A new report from the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy finds that, among 12 major world economies analyzed for the report, the U.S. ranks dead last in the energy efficiency of its transportation sector. Improving transportation’s energy efficiency hinges on supporting multiple modes of transportation and can be accomplished by dramatically improving the accessibility of other transportation modes such as rail, carpooling, bus, biking, and walking. Without adoption of new policies and standards, the U.S. transportation system will continue drag on the economy, wasting energy and limiting opportunities for economic development. The ACEE graph below shows how the U.S. transportation sector energy consumption far outstrips that of the other countries evaluated as part of the study.
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"Dig once" advances via executive order
A Government Accountability Office report issued June 27 outlines the advantages and disadvantages of requiring fiber optic conduit to be installed during construction of certain federally funded highway projects. The report release was preceded on June 13 by an executive order requiring federal agencies to ensure that broadband infrastructure projects, such as those laying fiber-optic cables, coincide with ongoing highway construction whenever possible to reduce private companies’ costs of expanding their high-speed internet networks. The order is similar to legislation introduced in both the House and Senate but never passed.
Increasing transit ridership: Should we make public transportation “fun” or “useful”?
In order to attract more riders to transit, is it more important for transit to be enjoyable or useful? Two writers debate in competing books and on-line.
The BRT Standard (Institute for Transportation & Development Policy, 2012)
The BRT Standard is an effort by leading technical experts to come to a common understanding of what constitutes internationally recognized best practice in Bus Rapid Transit system design. The best BRT systems are ones that combine efficiency and sustainability with passenger comfort and convenience.
Understanding Transit Ridership Demand for a Multi-Destination, Multimodal Transit Network in an American Metropolitan Area: Lessons for Increasing Choice Ridership While Maintaining Transit Dependent Ridership (Mineta Transp. Inst, 2012)
A new study of Atlanta by Mineta Transportation Institute examines the needs of riders in a multi-modal, multi-destination transit system. Recommendations could help other cities improve both efficiency and ridership of their transit system. Download …
Policy options for reducing energy use and greenhouse gas emissions from U.S. transportation: No silver bullet
Transportation accounts for 2/3 of the nation’s oil consumption and produces between ¼ and 1/3 of all the CO2 emitted from the nation’s energy consumption. TRB established a special committee of experts to explore policy …
Six ideas for fixing the nations infrastructure problems.
Two writers for Governing, Russell Nichols and Ryan Holeywell, have come up with a thoughtful set of ideas, ranging from revamping the highway trust fund to empowering state and local governments to “get cities to …
GAO: Trucking the least efficient mode of freight shipping
Would roads be better used with fewer trucks? D.C. Streets Blog reports: “The Government Accountability Office published a study finding that the costs of freight trucking that are not passed on to the consumer are …
A silver lining for austerity?
In an article entitled “Do Budget Cuts Drive Efficiency?” writer John O’Leary for Governing.com discusses whether spending cuts lead to greater efficiencies or merely a reduction in services.