Warning: Diversions Ahead

January 16th, 2008
The National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission has recommended a 40-cent-per-gallon increase in federal gas taxes. Supporters of the increase say it is necessary to replace aging bridges and roads. But U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters and Arizona Congressman Jeff Flake dissented, saying that there is plenty of money to repair roads [...]

The road ahead on federal transportation funding

January 13th, 2008
How is the U.S. going to fund surface transportation improvements in the future? Congress created the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission in 2005 to look at just that question and their report to Congress is due out Tuesday, Jan. 15. But Ken Orski, a Washington, D.C.-based transportation consultant, has a sneak preview. He reports that it includes some fairly controversial recommendations regarding tolling, congestion pricing, public private partnerships, and the future of the gas tax, all front-burner issues here in the Great Nearby. Are you bus and rail commuters ready for a "federal ticket ...

How SUVs Can Save the Climate

December 19th, 2007
This never fails to fascinate me. fuel consumption_328 The chart shows how much fuel is consumed over 15,000 miles by cars of different fuel efficiencies. The curve matters a lot. It means that from the perspective of fuel conservation, it's not terribly important to trade in your Honda Civic to buy a Prius. But it's hugely important to trade in your Dodge Durango for a Toyota Tacoma. I'll use some rough numbers to illustrate. You trade in your Civic, which averages about 32 miles per gallon, and buy a Prius, which gets a whopping 47 ...
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