John Hennessy III,
P.E.
In this, his first speech since appearing with President Obama Feb. 26, to announce the Administration’s four-year, $302 billion transportation proposal, USDOT Secretary Anthony Foxx today, addressed several hundred attendees at the 2014 American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, Washington Briefing on Capitol Hill. The Secretary covered a number of critical issues including […]
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Innovation Newsbriefs
Vol. 25, No. 4 rev
For the transportation community, anxious about the uncertain future of the surface transportation program, recent events offered little reassurance. The President’s proposal for a four-year $302 billion transportation reauthorization, part of the administration’s FY 2015 Budget, met with a skeptical reception on Capitol Hill. “This budget isn’t a serious document; it’s a campaign brochure,” House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) said dismissively. “Perhaps the most irresponsible budget yet,” commented House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH). The lawmakers’ negative reaction was no doubt amplified by the fact that the President’s budget ignored the spending levels painfully negotiated by Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) and Rep.Ryan just last December. The Administration’s proposal exceeds the bipartisan budget agreement by $56 billion.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN INSTITUTE
Distributed electricity generation, especially solar PV, is rapidly spreading and getting much cheaper. Distributed electricity storage is doing the same, thanks largely to mass production of batteries for electric vehicles. Solar power is already starting to erode some utilities’ sales and revenues. But what happens when solar and battery technologies are brought together? Together they can make the electric grid optional for many customers—without compromising reliability and increasingly at prices cheaper than utility retail electricity. Equipped with a solar-plus-battery system, customers can take or leave traditional utility service with what amounts to a “utility in a box.”
FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION
FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION
This edition of the C&P report is based primarily on data through the year 2010; consequently, the system conditions and performance measures presented should reflect effects of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), which authorized Federal highway and transit funding for Federal fiscal years 2005 through 2009 (and extended through fiscal year 2012), as well as some of the impact of the funding authorized under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act). None of the impact of funding authorized under the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) is reflected. In assessing recent trends, this report generally focuses on the 10- year period from 2000 to 2010. The prospective analyses generally cover the 20-year period ending in 2030; the investment levels associated with these scenarios are stated in constant 2010 dollars.
AMERICAN COUNCIL ON RENEWABLE ENERGY
As the single largest consumer of energy in the U.S., the Department of Defense (DoD) has embarked on an ambitious program of expanded renewable energy generation on bases and in the field, with a goal of producing 25% of its energy from renewable sources by 2025.
Renewable energy is not just a “policy objective” for the armed forces, but also an “operational imperative.” The deployable and decentralized energy production possibilities offered by renewable sources, and by enabling technologies like microgrids, have tremendous implications for the safety, security, and effectiveness of the military. Renewable energy and efficiency improvements can increase warfighter capability, enhance the energy security of its installations, and cut operational and military base energy costs.
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On February 26, President Obama climbed the steps of St. Paul, MN’s Union Depot train station to announce his new vision for transportation funding. The bill includes a competition for $600 million in transportation dollars, and a four-year surface transportation reauthorization to the tune of $300 billion.
Stakeholders on both sides of the fence have been quick to form opinions, and the fate of the bill remains uncertain–though most agree that action is urgently needed. Selected reactions from the transportation community are excerpted below.
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The U.S. Department of Transportation is now accepting entries for their Data Innovation Challenge through April 30, 2014. The challenge is to “create a tool to address systemic challenges by accessing publicly available federal and/or local DOT datasets.” Entrants can choose to create a range of tools, from mobile apps to infographics–the only restriction is that DOT’s publicly available data must be at the core of the project.
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This interactive infographic from The Solutions Project gives you a glimpse into the future of renewable energy. By analyzing each state’s renewable-energy potential, The Solutions Project was able to predict which types of renewable energy could contribute to meeting each state’s energy needs, in a future where fossil fuels and nuclear power are no longer options. Each state’s profile includes additional effects of switching to renewables, like reduced mortality and illness costs, and the percentage of land needed for wind, water and solar projects.
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MINETA TRANSPORTATION INSTITUTE
The transit and transportation sector is a key critical infrastructure. All other emergency response depends on the availability of functional roads and transportation assets. Police, fire and emergency medical services (EMS) vehicles can only reach disaster victims if passable and safe roads have been inspected and cleared of debris by the transportation agency personnel. Rescue and relief goods can only be delivered to the disaster site if roads, railroads and ports can recover functionality rapidly. This ability to respond to disasters effectively is based on training the transit and transportation agency personnel in advance, and practicing the knowledge and skills needed to ensure the rapid response to disaster events through realistic exercises.
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