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| Statistician: American VMT down for 15th consecutive month |
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May 6, 2009
Esquire
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| Political journalist and statistical savant Nate Silver crunched almost 30 years of data and built a regression model "that accounts for both gas prices and the unemployment rate in a given month" to predict how much driving Joe and Jane America should do, and juxtaposed the results with how much driving they actually do. The result? Significant and relatively consistent declines that Silver interprets as clear signs of a changing car culture. Silver admits that because driving tendencies have been inelastic for so long, this decline could be a delayed reaction from the 2008 oil run-up, coupled with the domestic doldrums and other geopolitical influences. More concrete conclusions will be made after the summer driving season, once drivers have had 12-months to adjust and react to prices. But Silver includes other evidence that points to a more “car-free existence.” (GRAPHIC) |
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| Analysis confirms 76 percent of stimulus funds used to repave or widen roads |
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May 6, 2009
Pro Publica
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| As of Monday, May 4, there were 2,561 projects approved for funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), and according to analysis by the heavy-hitting ProPublica.com, the "vast majority" of funding was used to repave or widen roads. Only 6 percent of ARRA funds was obligated to new projects. A US DOT spokeswoman said larger projects were expected in the next set of obligations. Also, Pro Publica tracks state-by-state progress. (SORTABLE CHART) |
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| Oberstar drafting US DOT overhaul |
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May 5, 2009
Reuters
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| Rep. James Oberstar (D-Minn.), chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, continues his push to complete the next incarnation of the federal surface transportation bill. Oberstar offered more hints to his goals Tuesday, saying the estimated $450-billion bill would include a wholesale overhaul of the U.S. Transportation Department — "It's a complete restructuring of the thought process, the delivery system, the delivery mechanism, and the funding for it," said Oberstar in this Reuters report, which includes further detail on the ongoing process. |
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| Blennerhassett Bridge nears completion |
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May 1, 2009
Features
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| Not yet complete but already being hailed as a model of design efficiency, the Blennerhassett Bridge connecting West Virginia to Ohio is expected to improve access to major cities east and west of the Ohio River, and greatly enhance the… |
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| Lower bids could mean more projects |
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April 30, 2009
AASHTO
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| According to this report by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), lower bids on first-round ARRA projects could lead to more projects coming down the pike. As reported by RAI in our inaugural issue, bids have come in as much as 30 percent below estimates. |
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