In EV World: Berlin to Deploy Largest Electric Car Network in World
Daimler + RWE (the electric utility) are bringing 100 pure electric cars to the mean strasse of Berlin.
October 2008 Archives
From the Strib: Oberstar looks to job-creating infrastructure projects
"Last month, the House passed a $60 billion stimulus package, half of which was for transportation and infrastructure projects. It offered $12.8 billion to the states, including $208 million for Minnesota. But the measure stalled in the Senate when President Bush indicated he would veto it.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., now wants to more than double the spending to as much as $150 billion."
"A study by the Federal Highway Administration estimated that for every $1 billion spent on transportation projects, 34,799 direct and indirect jobs are created.
Minnesota currently has $218 million construction-ready projects awaiting federal funds, according to a recent survey from the American Association of State and Highway Transportation Officials. Applying the FHA's formula, that would bring 7,586 new jobs to the state, Schadl said."
(1) Minnesota does not have enough ready projects. Our population says we should get 1.67% of the national budget, but with only $218 million available to spend in Minnesota out of $30 Billion on offer, we are getting less than 0.75% of total disbursements. Minnesota did not learn the lessons of Robert Moses, the New York Power Broker who always had engineered projects queued up waiting for construction money available.
(2) Repeat three times: Jobs are a cost. Jobs are a cost. Jobs are a cost. If one company came to do a project at your house and said it would cost $100,000 and employ 10 people and another said it would cost $50,000 and employ 5 people, you would do the latter. I want the government to do that as well for my tax dollars. I want to maximize benefits per unit cost. If by doing so, we employ some people, that is a nice side-benefit; but if we deviate from that and do projects solely to employ people, we will be wasting money which in the long run will shrink the economy. Surely there are efficient ways to spend money, which will have a stimulatory effect.
(3) Are these projects really beneficial or are they like the famous Japanese make-work projects with 5 supervisors for every worker? One of my favorite pictures is that of the Boonsboro Pike, the first Macadam Road in the US, with five workers lounging for the three actually doing work:
No, not even Underground Ernie has made it to this corner of Kyoto (Sexy Dynamite Roundel)
When we see a local angle on a national news story, it is always of the "can it happen here?" variety. (e.g. Ebola, can it happen in the Twin Cities, tonight on Fox 9 at 9).
The Northwest Delta merger of course is a local story in Minneapolis (and Atlanta), but clearly it is also a story in Albany (this article is #2 on Google News at the moment on the topic):
From The Business Review (Albany):
Delta, Northwest merger completed; Albany Int'l official calls it a "positive" step
Now Albany is not a hub for either airlines, and apparently isn't yet cutting service to the capital of New York, yet the CEO of Albany International feels obliged to endorse the merger of two of his biggest customers.
From the article "Delta carries nearly 11 percent of Albany International Airport's passenger traffic and has 21 employs in Albany. Northwest handles 8 percent of Albany's passenger traffic and employees 21 people in Albany."
Now we see why Delta acquired NWA, its employees were far more efficient.
From Times (of London) How bosses at Porsche outmanoeuvred Volkswagen
I never really understood why it is legal to sell things you don't own (with a promise to buy back later). Can't we have capitalism without fictitious goods?
Found in South Minneapolis
...
Her name is Yoshimi
she's a black belt in karate
working for the city
she has to discipline her body
'Cause she knows that
it's demanding
to defeat those evil machines
I know she can beat them
Oh Yoshimi, they don't believe me
but you won't let those robots eat me
Yoshimi, they don't believe me
but you won't let those robots defeat me
Those evil-natured robots
they're programmed to destroy us
she's gotta be strong to fight them
so she's taking lots of vitamins
'Cause she knows that
it'd be tragic
if those evil robots win
I know she can beat them
Oh Yoshimi, they don't believe me
but you won't let those robots defeat me
Yoshimi, they don't believe me
but you won't let those robots eat me
Yoshimi
'Cause she knows that
it'd be tragic
if those evil robots win
I know she can beat them
Oh Yoshimi, they don't believe me
but you won't let those robots defeat me
Yoshimi, they don't believe me
but you won't let those robots defeat me
Oh Yoshimi, they don't believe me
but you won't let those robots eat me
Yoshimi, they don't believe me
but you won't let those robots eat me
Yoshimi
It had to happen, it seems the CSM is the first major US newspaper to switch to web-only. Slowly things that can be dematerialized will be, and as matter shifts to energy, demand for transport will shift as well:
Christian Science Monitor shifts from print to Web-based strategy
Mother Jones is historically known as a left-leaning journal. Kevin Drum writing for Mother Jones comes out against California HSR Proposition 1A: More on Prop 1A
Via BoingBoing from Nothing To Do With Arbroath: German police seek speeding British Muppet
Joel Kotkin in the wapo: Rule, Suburbia
and in New Geography: Turns Out There's Good News on Main St.
The latter critiqued nicely in American Scene: You Can't Say It's Half Full When it's Three Quarters Empty
A few years ago, Francis Fukuyama put out a book called Trust, a summary of some arguments are presented at: Social Capital and Civil Society - Prepared for delivery at the IMF Conference on Second Generation Reforms
He argued that social capital was a positive externality that produces trust, and civil society only succeeds if people have trust in the words of others, i.e. they believe others will do what they say, and of course that only emerges if people do if fact do what they say.
The recent economic meltdown in the world economy has resulted apparently in banks being unwilling to lend to other banks for fear they won't be paid back. That fear arises because, in fact, some banks now defunct, did not pay back loans. They lack trust. One (or in this case a few) bad players shattered the system of trust that had a positive externality in encouraging lending.
The economy only works because of beliefs that a small piece of paper (a dollar bill) will be redeemable by complete strangers for something far more valuable than a piece of paper. Through this belief, we can replace barter with a money economy, we can lend money we don't have (a la banks) and create wealth by investing in wealth-creating instruments now rather than waiting until sufficient resources are acquired.
It is hard to say how many years advanced economically we are because of borrowing, but one imagines it is probably decades. If the ability to borrow collapses, not only can we not grow faster, we will grow slower as old debts still need to be repaid out of current income leaving little available out of current fund for investment.
Positive externalities operate in two ways, as virtuous circles (more of 'a' begets more of 'b' which begets more of 'a') or in reverse as a vicious circle (less of 'a' begets less of 'b' which begets less of 'a'). Changing direction requires an external shock (a collapse of trust for instance, or a major infusion of trust through a government intervention).
The classic examples of virtuous and vicious circles in transportation and public transport ridership and service, which grew as virtuous circle from the 1880s until the 1920s, and where after the past 60 years of vicious circle operation, most of the US has very little service and ridership left (despite 30 years of very expensive investments). In the US, transport is "pay as you go" at the federal level, which may very well be a source of for our under-investment, as there is an unwillingness to capitalize now our benefits from investments due to the positive gains they will provide in the future. If we don't want the entire economy to follow the path of public transport in the US, something must be done.
As suggested above, the collapse of trust is warranted if the players are not trust-worthy. Even if there is an external insertion of funding, if the behaviors of the players reveal their true preferred actions, and these are not regulated in a transparent way, the system cannot necessarily be restarted without new rules to establish trust. As Ronald Reagan was fond of saying "Trust but Verify" (doveryai, no proveryai").
The same I am sure will hold true of bankers, who not only seemingly distrust each other, but also should distrust the previous failed systems of verification (bond rating agencies) that were insufficient in providing advance warning of emerging problems.
Verification only works with transparency, where the actions of players are observable by all. This occurs on open regulated markets, rather than over-the-counter trades.
From Scotland on Sunday: Labour blamed for transport failure
In what is essentially a summary of the Traffic Jam: 10 Years of "Sustainable" Transport in the UK edited by professors Ian Docherty and John Shaw, the article notes the failure of the current UK administration to change transport policies to improve environmental outcomes.
It is out of stock or not yet released on Amazon UK, but looks interesting.
Selections are online here.
Speaking of Beck and London Underground Maps, some alternative and future visions of the London Underground
1) An alternative representation of today by Alex Gollner
2) Anticipated 2010 network (via TfL)
Interestingly, none of these include the proposed Northern Line extension to Battersea Power Station, just showing how much more dynamic reality is then plans (with a possible opening date of the extension in 2015). (map photograph here via Annie Mole.
The Confabulum Urban Rail + Graphic Design has a link to a nice BBC documentary on Harry Beck's map of the London Underground, which was an extremely important achievement in establishing how we communicate transit information and is now emblematic of London. If only buses could be expressed as clearly (though TfL is trying).
Via Mike on Traffic: INRIX Congestion Study shows congestion dropping, consistent with other data previously reported
Comments on the I-94 reconfiguration (making the Riverside exit an exit only lane, dropping the fourth lane for a bit, and giving 25th Ave better entrance, via Roadguy: What a difference a lane makes
The TSA responds to the Goldberg article: Response from the TSA
From the Guardian, "Comment is Free" Ariane Sherine: All aboard the atheist bus campaign
"The atheist bus campaign launches today thanks to Comment is free readers. Because of your enthusiastic response to the idea of a reassuring God-free advert being used to counter religious advertising, the slogan "There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life" could now become an ad campaign on London buses – and leading secularists have jumped on board to help us raise the money.
The British Humanist Association will be administering all donations to the campaign, and Professor Richard Dawkins, bestselling author of The God Delusion, has generously agreed to match all contributions up to a maximum of £5,500, giving us a total of £11,000 if we raise the full amount. This will be enough to fund two sets of atheist adverts on 30 London buses for four weeks"
Note, unlike the buses in the UK, the trains of Sodor celebrate Christmas. I don't know if Jesus died for their sins too.
By Tom Vanderbilt: I.D. - Please Touch That Dial
A nice article on the history of the design of the speedometer display in American cars, and why it might lead to speeding. There is an empirical test to be done here: Were cars with a speed dial that only went 90 mph less likely to speed (or otherwise safer) than cars with a speed dial that goes to 160, ceteris paribus?
I am a bit tardy on this, but people tell me I look fabulous.
Twin Cities Public Television will air on its Minnesota Channel:
Roads, Rails and Urban Change
Journey through the history of transportation and examine the key transportation topics facing Minnesota planners and policy makers in the near future. Co-produced with the University of Minnesota Metro Consortium.
According to the program guide it will appear:
Sunday 10/19 6 pm,
Sunday 11/9 at 9 pm
Comcast St. Paul Channel 243
Comcast Minneapolis Channel 202
Mediacom Channel 102
Over the Air Digital, Channel 17-2.
I am sure it will be repeated long through history, and eventually will find its way to the Internet, but in the interim, set your Tivos if you are a Minnesota local.
From Ask MeFi: Standing In Line about the differences in queueing behaviors in different cultures.
The Iowa Public Policy Center-developed Mileage Charge will be tested in Baltimore, as noted in this Baltimore Sun article: Baltimore to test-drive gasoline-tax alternative.
It, or something like it, is the future. (though in contrast to a famous saying, "the future is *not* now".)
From the Atlantic Magazine on Security Theater:
The Things He Carried
ReconnectingAmerica.org is proposing to jumpstart the transit space race, suggesting that all proposed transit lines could be built in the US for a mere $248 billion. They provide a nice comprehensive list You know, this is less than $1000 per person (and annualized, less than $100 per person per year, less than $0.30 per day for the option of using transit if I am in a city with transit).
(And half that if we retained a federal 50% matching requirement).
(Of course, it is closer to $100,000 for every current regular transit user)
If the transit advocates promised never to advocate another line, and go away for something like 20 or 30 years, and I never had to think about this issue again, it would be well worth it to me personally.
Somehow, I think every proposed line in the US would cost more than $248 billion, (and certainly if the spigot were open, many more proposals would surface) but this includes selected intercity High Speed Rail (Milwaukee to Madison) and not others (California HSR).
Nevertheless, a nice piece of policy advocacy work in front of the coming reauthorization.
From WapoProposed Road Standards Raise Safety Concerns
Apparently once progressive Montgomery County Maryland is considering requiring all new roads be built or rebuilt to a 30 or 40 MPH standard.
Perhaps they should see this creepy UK ad:
From the Strib: Gas tax no longer hot issue
"None of the websites of south-metro Republicans challenging the most vulnerable Democratic officeholders -- those still in their first term in office -- trumpets the gas tax as an issue. And candidates on both sides agree that it has faded."
From the NY Times: U.S. Is Investing $250 Billion in Banks
“These measures are not intended to take over the free market,� he said, but to safeguard it.
Eerily mimics the famous line from Vietnam: "We had to destroy Ben Tre in order to save it".
Question: Does this increase or decrease the likelihood of infrastructure privatization?
1) Decrease: the Borg must assimilate all private assets
2) Increase: the Borg must sell off infrastructure/land/other assets to pay for its banks. The "golden share" strategy will grease the wheel of privatization.
Mystery transportation blog: Transportation Research 101
I have a theory, but I hope the author still gets promoted, so I won't reveal his or her name publicly.
Paul Krugman won the The Prize in Economics 2008
The Text of the Press Release:
"International Trade and Economic Geography
Patterns of trade and location have always been key issues in the economic debate. What are the effects of free trade and globalization? What are the driving forces behind worldwide urbanization? Paul Krugman has formulated a new theory to answer these questions. He has thereby integrated the previously disparate research fields of international trade and economic geography.
Krugman's approach is based on the premise that many goods and services can be produced more cheaply in long series, a concept generally known as economies of scale. Meanwhile, consumers demand a varied supply of goods. As a result, small-scale production for a local market is replaced by large-scale production for the world market, where firms with similar products compete with one another.
Traditional trade theory assumes that countries are different and explains why some countries export agricultural products whereas others export industrial goods. The new theory clarifies why worldwide trade is in fact dominated by countries which not only have similar conditions, but also trade in similar products - for instance, a country such as Sweden that both exports and imports cars. This kind of trade enables specialization and large-scale production, which result in lower prices and a greater diversity of commodities.
Economies of scale combined with reduced transport costs also help to explain why an increasingly larger share of the world population lives in cities and why similar economic activities are concentrated in the same locations. Lower transport costs can trigger a self-reinforcing process whereby a growing metropolitan population gives rise to increased large-scale production, higher real wages and a more diversified supply of goods. This, in turn, stimulates further migration to cities. Krugman's theories have shown that the outcome of these processes can well be that regions become divided into a high-technology urbanized core and a less developed "periphery"."
Note: economies of scale + reduced transport costs = accessibility.
From James Fallows: Air taxi chronicles: bad news
Makings its way around the intertubes:
James Lileks (a humorist): How We Learned to Stop Worrying and Love The Light Rail
"Now, to repeat the point often made here, with tiresome regularity: what’s the matter with better buses? Seriously: If we’d kept the old streetcar system, maintained all the cars and updated them with A/C and comfy seats, our system would be renowned nationwide as a model for all. If we’d converted the trolleys to diesel, taken down the unsightly wires but kept the old cars looking exactly as they did in their glory days, it would still be revered as a model of inter-urban mass transit, because it ran on rails. Is that all it takes? Rails? Do they impart some particular magic?"
From WaPo: Traffic Cure Worsens the Pain
"So much traffic clogs Washington area roads that Cox Communications has to use 20 percent more trucks here to serve the same number of customers as in other regions. Metro has to add an average of 10 buses a year, at $521,980 a pop, just to maintain rush-hour schedules that have slipped because of congestion." ... thereby causing more congestion.
"A truck and driver stuck in traffic costs $65 per hour, according to [Giant Food] spokesman Barry Scher."
From Times of London: Europe to send warships to defeat Somali pirates
