You can blame the beeping economy for worst US traffic ever
The improvements in the economy cut both ways. More work and lower gasoline prices mean more people on the roads. And, that means more traffic jams. It seems we can’t have it all.
Overall, American motorists are stuck in traffic about 5 percent more than they were in 2007, the pre-recession peak, says the report from the Texas A&M Transportation Institute and INRIX Inc., which analyzes traffic data.
Four out of five cities have now surpassed their 2007 congestion.
Rounding out the Top 10 worst commuting cities are San Jose, Boston, Seattle, Chicago, Houston and Riverside-San Bernardino.
Cities with fast-growing economies and the most job growth are the most plagued by traffic. Other factors: Urban populations are increasing and lower fuel prices are making driving less expensive, so more people are taking to city roads.
In just three years, all Dutch trains will run on wind power
It may be a long time coming in the USA, but trains in Holland will be running 100 percent on wind power if all goes according to a government plan by 2018.
Under a deal written up in 2014, starting this year about half of the electric trains in the Netherlands run on wind power. But the contract between railway companies and power suppliers aims to push that number higher. As Railway Technology reports, the agreement will see the trains running completely on wind power by 2018. The energy will be generated from wind farms within the country but also in Belgium and nearby Scandinavian countries.
Uber may upend the NYC subway
Since the subway in New York City is subsidized by taxes on taxis and limousines, the rise of Uber that is damaging the taxi industry may have negative effects on the underground. Now that there are reportedly more Uber cars operating in New York City, we may find the city searching for ways to recuperate the lost revenues. Watch out Uber!
New York warns of a coming “erosion” in MTA revenue, something the report says should be of particular concern due to the MTA’s already chronic funding gaps.
Every day, New York’s menagerie of yellow and green taxis, black and livery cars, provide 764,000 rides. Each year, they generate $4.4 billion in revenue.
Half a decade ago, when the state and its MTA were struggling through budget crises, New York levied a sales tax on black cars, with its revenue shared by the city and state and, to a miniscule extent, the MTA. The state also levied that 50-cent surcharge on yellow taxis and then, after they were authorized, green taxis, too. That money goes to the MTA.
Charlie Leocha is the President of Travelers United. He has been working in Washington, DC, for the past 14 years with Congress, the Department of Transportation, and industry stakeholders on travel issues. He was the first consumer representative to the Advisory Committee for Aviation Consumer Protections appointed by the Secretary of Transportation from 2012 through 2018.