extended to Dulles International Airport, Metro board members should find out the true cost of deferred maintenance on the existing 103-mile system.
Robert W. Poole, Jr., Reason Foundation, May 2007

The Effects of Federal Transit Subsidy Policy on Investment Decisions
The Case of San Francisco's Geary Corridor. Federal transit subsidy policy provides financial incentives for local decision-makers to select capital-intensive investment option that may not be efficient or effective.
Jianling Li and Martin Wachs, Jul 19, 2003

HOT Lanes, Frequently Asked Questions
What they are, how the work, and the benefits.
Leonard Gilroy, Amy Pelletier, Reason Foundation, 2007

Videos

GRIDLOCK: Hell on Wheels
Drew Carey examines the costs and consequences of traffic jams and explores several solutions that can get our roads moving.
Reason Fdn., Oct 15, 2007

Urban Legend - Gridlock & Asphalt
Ted Balaker debunks the myth that "we can't build our way out of congestion." our roads moving.
Reason Fdn., Oct 15, 2007

Marty Stone, with Cliff Slater, on HOT Lanes
Tampa Expressway comparison to O'ahu
interviewby Malia Zimmerman, OLELO

Articles

L.A. gets $150 million to synchronize traffic lights
The state bond money will fund an effort that could cut drive times by 16% when completed in June 2011, city officials say
Duke Helfand, L.A. Times, October 17, 2007

Transportation secretary praises Bay Area congestion-relief plan
Bridge tolls, parking meters and traffic signals to combat congestion
Rachel Gordon, SF Chronicle, Oct 17, 07

Safety Board accuses Metro of neglect in January derailment
Failure to keep up with basic maintenance and refusal to take safety steps recommended for years by internal and external reviews were the likely causes of a Metro derailment
Lena H. Sun, Washington , October 17, 2007

Transportation group finds more bridges would solve traffic congestion
A study commissioned by Get Moving BC found Portland Oregon, with about half the population of the Lower Mainland, has 75% more bridge capacity.
Jim Goddard, News 1130 Vancouver BC, Oct 15, 2007

6 years, 14 miles, 1 smooth ride
Biggest road project in Iowa history will be remembered not just for the sleek, modern look of new bridges and wider traffic corridor, but also because construction went more smoothly than anyone expected.
William Petroski, DesMoines Register, Oct 14, 2007

BART gets rusty
Aging system lacks billions for infrastructure
Dennis Cuff, Contra Costa Times, Sep 28, 2007

Metro's hidden maintenance bills
Metro budget director Richard Harcum that the transit agency's annual maintenance budget was only 1 percent of the total value of the infrastructure, instead of the 3 percent needed to keep the system in shape. How long maintenance has been seriously underfunded is anybody's guess.
Washington DC Examiner, Oct 14, 2007

Reject Proposition 1
Proposition 1, the increase in sales tax and car tabs to pay for light rail and roads, should be defeated. It costs too much, it lasts too long and it does too little.
Seattle Times editorial, 10/14/07

Who should pay for highways?
Most say: Someone else
Cynthia Seawell, Idaho Statesman, Oct 13, 07

Engineers step up recruiting efforts
Engineers, needed to rebuild the nation's roads, bridges and sewers, could be hard to find unless more students start going into the field.
Lori Kurtzman, USA Today, Oct 11, 07

Washington State audit proposes adding tolls, lanes
$1.7 million transportation audit contains 20 recommendations, shows that DOT needs to focus on congestion as a primary goal.
Andrew Garber, Seattle Times, Oct 11, 07

Tolling the open road
Massachusetts considers charging by the mile for highway drivers
Noah Berman, Boston Globe, 10/7/07

Panel sees problems in ethanol production
Greater cultivation of crops to produce ethanol could harm water quality and leave some regions of the country with water shortages. Corn, the most widely grown fuel crop in the United States, might cause more damage per unit of energy than other plants, especially switchgrass and native grasses.
Cornelia Dean, NY Times, Oct 11, 07

Climate change bill may be a pipe dream
Cochran estimates that in order to avoid 'the tipping point,' where the damage to Earth's atmosphere may be irreversible, humans need to cut 80 percent of current levels of greenhouse gases by 2050 -- a goal that would be difficult to achieve even if major emitters like the United States started tomorrow.
Daniel W. Reilly, Sep 26, 2007, The Politico

Strike uncovers the real potential of telecommuting
For perhaps the first time it was demonstrated that telecommuting really is a valid alternative to more traditional forms of working and commuting
Trans Scan, Vol. 8, No. 2, June 2007

Capital Transit Project Rules would fund High Occupancy Toll Lanes
The FTA has issued a notice of proposed rule making for the New and Small Starts program that provides funding for major fixed guideway capital projects such as Light Rail, Heavy Rail, and Bus Rapid Transit. The proposed rules are alarming on a number of levels
The Overhead Wire, Sep 10, 2007

Traffic congestion costs Baltimore-DC region $3 billion per year
Roadway congestion in the Baltimore-Washington, D.C. region costs Maryland more than $3 billion per year
MD Chamber of Commerce News & Events, Sep 2007

Research update 10/10/07

Report urges goals for state transportation panel
Virginia's transportation agencies need to adopt goals that help citizens understand in plain language how their policies are improving mobility
Tom Holden, The Virginian-Pilot, 10/10/07

Final Report of the Virginia Transportation Accountability Commission
Virginia's transportation agencies need to adopt goals that help citizens understand in plain language how their policies are improving mobility
Transportation Accountability Commission, 10/10/07

Critics give new I-35W bridge design good marks
Although not finalized, the design is the result of a rushed rebuilding process known as 'design-build,' in which construction and design overlap each other.
Jason Hoppin, Pioneer Press, 10/10/07

Speakers argue for SD road funds
Some the benefits that can be derived from a road system involve safety, travel time, fuel savings and emissions reduction.
Gordo Weixel, Bismarck Tribune, 10/10/07

TxDOT knows where you went
Texas Department of Transportation wants to know, and a company it hired may have videotaped your license plate, then sent you a survey to find out. The survey is being done in the name of sound transportation planning.
Peggy Fikac, 10/10/07, 2007 Houston Chronicle Austin Bureau

Wanted: World Class Rail Transit
London's political leaders are worried that people don't consider it to be a world-class city without a rail transit line
The Antiplanner, 10/10/07

Boom fades as ethanol floods market
The growing pains of a young industry sting some ethanol producers; with plant capacity outstripping immediate demand, many expect profits to be depressed through next year.
MN Star Tribune, 10/09/07

Some worry Santa Fe Rail Runner issues not being addressed
Among the issues are noise, location of additional stations, traffic impacts and public safety.
Julie Ann Grimm, The New Mexican, 10/09/07

Is Ethanol the 'Energy Security' solution?
But is ethanol a truly renewable energy source, and is it more secure and dependable than oil? The answer to both of those questions, surprisingly, is no.
Eaves, Cato Institute, 10/08/07

Judge wants toll-road study explanations
A NJ Superior Court judge orders Corzine officials to appear in court to explain why they are keeping under wraps a study of the revenue-raising potential of three toll roads.
J. Donohue, Star Ledger, 10/05/07

Parking space tax?
In Chicago, officials are backing away from a sales tax hike and opening up to ideas like a property tax on parking spaces
J. Ryan, Daily Herald Staff, 10/05/07

Transport crunch thwarting grain sales
Colorado farmers scrambled to move the wheat to market. A market that now is flooded with grain. Much of the harvest is stuck in storage or on the ground, partly because of a shortage of rail cars and commercial carriers.
Erin Emery, Denver Post, 10/05/07

MN Highway budget headed for cash shortage
The state budget for highway construction and maintenance is on a track to run short of cash even if it gets all of the money authorized by the federal government to rebuild the Interstate 35W bridge
Pat Doyle, Star Tribune, 10/04/07

NM state is almost $500 million short of what's needed for highway and transportation projects
Funding shortfall threatens to delay road projects across the state while the $400 million Road Runner commuter rail service moves ahead without a slowdown.
B. Massey, AP, 10/4/07

NW Foes of road and transit measure contest informational mailing
A group [Sierra Club Cascade Chapter] opposes the $47 billion, three-county road and transit ballot measure on the November ballot
Seattle P.I., 10/04/07

Quiet pavement installation
The New Jersey Department of Transportation has spent $19 million for new, eco- friendly, quiet pavement.
Jeff Trently, The Times, 10/04/07

Chesterfield , Virginia, may require developers to pay more toward county roads
In the coming years, if homes were built on all 9,000 lots, the county would get about $52.4 million for road projects.
J. Walker, Richmond Times Dispatch, 10/04/07

Heartburn over roads: WA State fears $1.5B shortfall
Washington could fall about $1.5 billion short of what's needed to pay for state transportation projects over the next 16 years because drivers are expected to buy less gasoline than the state had forecast.
A. Garber, Seattle Times, 10/04/07

Managing Congestion Through Innovative Pricing and Financing
Innovative pricing and financing are commanding growing attention in transportation planning and engineering, many new proposals and projects are under development and potential exists for making a significant impact on congestion in critical locations of the U.S.
R.Kirby, NTOC, ITE 2007

Value Pricing Project Quarterly Report
National Projects and Costs for Highways
USDOT FHWA, Office of Operations, Apr-Jun 2007

In NY Traffic s Jam, Who s Driving May Be Surprising
It s a common enough thought among city drivers inching through traffic: Everyone around me came from the suburbs, making my life miserable. But it s wrong, because more than half the drivers who crowd into Manhattan each workday come from the five boroughs.
W. Neuman, NYT, 1/12/07

The Congestion Initiative: Working for Relief
Several factors are known to contribute to traffic congestion, as detailed by the Federal HIghway Administration. Bottlenecks are most signigicant factor.
USDOT FHWA, Oct 2007

Where Now on U.S. Toll Road Concessions?
Setbacks obscure several positive developments for tolling and long-term concessions across the nation
R. Poole, Reason Foundation, September 2007

Virtual Exclusive Busways
Improving Urban Transit while Relieving Traffic Congestion, a summary
R. Poole and T. Balaker, Reason Foundation, September 2005

Research update 10/4/07

EPA is petitioned to limit ship emissions
A call for federal regulation to curb heat-trapping emissions from the worldwide fleet of about 90,000 oceangoing ships
Felicity Barringer, New York Times, 10/4/07

Pol: subways need policing against perverts
Roads and Bridge conditions improving but 20 year shortfall
Felicity Barringer, New York Times, 10/4/07

Does forcing density on people improve livability?
Is Portland's land-use planning process reducing sprawl and auto driving? The Congress for the New Urbanism wants to think so, but they ignore the high cost that planning is imposing on Portland-area residents.
The Antiplanner, 10/3/07

More fuel for YOU
One might imagine that cars are more fuel efficient these days however, the answer depends on what is measured
The Economist, 10/3/07

Murtha to taxpayers seeking transparency: "Tough [expletive]"
The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW) slam Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) and his colleagues for purposefully putting up roadblocks and barriers to hinder earmark accountability and reform.
Citizens against Government Waste, 10/02/07

Minnesota Legislators face bridge-road choice
A state transportation proposal could force rural lawmakers to choose between supporting a funding plan for the Interstate 35W bridge reconstruction project in Minneapolis and keeping statewide road projects on track
Scott Wente, Grand Forks Herald, 10/2/07

Illinois must match $1 for every $8 from federal government
The Illinois Legislature must stand up to Gov. Rod Blagojevich or risk losing billions of dollars in federal highway funds, U.S. Rep. Dennis Hastert told a Rockford audience
Geri Nikolai, Rockford Register Star, 10/1/07

Delivering the pork
U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell has tagged more than $391 million in federal funding for myriad local projects, most of them in Kentucky, in 2008 budget bills being worked on in Congress.
Malia Rulon, Cincinnati Enquirer, 10/1/07

More than 400 citizen researchers investigate earmarks
Using EarmarkWatch.org, they've dug into earmarks, answering hundreds of questions, making dozens of comments, and investigating money in Washington politics
Sunlight Foundation, 10/1/07

Dedicate transportation taxes
Taxes derived from transportation sources should be spent only for transportation purposes
Kevin Blanchard, BatonRouge LA, 10/1/07

Parsons on Busways
Transportation Options
2005 presentation to ITE

FHWA administrator says bridge terms could change
Federal authorities are working with states to look at the way bridges are inspected and new ways of defining bridge safety ratings
Emily Fredrix, A.P., 10/1/07

Congress' "Earmarks Reforms" are hoax and mirrors
Citizens Against Government Waste blast he Senate leadership for its recent furtive attempts to roll back and undermine the earmark transparency and accountability provisions of the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007
CAGW, 9/28/07

Ethanol, schmethanol
Everyone seems to think that ethanol is a good way to make cars greener, everyone is wrong
The Economist, 9/27/07

Pol: subways need policing against perverts
Missouri makes strides in improving road and bridge conditions, but state faces $18 billion transportation funding shortfall over next 20 years
TRIP, 6/28/07

Research update 9/30/07

Macquarie Bank estimates
A global financial-services company based in Australia, estimates global infrastructure demand for transportation, energy, water, and communications will cost $30 trillion through 2030.

Kensington Investment Group
Infrastructure is the backbone of the global economy.
Aaron Visse, co-manager of the Kensington Investment Group

Report on insurance premium rates
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners ranks Hawaii at #17, at $11 higher than the national average.

Proposed tolls for I-80 divisive
What has folks riled up all along the Interstate 80 corridor is the expected addition of tolls to the highway, a fight that pits some of Pennsylvania's most remote regions against its biggest cities.
Mark Scolforo, The Morning Call, 9/29/07

Rendell: Show me the money and I'll pull plan for I-80 tolls
State officials believe they can raise an average of $900 million a year over a decade for road and bridge repairs and a mass-transit bailout through a combination of I-80 tolls and borrowing.
John L. Micek, Morning Call, 9/27/07

Deeper CTA cuts in '08, officials warn
Agency insiders say 'doomsday' scenario is just the beginning
Jon Hilkevitch and David Mendell, Chicago Tribune, 9/27/07

San Diego joins opposition of toll road extension
More than 12 cities or counties disapprove of its route, which cuts through San Onofre park and wetlands
David Reyes, LATimes, 9/27/07

Illinois Governor sees support for casinos
The legislation would create three new casinos to fund a roughly $13 billion infrastructure program.
Chicago Tribune, 9/26/07

New Jersey still has priciest car insurance
The numbers have been crunched and New Jersey remains atop its perch.
Peter Mucha, Philadelphia Inquirer, 9/25/07

More on light rail transit crime
Portlanders are beginning to wonder as the transit part of the city is suffering a crime wave.
The Antiplanner, 9/24/07

New Jersey seeks ways to tighten jitney regulations
Those who make a living driving the jitneys say it's chaos. Drivers have formed collectives to help find order and make a profit.
N. Clark Judd, Jersey Journal, 9/24/07

NYC's vroom boom
NY city's car fleet nears 30K
David Seifman, New York Post, 9/21/07

Senator questions safety of US bridges
A Senate committee chairwoman challenges the president's transportation chief for saying the country does not face a safety crisis despite recent deadly bridge collapse in Minneapolis.
Boston Globe, 9/21/07

Republican files bill to nix MA turnpike authority
House Minority Leader Brad Jones (R) sees the move as a way to show that Gov. Deval Patrick is unwilling to slash waste in the face of a $19 billion transportation deficit.
Casey Ross, Boston Herald, 9/21/07

Toll roads money winds its way south
NW Indiana elected officials swallow the hard truth that much of the $3.8 billion from the Indiana Toll Road lease is already winding its way southward, paying for major highway projects around the state.
Northwest Indiana Times, 9/21/96

Go green, live closer to work
Forty percent of the planet-heating gases that Californians emit come from transportation, and with booming population and sprawling suburbs, greenhouse emissions will continue to soar.
Margot Roosevelt, LA Times, 9/21/07

Gravy Train
Portland gets closer to benefiting from Rep. Earl Blumenauer and receiving $75 million in federal funding for the eastside extension of the streetcar.
Willamette West, wweek.com, 9/21/07

Justices debate Ohio traffic cameras
Can cities assess civil penalties such as fines for violations that are criminal offenses?
Ferenchik, The Columbus Dispatch, 9/20/07

Virginia commuters weigh fees for Beltway's HOT lanes
VA transportation officials announce five years of express-lane construction will begin as they try to ease traffic on one of the region's most clogged corridors. Some commuters express mixed feelings
Anita Kumar, Washington Post, 9/20/07

Drivers test paying by mile instead of gas tax
Beginning early next year, drivers in six states will begin testing a new way to pay for roads and transit: Commuters will be charged for the miles they drive rather than paying taxes on gasoline purchased.
Larry Copeland, USA Today, 9/20/07

Cha-ching!
Local tolls may be going up to pay for highway projects; Spaulding Turnpike is a New Hampshire priority
Adam D. Krauss, Foster's Daily Democrat, 9/20/07

Congestion getting worse
We've used up the capacity that had been bequeathed to us by a previous generation, and we haven't replaced it. Too many people, too many trips over too short of a time period on a system that is too small.
Guy Tridgell, Daily Southtown, 9/19/07

CA seen as model for traffic relief in US
While California is home to five cities that are among the country's 13 most congested, the state should be lauded for many reasons, including a willingness to finance traffic upgrades
Gary Richards, San Jose Mercury News, 9/19/0

SF studying congestion pricing to ease traffic, promote transit
Drivers would pay to travel on San Francisco's most traffic-choked corridors - roadways such as the Embarcadero, Van Ness Avenue, Broadway and Harrison Street - under a plan getting serious consideration from city transportation officials in their continuing quest to get more people out of their cars.
Rachel Gordon, SF Chronicle, 9/19/07

California Authorities may get ok to bond against HOT funds
Three agencies in California would gain the authority to bond against revenue from high-occupany toll lanes under terms of a a bill approved by the Legislatrue
Rich Saskal, Bond Buyer, 9/19/07

Illinois senate votes to meet transportation needs with more casinos
The Illinois Senate approves a long-delayed construction package for transportation needs by massive gambling expansion.
R. Long, Chicago Tribune 9/19/07

Traffic congestion is a no-brainer
Media, politicians and many others fret over the traffic congestion, and quickly wheel out favorite solutions - politicized pork projects, including rail transit and carpool lanes
Peter Gordon's Blog, 9/18/07

L.A. has worst traffic; drivers lose 72 hrs a year
The Los Angeles metropolitan area led the nation in traffic jams in 2005, with rush-hour drivers spending an extra 72 hours a year on average stuck in traffic
Joan Gralla, Yahoo News, 9/18/07

Nashville rail misses ridership goal by half
A year after the launch of the city's first commuter rail, the ridership goal that was considered a measure of success for the train's first year hasn't been met.
Kate Howard, Tennessean.com, 9/15/07

Moving the American Economy
National Strategy to Reduce Congestion
USDOT 9/12/0707

Playing the global infrastructure boom
As the nation's and the world's bridges, roads, and airports age, public private partnerships may be the most viable way of saving them
Poor's Equity Research, Business Week, 9/11/07

Finalizing plans for Norfolk's light rail
$128 million authorized in federal rail funding for the project. An additional $33 million would come from the city, $32 million from the state and $39 million from other federal sources.
Messina, Virginian-Pilot, 9/11/07

Whither congestion pricing
In the backrooms in Albany and hearing rooms in New York the fate of congestion pricing in New York city is being debated.
Carolyn Konheim, The Brooklyn Rail, 9/11/07

Wheels to wealth
Pilot study initiative to explore transportation needs of low income population in the Portland tri-county area
Sreya Sarkar, Cascade Policy Institute, Sep 2007,

Bay Area's first open-road tolling at new Benicia-Martinez Bridge,
For the first time in the Bay Area, motorists will be able to pay their tolls without taking their feet off the gas.
Michael Cabanatuan, SF chronicle, 8/24/07

Research update 9/25/07

Worsening Congestion
2007 Urban Mobility Report, Texas Transportation Institute, 9/18/07

Worsening congestion, the study notes, is reflected in several ways:
• Trips take longer
• Congestion affects more of the day
• Congestion affects weekend travel and rural areas
• Congestion affects more personal trips and freight shipments
• Trip travel times increasingly are unreliable

The report identifies multiple solutions to the congestion problem
that, researchers say, must be used together to be effective. These
include:
• Get as much service as possible from existing infrastructure
• Add road and transit system capacity in critical corridors
• Relieve chokepoints
• Change usage patterns
• Provide choices
• Diversify the development patterns
• Keep expectations realistic

Relieving congestion will require comprehensive set of strategies
TRIP, 9/18/07

Massachusetts Gov pushes 3 casinos to stem toll, tax hikes
Boston Herald, 9/18/07

Loosening the beltway
The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT)
announced that it had settled on terms with a private-sector
consortium to finance, build, and operate four new high-occupancy toll
(HOT) lanes
Leonard C. Gilroy, Reason, 9/17/07

A plan to get Maryland out of hole
Slot machines to close a $1.5 billion shortfall, and also provide funds
or health care, transportation and environment
Baitimore Sun, 9/18/07

Study confirms traffic woes
Institute report shows cost of congestion up 24%
Texas Transportation Institute, McGurk, Enquirer 9/18/07

Keep Washington Rolling campaign to cost millions
Touts roads, rail tax plan
Seattle Times, 9/18/07

Chicago's disgrace - NTSB issues a damning post mortem on rail failure
Just how bad things got at the CTA
Chicago Tribune, 9/18/07

CTA's deeper crisis
Lack of training and ignored warnings about safety
Chicago Tribune, 9/18/07

Brave New Boomers
Transportation Is a Key Issue
Gowan, Washington Post, 9/16/07

Committee recommends user fees for NM roads
A way to bring more money into New Mexico's underfunded transportation system
AP, Santa Fe, 9/15/07

Bridge impasse
Repair funds diverted
Star Tribune, 9/15/07

Las Vegas rail finds it difficult to get on track
High fares and long walks to stations have combined to hold down ridership.
An extension to the airport is pushed.
Yoshino, LA Times, 9/14/07

Five hours on the bus - everyday
Riders face longer commutes, higher fares and possible cuts on the horizon
Cepeda, Chicago Sun Times, 9/14/07

Service cuts and fare hikes for Pace and CTA riders put off until Nov. 4
Yet governor and legislative leaders worlds apart on how to provide
long-term funding plan to keep transit system from falling apart
Ryan, Chicago Daily Herald, 9/14/07

Funding for bridges served with side of pork
Senate set aside $1 billion for worn spans and 2.5 billion for earmarks
Star Tribune, 9/13/07

Gov. Deval eyes road to lea$ing
Road leasing to private companies
Boston Herald, 9/11/07

Time to Pull the Plug on Dulles Rail
Transit doesn't provide automobile competitive mobility
Cox, The Heartland Institute, 9/11/07

Roads endangered by permissive permits
Thousands of overweight trucks are on highways, with states' permission
Statesman.com, 9/11/07

Take on Traffic
Public support for $1.45B toll plan
American-Statesman, 9/11/07

Deception on Capitol Hill
Ethics Bill makes it easier to enact special interest measures
Robert Novak, Townhall.com, 9/10/07

Mass Transit: Separating Delusion from Reality
Congress has failed to make the connection between wasteful transit spending and inadequate roads and bridges.
There is simply no hope for reducing traffic congestion with transit.
W. Cox, The Heritage Foundation, 9/10/07

The city works – for those in power
Has a “light-rail mafia” managed “to direct rail construction contracts and
urban-renewal subsidies to themselves” as a new book by O'Toole suggests?
Portland Tribune 9/7/07

ATR opposes raising fuel taxes
No quick fix for transportation spending
Americans for Tax Reform, 9/4/07

Public transit riders brace for cuts, fare hikes
Nation's second-largest transit agency warns riders that
it might have to eliminate 39 bus routes and increase fares to
contend with a $110 million state funding deficit.
Chicago Tribune, 9/1/07

Moyers on earmarks
Pork & Corruption
Spending priorities out of wack
YouTube 7/28/07

The Road to Political Pork
House Transportation Spending Bill
Taxpayers for Common Sense, 7/24/07

Judicial Watch fingers congresswoman
$550,000 in federal transportation funds for a teapot museum
Does It All Matter, 6/21/07

Testimony before National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission
Optimism that a reformed federal-aid highway program, with a well-funded,
highway user fee-based Highway Trust Fund has excellent potential to solve
the most pressing national surface transportation needs
Cohen, American Highway Users Alliance, 3/19/07

Orwellian Toll Roads
Is this the Future of Transportation Funding: Using satellites and GPS to track drivers
in order to tax them for the miles they travel? A $700,00 feasability study.
CFIF.ORG, 3/9/07

Transportation Funding Friction
Gas Tax confrontation
Reeves, Austin Chronicle, 2/16/07

Constitutionally protected highway funds
..in opposition of Georgia mandate
JoeVentures.com, 2/2/07

Nature of urban gridlock
Interactive Animation
UC Berkeley Center for Future Urban Transport, Volvo Center, 4/21/06

Toll Roads ‘HOT’ Funding Topic
P. Sigmun, CEG, 5/16/05

Don Young's World
Highway trust fund looks more like a politician's slush fund.
Slivinski, American Spectator, 8/16/05

Transportation (In) Equity Act: A Legacy for Losers (Taxpayers)
Citizens Against Government Waste, 7/28/05

Toll Roads ‘HOT’ Funding Topic
P. Sigmund, CEG 5/16/05

Government Performance Project
How well each state manages infrastructure
Hawai'i rated among 5 lowest states
GPPonline.org, 2005

Administration supports enactment of a six-year highway, highway safety, and transit authorization bill.
Pres. G.W. Bush statement of adminstration policy
The American Presidency Project, 3/30/04