|
May 24--Participants across the country in the Better Buildings Challenge reduced their energy intensity by 2.5% last year, achieving about $58 million in annual energy savings. Those results are contained in a progress report published by the Department of Energy. New Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz announced the results at an energy efficiency conference this week. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (WI), May 24, 02:06 AM
|
May 24--SANTA CRUZ -- The future of the Monterey Bay region was the focus of a public workshop Thursday with local residents invited to share a vision of how they hope to get around by 2035 -- whether by car, bike, bus, rail or another form of public transit. The meeting, held at the Santa Cruz Police Department's community room with about 40 participants, was led by a consultant hired by the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments. AMBAG is conducting a series of public workshops throughout Santa Cruz, Monterey and San Benito counties to gather input on a regional transportation plan known as "Moving Forward Monterey Bay." Santa Cruz Sentinel (CA), May 24, 05:18 AM
|
May 24--The region's public transit authority says a private proposal to extend light rail to Virginia Beach contains "as many questions as answers," doesn't address the regulatory complications it could trigger, and features a questionable choice for its lead design firm. The comments by Hampton Roads Transit staff, released in response to a Freedom of Information Act request, also challenge the completeness of cost estimates and say the proposal's financing structure may not relieve the city of as much risk as it purports to. HRT, which operates The Tide and would run the Virginia Beach extension, submitted its comments to Beach officials after reviewing the unsolicited proposal that Shucet's team submitted to the city in early April. Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA), May 24, 01:38 AM
|
The Federal Transit Administration announced Thursday that it would provide $3.7 billion for Sandy relief, including $217 million for NJ Transit and $871 million for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. NJ Transit plans to use about half of its allocation to improve resiliency, including protecting the Hoboken transit hub from flooding and replacing wooden structures that hold overhead train wires with steel structures. The Port Authority will use $287 million from its allocation to relocate power substations above flood levels, waterproof sensitive facilities and install water pumps in case water does get in. Record, The; Bergen County, N.J., May 24, 09:25 AM
|
May 22--GLADES COUNTY -- Jeff Allen calls himself a private citizen who loves to fish on Lake Okeechobee, but he's also the chairman of a broad-based group that's trying to improve the lake and add recreational opportunities. When Charlie Crist was governor, the state signed an agreement with the Lake Okeechobee Habitat Alliance Inc. to lease and manage more than 2,700 acres of land located at Curry Island, where Fisheating Creek joins Lake Okeechobee. The group's volunteer cadre helped clean up Curry Island of old tires and dumped construction materials and set up wood duck boxes, but to reduce the high nutrient level of creek water before it reaches the lake, they needed a treatment system to suck out the phosphorus and nitrogen. Highlands Today (Sebring, FL), May 23, 02:55 PM
|
May 23--TAMPA -- Three years after Hillsborough County voters killed a transit-tax referendum, county commissioners joined the mayors of Tampa, Temple Terrace and Plant City on Wednesday to begin mapping out a new transportation plan they can sell to voters. A 2014 transit-tax referendum is unlikely, however, County Commission Chairman Ken Hagan said after the hourlong workshop. "Everything is on the table, but I seriously doubt there will be a Hillsborough County referendum in 2014." Tampa Tribune (FL), May 23, 01:44 PM
|
State leaders are committing $3.8 million a year to save a passenger rail route that Amtrak acknowledges is "not as efficient or as useful as it might be." Supporters of Amtrak's Pennsylvanian, which provides the only passenger rail service between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg, say the daily round trip is vital to communities and outperforms most routes in the railroad's system. Gov. Tom Corbett said in March the state would pay $3.8 million a year to subsidize the Pennsylvanian with money from a proposed increase in state transportation funding, which state lawmakers have yet to approve. Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (PA), May 25, 05:16 AM
|
May 25--The Delta Protection Commission voted Thursday to oppose Gov. Jerry Brown's proposal for two giant water diversion tunnels in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, saying the project would not help agriculture, recreation and water quality. "What has been released is not something they feel is supportive of the Delta," said Michael Machado, the commission's executive director. The project, known as the Bay Delta Conservation Plan, calls for three intakes on the Sacramento River near Courtland. Sacramento Bee (CA), May 25, 05:07 AM
|
Drivers and mechanics for the Westmoreland County Transit Authority could take a strike vote in the summer if negotiations for a new labor contract produce no results, union officials said Thursday night. More than two dozen members of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1738 gathered for a meeting of the transit authority board to complain about the pace of negotiations and safety and maintenance concerns with the bus fleet. Rank-and-file members are employees of National Express Transit, the private company that holds the contract to operate the authority's bus fleet. Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (PA), May 25, 05:05 AM
|
May 25--WILLMAR -- The Willmar City Council will hold a public hearing June 3 on an ordinance amendment that would allow higher garage doors to accommodate tall recreational vehicles in residential areas. The city Planning Commission is initiating the amendment to increase the height of a garage door from 10 feet to 12 feet, which is considered high enough to allow RVs with air conditioning units on top, but still low enough to keep commercial vehicles and equipment out. The council Monday night voted to accept the Planning Commission's recommendation to hold the hearing. West Central Tribune (Willmar, MN), May 25, 03:32 AM
|
AUBURN -- City councilors are picking sides on the issue of whether Lewiston-Auburn rail service, if built, should go downtown or stop at the Auburn Lewiston Municipal Airport. Councilors last week added an amendment to the city budget saying a downtown location is the favorite spot for new rail service and directing staff and regional boards and business development groups to treat downtown train service as a priority. One plan, promoted by the Maine Rail Transit Coalition, would send passenger rail from Portland to the Auburn airport before continuing north, to Bethel and on to Montreal. "Sun Journal (Lewiston, ME)", May 25, 01:36 AM
|
MOUNT VERNON, Wash. - The trucker was hauling drilling equipment when his load bumped against the steel framework over an Interstate 5 bridge. Authorities focused first on trying to find a temporary span for the Skagit, although it won't come in time for the tens of thousands of Memorial Day vacationers who would travel between Canada and Seattle. The truck driver works for Mullen Trucking in Alberta, the Washington State Patrol said. Associated Press/AP Online, May 24, 11:50 PM
|
May 25--A Mystic woman injured in last week's train crash in Bridgeport filed suit Friday against the Metro-North Railroad. The lawsuit, filed by Stratton and Faxon of New Haven, does not provide specific allegations. On May 17, the eastbound 4:41 p.m. train out of Grand Central Terminal in New York derailed just east of the Fairfield station. The Hartford Courant, May 24, 10:23 PM
|
A committee designed to keep the Redlands Passenger Rail Project moving full steam ahead held its first meeting Thursday, but some attendees were not onboard with the plan to extend a Metrolink line from San Bernardino to Redlands. County Supervisor James Ramos formed the committee and was named chairman of the Rail to Redlands Working Group on Thursday afternoon. "It's important to include stakeholders to make sure they can start to hear where the project is going and stay up to date," he said after the meeting in the University of Redlands' Armacost Library. Redlands Daily Facts (CA), May 24, 08:06 PM
|
More than 111,000 cubic yards of sediment will be dredged from the bottom of a local spreading ground and a county park, twin operations that will involve a parade of dump trucks for at least three months heading to the Manning gravel pit in Irwindale. Both the Walnut Creek Spreading Basin in Covina and the Peck Road Water Conservation Park in Arcadia surrounding El Monte will be the focus of major improvements as early as next year if the county is awarded grant money raised through 2006's Proposition 84, passed to support clean water projects. At Peck Park, 5401 N. Peck Road, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works, in conjunction with the county Flood Control District, plan on removing 101,000 cubic yards of sediment from the park's lake that will require trucks two to three months to transport the soupy material to the pit in Irwindale, said project manager Ken Zimmer. San Gabriel Valley Tribune (CA), May 24, 07:55 PM
|
A SERIES of road shows outlining County Council plans for passenger transport services in the future are being held in the Mansfield area over the next two weeks. The road shows follow a major consultation held between last July and September, which asked residents across the county for their views on how transport services in Nottinghamshire should operate in the future. Now the information from that consultation has been analysed and the County Council has developed new proposals, outline plans for which will be on display at the road shows which are being held at various points around the area. Unknown, May 24, 07:25 PM
|
A consultation is being launched over plans to axe free school transport for some pupils in a bid to save Pounds 1.3 million a year. Leicestershire County Council proposes to axe travel subsidies for pupils aged 16 and over and withdraw transport or charge the full cost. Proposals to withdraw concessionary free travel for disabled people before 9.30am and after 11pm, Monday to Friday, and elderly passengers after 11pm on weekdays are also being considered, along with the removal of vouchers worth Pounds 33 per year for residents who live more than 800 metres from an hourly bus service, and half fare on community transport services. Unknown, May 24, 07:16 PM
|
May 24--With demolition scheduled to begin next month, construction on the $11.7 million, federally funded public health clinic on Southland Drive is being pushed back because the 1950s-era buildings on the site might be eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. A historic review of the site has revealed that the buildings at 496 Rosemill and 496 Southland Drive are culturally valuable because they are among the last true vestiges of the suburban retail boom centered in 1950s Lexington along Southland Drive. The National Historic Preservation Act does not allow tax dollars to be spent on construction until the historical value of a property has been evaluated and preserved. Lexington Herald-Leader (KY), May 24, 07:10 PM
|
May 23--The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority voted Thursday to pony up $1.7 million to reach the local match for a decades-old $4.3 million federal grant that will be used to enhance Bob Hope Airport's efforts to foster a "plane-to-train connection" to local transit. The money will help accelerate construction of a Metrolink station along the Antelope Valley line, among other improvement projects, airport officials said. The funds will come from Measure R, a half-cent sales tax that was approved by county voters in 2008 to pay for transportation projects. Burbank Leader (CA), May 24, 06:19 PM
|
May 24--Drivers and mechanics for the Westmoreland County Transit Authority could take a strike vote in the summer if negotiations for a new labor contract produce no results, union officials said Thursday night. More than two dozen members of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1738 gathered for a meeting of the transit authority board to complain about the pace of negotiations and safety and maintenance concerns with the bus fleet. Rank-and-file members are employees of National Express Transit, the private company that holds the contract to operate the authority's bus fleet. Tribune-Review (Greensburg, PA), May 24, 05:53 PM
|
May 24--The operators of Country Life Farm on Route 1 could have a number of new neighbors across the highway, if Harford County officials approve a plan to build a 258-unit apartment complex on a portion of the historic Mt. Soma Farm. That session will start at 9 a.m. in the second floor conference room in the county office building at 220 S. Main St. in Bel Air. The developer, Klein Enterprises of Owings Mills, plans to build in the 1200 block of Route 1 (Baltimore Pike) and the Bel Air Bypass. Aegis, The (Bel Air, MD), May 24, 05:19 PM
|
Washington: The Library of Congress, The Government of USA has issued the following Speech: Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac), for earning the 2013 Skytrax World Report Award for Best Airport Staff in North America. The Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is operated by the Port of Seattle. US Official News, May 25, 02:04 AM
|
Bismarck: North Dakota State University, The State of North Dakota has issued the following press release: Nimish Dharmadhikan presented the paper "The Life Cycle Cost Analysis for a Rural Bridge Construction." The objective of the research is the lifecycle cost benefit analysis of the bridge construction needed on rural roads due to the increase of traffic from the oil boom in western North Dakota. US Official News, May 25, 02:03 AM
|
Lansing: Office of the Legislature, The State of Michigan has issued the following press release: Agema, Genetski, Kowall, Tyler, Walsh, Pearce and Haveman and referred to the Committee on Great Lakes and Environment. constitution of 1963, by amending section 35 of article IX, to US Official News, May 25, 02:03 AM
|
Dover: Office of the Governor, The State of Delaware has issued the following press release: As part of Delaware Gov. Jack Markell's National Governors Association (NGA) Chair's Initiative, A Better Bottom Line: Employing People with Disabilities, the governor and Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett are co-hosting an institute for state policymakers today and tomorrow. "This institute is designed to allow states the opportunity to discuss best practices for public and private employment of individuals with disabilities," said Gov. Markell. US Official News, May 25, 02:03 AM
|
SEATTLE _ Real-estate agent Joseph Ho climbed the gilded staircase of a Hunts Point, Wash., mansion listed for almost $5 million, shooting video on his Apple iPad tablet and narrating in Chinese. Ho made sure to capture a blue-sky fresco in the formal dining room _ "It'll remind them of Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas" _ and a yacht-ready dock. In the process, they are accelerating the real-estate market's recovery, sometimes edging out other buyers with all-cash offers, and deepening ties between Seattle and China. Seattle Times (WA), May 24, 04:15 PM
|
May 24--MARIN SUPERVISOR KATE SEARS and the Marin Transit District have been working on starting a Tiburon Peninsula shuttle bus for more than a year. The goal is to help relieve traffic on Tiburon Boulevard by providing a car-free alternative. But plans hit a political pothole -- Belvedere Drive in Strawberry. Marin Independent Journal (CA), May 24, 03:20 PM
|
MOUNT VERNON, Wash. - A truck hauling an oversized load of drilling equipment hit an overhead bridge girder on the major route between Seattle and Canada, sending a section of the interstate into the river below as the driver watched the structure collapse in his rearview mirror. "He looked in the mirrors and it just dropped out of sight," Cynthia Scott, the wife of truck driver William Scott, said Friday from the couple's home near Spruce Grove, Alberta, just west of Edmonton. "I spoke to him seconds after it happened. Associated Press/AP Online, May 24, 03:03 PM
|
NEW HAVEN, Conn. - The engineer of the commuter train that derailed last week in Connecticut observed an "unusual condition" on the track before the wreck, federal officials said Friday without explaining what the condition was, though they did say repair work was done last month in the area of the crash. The National Transportation Safety Board said it has not yet determined a cause of the May 17 crash that injured more than 70 people and disrupted service for days on the railroad used by tens of thousands of commuters north of New York City. But the NTSB did say that a joint bar, used to hold two sections of rail together, had been cracked and repaired last month and that rail sections in the area of the derailment have been shipped to Washington for further examination. Associated Press/AP Online, May 24, 02:07 PM
|
MOUNT VERNON, Wash. - The trucking company involved in a Washington state bridge collapse says it received a state-issued permit to carry its oversized load across the bridge. He said in an interview with The Associated Press that the Washington state Department of Transportation had approved of the company's plan to drive a piece of drilling equipment along Interstate 5 to Vancouver, Wash. A truck hauling a too-tall load of drilling equipment hit an overhead bridge girder on the major interstate between Seattle and Canada, sending a section of the span and two vehicles into the Skagit River. Associated Press/AP Online, May 24, 12:19 PM
|
May 24--HYANNIS -- When the CapeFLYER officially kicks off Boston-to-Cape Cod rail service today, it is expected to draw a lot of attention. And the overwhelming response to the new weekend service has been positive -- except in Middleboro, where the commuter line from Boston usually ends. "We were all surprised," Middleboro Town Manager Charles Cristello said Thursday about the seasonal extension of service to Hyannis. Cape Cod Times (Hyannis, MA), May 24, 10:08 AM
|
May 24--It's almost a miracle that so few died in this week's catastrophe in an Oklahoma City suburb. In comparison, 158 were killed by a similar twister two years ago in Joplin, Mo. Perhaps better warnings and shelters helped tornado-prone Oklahoma escape the worst -- for which America is grateful. Debate erupted between Washington Republicans -- who generally defend polluting industries and deny that manmade "greenhouse gases" are causing global warming that produces ever-worse storms and weather calamities -- and Democrats who hold opposing views. "Charleston Gazette, The (WV)", May 24, 09:53 AM
|
May 24--CLAREMORE -- It's just an empty field now, but community and industry leaders hope a new rail line and road will help make a section of Claremore an industrial hub for northeast Oklahoma. Leaders on Thursday dedicated John Carle Boulevard and an industrial multimodal rail spur at the Claremore North Industrial and Distribution Center. More than 600 acres with potential for manufacturing, warehouse and distribution facilities sit on the northern outskirts of Claremore near Lowry Road and U.S. 66. Tulsa World (OK), May 24, 08:13 AM
|
May 24--Drivers and mechanics for the Westmoreland County Transit Authority could take a strike vote in the summer if negotiations for a new labor contract produce no results, union officials said Thursday night. More than two dozen members of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1738 gathered for a meeting of the transit authority board to complain about the pace of negotiations and safety and maintenance concerns with the bus fleet. Rank-and-file members are employees of National Express Transit, the private company that holds the contract to operate the authority's bus fleet. Tribune-Review (Greensburg, PA), May 24, 05:53 AM
|
May 24--COLUMBIA, S.C. -- A deal to spend up to $500 million to repair S.C. roads and bridges was approved Thursday by the state Senate. The money would go to the State Infrastructure Bank, which would use it to borrow up to $500 million. Instead, the state Department of Transportation would give the bank a list of suggested road and bridge projects to choose from. State (Columbia, SC), May 24, 03:36 AM
|
May 23--MOUNTAIN VIEW -- The world is fast approaching a tipping point after which the damage caused by climate change can't be undone, Gov. Jerry Brown told a technology summit Thursday. Some environmentalists, however, say Brown's actions don't match his rhetoric -- particularly his recent decision to divert $500 million in cap-and-trade fee revenues away from clean-energy and pollution-abatement projects to help California balance its books. "The governor is right on the rhetoric, but he needs to put our money where his mouth is," said Bill Magavern, the Coalition for Clean Air's policy director. Oakland Tribune (CA), May 23, 10:56 PM
|
May 24--Local public pools are preparing to open for the Memorial Day weekend, including painting, cleaning, filling the pools and most importantly -- testing the water. A recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 58 percent of pools have tested positive for E.coli bacteria. Public pools are required to test the water's pH and chlorine to make sure the levels are the most effective for killing germs, said Dan Chatfield, director of environmental health at the Clark County Combined Health District. Springfield News-Sun (Ohio), May 23, 09:50 PM
|
Laura Bush admits that she, as the wife of a former president, has a pretty big pulpit, and she says she's decided to use it to push, pull, gather and encourage Texans toward common conservation goals. She has started by being one of the founders and the public face of "Taking Care of Texas." Bush was in Austin this week to deliver the keynote address at the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's Lone Star Land Steward Awards banquet, and she graciously carved out time to talk with me about the organization and what it's designed to do. Austin American-Statesman (TX), May 23, 09:31 PM
|
Gallery: Burbank Recycle Center moving 80 tons of green waste to a fertilzier/recycling facility This is true except for Los Angeles, Burbank and Santa Clarita, cities that repurpose green waste as compost and soil amendments. One half of all the green waste in L.A. County won't be going to the gigantic Puente Hills Landfill near Hacienda Heights anymore but instead will be searching for a resting spot in a local material recovery facility or a composting farm in San Bernardino and Kern counties, experts say. San Gabriel Valley Tribune (CA), May 23, 07:55 PM
|
May 23--The Santa Fe Southern Railway won't be running tourist trains between Santa Fe and Lamy this summer. The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway reached Lamy in 1879, but it took two more years to build a 16-mile spur into the capital city. In 2005, the state purchased the real estate, tracks and signals from Santa Fe Southern, so the New Mexico Rail Runner Express passenger trains could use the last four miles of the track into Santa Fe. Santa Fe New Mexican, The (NM), May 23, 07:54 PM
|
May 23--MADISON LAKE -- Standing on his property on the north shore of Ballantyne Lake holding aletter saying he had three days to report to the jail for fingerprinting anda mugshot, Jim Kimble said he wasn't sure why he is being treated like acriminal. The letter from the Blue Earth County Sheriff's Department, saying a warrant would be issued for his arrest if he didn't show up for fingerprinting, was a bigge rsurprise, Kimble said. The charges are related to five septic holding tanks installed on land heleases to seasonal users, including three cabins, a camping trailer and anempty site. Free Press (Mankato, MN), May 23, 07:32 PM
|
May 23--As Wave Transit braces for the possibility New Hanover County could slash its funding, officials have proposed cutting two routes -- one to the north and another to Carolina Beach. Halting the recently launched bus to Pleasure Island, which only began in February, would also reduce Wave's countywide presence. During a Thursday meeting of the Cape Fear Public Transportation Authority, a board that oversees Wave, Finance Director Joe Mininni said the county is only planning to give Wave $140,000 for the upcoming fiscal year, which begins July 1. Star-News (Wilmington, NC), May 23, 07:03 PM
|
May 21--A second scheduled controlled explosion is planned Thursday at the construction site of the Eastern New Mexico Water Utility Authority's Ute Water Project at Ute Lake near Logan. Brumfield said the authority has been moving equipment and supplies into place to begin the foundation work of the intake structure, which is the first phase of its Ute Water Project. While the first phase is under construction, the authority is coordinating engineering and design for the second phase of the project, an interim pipeline that will run west toward Portales, Cannon Air Force Base and Elida. Quay County Sun (NM), May 23, 06:35 PM
|
May 23--At an elementary school bus stop the morning of May 15, a group gathered to pick up a passenger who wasn't allowed to disembark on his own. He just happened to be the superintendent of Newport Beach and Costa Mesa public schools. "We put on his bus pass that he must be met, which is why we're here," joked Jeanne Briggs, an administrative assistant for the director of transportation. Daily Pilot (Costa Mesa, CA), May 23, 03:33 PM
|
May 22--ALBANY, Ga. -- The Dougherty County School Board's Transportation Committee on Wednesday voted unanimously to move several items to the full school board for final approval. This move comes on the heels of the School Board approving the purchase of five new buses with SPLOST money earlier this month, boosting the total of new buses to 12. Williams presented the results of a one-day survey of illegal passing of stopped school buses in the county. Albany Herald (GA), May 23, 11:52 AM
|
May 23--Oneonta planners revisited answers pertaining to storm-water drainage, traffic and noise Wednesday night as they continued considering environmental factors of a proposed student housing complex. The Oneonta Planning Commission, which met in Common Council Chambers at City Hall, is reviewing an Environmental Assessment Form in a mandated State Environmental Quality Review of the proposed Hillside Commons. Newman Development Group of Vestal proposes building a 330-bed student apartment complex on Blodgett Drive near the State University College at Oneonta. Daily Star, The (Oneonta, NY), May 23, 09:54 AM
|
May 23--Starting in June, rural residents of Pueblo County with disabilities and medical issues will have fewer opportunities for public transportation. Wednesday, Senior Resource Development Agency leaders said grant funding for that service won't be available next year, affecting Pueblo West, Blende and Vineland. Director Steve Nawrocki told the county commissioners that the demand for free transportation has exceeded the cost of the grant. Pueblo Chieftain (CO), May 23, 09:48 AM
|
May 23--The month of May has been designated as Childhood Drowning Prevention Month, by Illinois Governor Pat Quinn. As the summer approaches, parents need to be reminded of water safety. "Many people don't know the right thing to do in water emergencies or how to keep their loved ones safe in the water," according to a news release from the American Red Cross. Herald & Review (Decatur, IL), May 23, 07:42 AM
|
May 23--PEABODY -- If you were planning to attend today's City Council subcommittee meeting at 6 p.m. about the plan to rezone the Pulaski Street industrial park, Mayor Ted Bettencourt is advising you to stay home. "There won't be any discussion on this topic," Bettencourt said. Instead, he plans to schedule a larger meeting involving all interested parties, including residents and business people. Salem News (MA), May 23, 06:54 AM
|
May 23--On the job for less than three weeks, Reading Parking Authority Executive Director Patrick B. Mulligan got his job assignments at Wednesday's board meeting: Attend Mayor Vaughn D. Spencer's economic development summit today, when Spencer will lay out a plan on how the authorities can help. "The mayor is asking that this get priority," board member Lawrence P. Murin, also a special assistant to Spencer, said of the parking plans. Reading Eagle (PA), May 23, 06:53 AM
|
May 23--Improvements to Washington state's rail system with the proposal to ship more coal to Asia may benefit Washington farmers, say local officials. Franklin County potato farmer Randy Mullen said it could make transportation less expensive for some Washington crops, including grain, to be shipped overseas. And anything that makes transportation more affordable helps increase the competitiveness of Washington's agricultural products, said Mullen, owner of Mullen Farms Inc. Tri-City Herald (Kennewick, WA), May 23, 05:35 AM
|
May 23--What the last Board of County Commissioners undid on the undeveloped parts of the 2,200-acre Lake Linganore-Eaglehead planned development, this board could now restore. Oakdale Investments came back for rezoning and a new 25-year contract with the county that sets development rights and responsibilities. A group of about 20 speakers, representing three times that many people, gave the Frederick County Planning Commission reasons to grant the rezoning and the agreement, and reasons not to. Frederick News-Post (MD), May 23, 03:51 AM
|
May 23--When the Hutchinson City Council adopted the International Property Maintenance Code two years ago, it directed that enforcement be based solely on citizen complaints. But the Hutchinson Housing Commission appears to be moving toward recommending that the council take the gloves off city inspectors and allow them to issue citations to correct deteriorating housing on their own. "Complaint basis is not making a big enough impact to move the needle," Housing Commission Chairman Greg Binns said Wednesday. "Hutchinson News, The (KS)", May 23, 03:49 AM
|
Piped water has made life easier for this Laotian boy, who no longer has to help his parents fetch water from afar. But many are also calling on lawmakers to ensure that, during the coming implementation phase, U.S. aid is targeted primarily at the poorest communities in developing and middle-income countries. "Achieving water security for regions, nations, and individuals is one of the greatest development challenges confronting the world today," the new , released Tuesday by USAID, the country's main foreign aid arm, states. IPS - Inter Press Service, May 23, 03:26 AM
|
May 22--DIXON -- Gone is the wind energy program at Sauk Valley Community College. The college Board of Trustees on Monday voted to discontinue the program amid declining interest from students, which officials attribute to negative perceptions of wind energy in this area, among other factors. Sauk has offered a wind energy program since 2009. Daily Gazette (Sterling, IL), May 22, 02:33 PM
|
May 23--NASHVILLE -- A legislative committee Wednesday approved Tennessee's first regulations for the use of "fracking" to extract oil and natural gas from wells after hearing several environmentalist complain the rules don't go far enough. The vote effectively marks the last hurdle for putting the rules promulgated by the Department of Environment and Conservation into effect next month. It came after the Republican majority on the Joint Government Operations Committee rejected a Democratic effort to also ask TDEC to consider adding provisions to the rules in the future. Knoxville News-Sentinel (TN), May 23, 01:44 AM
|
May 23--LEIPZIG, Germany -- Facing tight budgets and political pressure, the United States and many other countries are missing on a chance to invest in transportation, economists said Wednesday. John Micklethwait, editor-in-chief of The Economist, cited political pressures in many countries, where elected leaders are looking to tighten their belts, rather than invest in projects whose benefits won't be realized for years. "If you look at the West in particular, you can make the case really rather strongly that we've not invested in this particular recession, in this time of need, in those projects as we expected to," Micklethwait said. Fort Worth Star-Telegram (TX), May 23, 01:43 AM
|
WASHINGTON - House lawmakers are moving to protect Capitol Hill's budget even as they're moving to slash other programs like education, health research, water projects and housing aid for the poor. The GOP-controlled panel is giving Congress a budgetary reprieve after three consecutive years of cutting Capitol Hill's operating budget. The House budget has dropped by 15 percent to $1.2 billion over that time from the record levels established when Democrats controlled Congress. Associated Press/AP Online, May 22, 02:04 PM
|
May 22--The Solar Impulse, an experimental, sun-powered airplane attempting a cross-country flight across America, is expected to take off early today from Phoenix for a record-breaking flight to Dallas/Fort Worth Airport. Swiss pilot Andre Borschberg is scheduled to land at DFW sometime after 1 a.m. Thursday, according to an email from the Solar Impulse team. The single-seat solar plane, with a wingspan of a jumbo jet and the weight of a car, arrived in Phoenix on May 3 after Swiss pilot Bertrand Piccard made a 650-mile, 19-hour flight from San Francisco. Fort Worth Star-Telegram (TX), May 22, 01:34 PM
|
May 22--OLIVIA -- The Southern Minnesota Beet Sugar Cooperative met all of its water quality requirements while processing a record sugar beet crop in 2013. Louis Knieper, manager of environmental affairs, told the Renville County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday that the sugar cooperative is making considerable strides in meetings its surface water protection requirements. Under the terms of a 2004 agreement, Renville County, acting as the ditch authority and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, must approve the permit allowing the company to discharge into County Ditch 45, the headwaters of Sacred Heart Creek. West Central Tribune (Willmar, MN), May 22, 12:48 PM
|
May 22--New Jersey-based NRG Energy is deactivating its Norwalk Harbor generation station, one of the six power plants it operates in Connecticut. The oil-fired power plant, which produces 340-megawatts of power and operates on a peaking basis, is scheduled to be deactivated June 1, said Dave Gaier, a company spokesman. When asked why the plant was being deactivated so abruptly, Gaier said, "That's just the decision we've made operationally and financially." New Haven Register (CT), May 22, 12:43 PM
|
May 22--The Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors will likely approve tonight a county plan to pursue federal funds to improve the Ettrick train station. County board Chairwoman Dorothy A. Jaeckle said she's "just about positive" the resolution voicing the board's support for the grant application will pass. The county would use the funds to upgrade transportation links with the station by paving the parking lot, adding a bus stop and taxi stop, building paths to connect the station with the community and Virginia State University, and widening the road leading to the station. Richmond Times-Dispatch (VA), May 22, 12:38 PM
|
May 23--RALEIGH -- State legislators are erasing a 2011 law that blocked progress on a toll-road project to extend the 540 Outer Loop across southern Wake County -- and they are killing a different part of the law that instructs the state Department of Transportation to actually build the road. The outcome now expected by DOT engineers, legislators and Wake County leaders might seem contradictory, too. The 2011 law had stopped DOT from considering the unpopular Red Route, which would take the six-lane expressway through the town of Garner, destroying homes, parks and churches. News & Observer (Raleigh, NC), May 22, 09:43 PM
|
May 23--An angry crowd of I-77 toll lane opponents booed and shouted down members of the agency that sets Charlotte area road priorities Wednesday night after they were given 10 minutes to say why they feel tolls from Charlotte to Mooresville are a bad idea. MUMPO later voted unanimously to amend the agency's 2035 Long Range Transportation Plan and 2012-2018 Transportation Improvement Program to include the $550 million toll lane project. The vote was crucial to the N.C Department of Transportation moving forward with the planned toll lanes. Charlotte Observer (NC), May 22, 09:37 PM
|
May 22--WENDELL -- Mayor Tim Hinnant recently described himself as a road block to expanded transit across the Triangle. The drafted plan he opposes would raise sales taxes by a half-cent to pay for expanded bus service to every Wake town and install a commuter rail between Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill. Nor does Morrisville Mayor Jackie Holcombe, who served as president of the association during the transit discussion. Eastern Wake News (Zebulon, NC), May 22, 10:18 AM
|
May 22--A key Rohnert Park nonprofit, Sonoma County Adult and Youth Development, will shut down its homeless prevention program, which the city had funded with redevelopment housing funds that have been eliminated. SCAYD will continue to offer counseling and youth job education and employment services, but as of June 30 it will stop providing emergency grants for rent, security deposits and household bills. "The city did what they could considering the deficit they face but there are many people who will be directly affected by this loss," said Jim Gattis, SCAYD's executive director. Press Democrat, The (Santa Rosa, CA), May 22, 09:22 AM
|
May 22--A classic fight between environmentalists and developers came down on the side of developers Tuesday with Fresno County supervisors agreeing to explore the potential for new restaurants, hotels and golf courses just north of the city of Fresno. The decision to look at opportunities for growth along the rural San Joaquin River -- between Fresno and Friant -- came with a caveat: County money will not be used to pay for the study, as was initially proposed. Still, the dozen or so county residents who condemned the study at this week's Board of Supervisors meeting fell short of their goal of stopping the exploration of development in the area altogether. Fresno Bee, The (CA), May 22, 09:03 AM
|
Located between Rosalia and Oakesdale, the $17 million The facility can also unload about 40,000 pounds of grain per hour. McCoy and Marshall in Spokane County, where the track meets up with the main Burlington Northern Santa Fe line. Lewiston Morning Tribune (ID), May 22, 08:20 AM
|
May 22--Summerset at Frick Park, a luxury residential development that's successfully transformed a former slag heap into a neighborhood of high-priced homes, will need help from local taxpayers to finish its work. With a two-thirds of the project completed, developers say state money has dried up for the final push, which will add 217 housing units to the development overlooking Parkway East by the Squirrel Hill Tunnel. They're now seeking tax-increment financing, or TIF, to divert $24 million in property taxes from the neighborhood to pay for infrastructure improvements, including roads and a new bridge. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (PA), May 22, 08:09 AM
|
WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama's nominee for transportation secretary - Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx - received a friendly reception from senators of both parties Wednesday laced with warnings that the nation needs to make a host of transportation improvements with no clear way to pay for them. Foxx told a jammed Senate confirmation hearing that he will look for "partners" in local and state government to help find creative ways to finance air, rail and highway improvements. While senators pressed him for commitments on a host of issues from passenger rail improvements in the Northeast to funding air traffic control towers as small airports, the mayor from North Carolina nimbly steered away from controversy. Associated Press/AP Online, May 22, 05:42 PM
|
Preservationists this past week released a list of the city's 10 most endangered structures - a list most important to those who treasure our architectural heritage. Evansville has a rich collection of well preserved historic old houses, especially those along First Street near the riverfront. But some of the 10 buildings listed by the Preservation Alliance of Evansville on the most endangered roster have no measure of certainty that they will survive further deterioration. Evansville Courier & Press, May 22, 01:13 PM
|
New Jersey Transit and PATH rail commuters were plagued with delays of up to an hour during the evening rush hour on Tuesday because of signal problems, spokeswomen for both services said. NJ Transit suffered the worst of the delays, up to an hour at the height of the rush hour, on its Northeast Corridor, North Jersey Coast and Montclair-Boonton lines, in addition to the Midtown Direct service on the Morris and Essex line, said Courtney Carroll, a spokeswoman for the agency. Carroll said she did not know what caused the signal problems, but that they had occurred on the section of track operated by Amtrak, going into Penn Station in New York City, starting around 5:20 p.m. Record, The; Bergen County, N.J., May 22, 02:24 PM
|
Providence: Office of the Legislative, The State of Rhode Island has issued the following press release: Rep. Jeremiah T. O'Grady has introduced legislation aimed at transitioning Rhode Island toward a more predictable and reliable source of funding for transportation costs, road and bridge maintenance, and public transit. The legislation (2013-H 5073) aims to stabilize the funding stream of both the Department of Transportation and the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority by moving away from the current reliance on gasoline taxes, a revenue source that is steadily declining relative to inflation and in absolute terms as increased fuel efficiency leads to fewer gallons purchased at the pump. US Official News, May 22, 03:03 AM
|
May 22--Planners are revamping the Cape Fear region's transportation priorities, and they want the public's help. The Wilmington Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, which encompasses all of New Hanover County and parts of Brunswick and Pender counties, is asking for public input as part of its Cape Fear Transportation 2040 Plan. The plan will prioritize transportation projects across various modes, including road, rail, air, bike and pedestrian, among others. Star-News (Wilmington, NC), May 22, 03:02 AM
|
May 21--Think Manhattan is a hot place to live? As many as 1,000 extra weather-generated deaths a year may occur in the borough by the 2080s under the worst case global warming scenario, according to a new joint study by the Columbia University Earth Institute and the Mailman School of Public Health. "The critical message is that no matter how you feel about global warming, we have a well established vulnerability to heat waves," which have already been proven to be highly lethal, especially to the elderly, the very young, and those with pre-existing health conditions, said Radley M. Horton, associate research scientist at The Earth Institute and a co-author of the paper. AM New York, May 21, 10:46 PM
|
May 22--The head of the South Florida Water Management District resigned Monday, leaving after just two years and creating another leadership shakeup for the far-reaching agency charged with guarding against flooding and leading Everglades restoration. Melissa Meeker, in a letter to the district board's chairman, said she was stepping aside as executive director after accepting a "new opportunity" that will allow her to focus on "international issues." She also helped craft a new $880 million Everglades restoration plan aimed at resolving a lingering legal fight over Florida's failure to meet water quality standards. South Florida Sun-Sentinel, May 21, 10:42 PM
|
WASHINGTON - Republicans controlling the House pressed ahead Tuesday with slashing cuts to domestic programs far deeper than the cuts departments like Education, Interior and State are facing under an already painful round of automatic austerity. At issue are deep agency budget cuts required under automatic across-the-board reductions that are the result of Washington being unable to agree of alternative ways to curb the deficit. This year, the cuts are being applied to domestic agencies and the Pentagon both; Tuesday's plan is for the 2014 budget year beginning Oct. 1 and restores cuts to the military while making cuts to domestic programs favored by Democrats even deeper. Associated Press/AP Online, May 21, 09:45 PM
|
May 21--A broad group of consumer and environmental advocates, business officials and nonprofit leaders urged Georgia Power to add more renewable energy to its electricity mix over the next two decades. Georgia Power has no plans to increase its use of solar power beyond a program announced last year. Clean energy advocates said at a hearing Tuesday that consumers could be saving money and breathing cleaner air if the utility beefed up its renewable energy and energy-efficiency programs. Atlanta Journal-Constitution (GA), May 21, 08:55 PM
|
May 21--WASHINGTON -- Global warming and clean energy should be priorities for Congress and the president, a majority of Americans said in a recent survey. Six in 10 Americans want the U.S. to reduce greenhouse gas emissions regardless of other countries' emissions efforts, according to the survey. The study also shows only half of Americans have heard of the Keystone XL pipeline. Los Angeles Times, May 21, 08:51 PM
|
May 22--RUMFORD -- In February, the Maine Department of Transportation presented its $1.812 billion Work Plan for 2013, 2014 and 2015 to the Legislature. The bulk of the projects and costs are in Oxford County. Thirty-five projects from paving to bridge replacement total more than $25.3 million, according to the plan. "Sun Journal (Lewiston, ME)", May 22, 05:48 AM
|
May 21--Is it urban art or just a new gadget for collecting solar power? Glenview officials recently got a look at a miniature version the "solar tree" that the Northeastern Illinois Public Safety Training Services Academy wants to erect in front of its building at 2300 Patriot Boulevard. Michael Enz, co-owner of Tactical Design, said the solar tree will cost about $73,000. Chicago Tribune, May 21, 06:13 PM
|
May 21--NEW HAVEN -- Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, state Department of Housing Commissioner Evonne Klein, Mayor John DeStefano Jr., and other state and local officials Tuesday announced $13.8 million in grants to fund 11 affordable housing and neighborhood revitalization programs in Connecticut, according to a release. These investments will bolster economic development and make Connecticut more a more competitive state." New Haven will receive $1.5 million to expand its Neighborhood Renewal Program to include transitional neighborhoods--blocks situated between stable neighborhoods and those with greater need, the release said. New Haven Register (CT), May 21, 06:09 PM
|
May 21--North Carolina has sued Duke Energy for polluting Mountain Island Lake, Charlotte's major water source, with contaminants from its coal ash lagoons. The N.C. Division of Water Quality added its claims about Mountain Island to an existing lawsuit filed in March. That litigation asked for a court injunction against a Duke subsidiary over coal-ash pollution at an Asheville power plant. Charlotte Observer (NC), May 21, 05:35 PM
|
May 22--TWIN FALLS -- With summer temperatures quickly approaching, it's time to hit the road and soak up the sunshine. Between individual city's road construction to-do lists and the Idaho Transportation Department's own set of projects, there are more than a dozen bridge resurfacings and reconstructions along with three large junction reconstructions. Just north of the Perrine Bridge, ITD is in the middle of its second stage of the I-84/U.S. Times-News (Twin Falls, ID), May 22, 04:49 AM
|
May 22--DURHAM -- Budget writers in the N.C. Senate are tinkering with Gov. Pat McCrory's proposed shakeup of state transportation spending to make it even harder for local governments to obtain state aid for transit projects. The draft Senate budget includes language that says transit projects of any sort -- including "intercity rail, commuter rail [and] light rail" -- can qualify only for the lowest-level allocations the governor has proposed. That's the 30 percent of the money, statewide, that's destined for allocation on an equal-share basis to each of the N.C. Department of Transportation's 14 operating divisions. Herald-Sun (Durham, NC), May 22, 03:47 AM
|
May 21--SANTA CRUZ -- The Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments and the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission are working together to host two workshops in Santa Cruz County to create an integrated land use/transportation plan. According to the association's population projections, the tri-county region of Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz counties will grow by more than 150,000 people, 40,000 housing units and nearly 65,000 jobs by the year 2035. One component of the land use/transportation plan, call the Sustainable Communities Strategy, aims to reduce transportation-generated greenhouse gases during theses growth years and promote new ideas on where people live and the ways they travel. Santa Cruz Sentinel (CA), May 21, 03:48 PM
|
WASHINGTON - Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz said Tuesday he will put on hold about 20 applications to export liquefied natural gas until he reviews studies by the Energy Department and others on what impact the exports would have on domestic natural gas supplies and prices. Among the things Moniz said he wants to review is whether the data in the studies are outdated. A study commissioned by the Energy Department concluded last year that exporting natural gas would benefit the U.S. economy even if it led to higher domestic prices for the fuel. Associated Press/AP Online, May 21, 03:09 PM
|
May 21--In all likelihood, Grays Harbor Transit will be eliminating weekend bus services, citing budget issues. The change will leave little option, aside from some private taxi services, for public transportation on the Harbor on weekends. "Our grants that we applied for did not come in like we thought they would," General Manager Mark Carlin told The Daily World. Daily World, The (Aberdeen, WA), May 21, 03:02 PM
|
May 21--In a large country with myriad natural threats, some responders are more experienced than others in handling certain types of disasters. Certain phenomena, such as earthquakes and hurricanes, typically don't happen in some areas of the country. In 2011, tornado activity was observed in places that rarely see it, from Northern California to the East Coast and in between, leaving some residents in disbelief that the weather phenomena actually occurred there. Emergency Management, May 21, 02:18 PM
|
May 21--The Park District of Highland Park has been awarded $25,997 from the Illinois Clean Energy Foundation to cover 30 percent of an environmentally friendly geothermal heating and cooling system at the Rosewood Beach interpretive center. Rick Stumpf, the park district's Director of Planning and Projects, said construction on the project is expected to begin in late summer, with an schedule completion of early summer 2014. The geothermal system consists of a series of wells drilled about 20 feet into the ground, where the earth's temperature remains somewhere between 50-60 degrees throughout the year, Stumpf said. Chicago Tribune, May 21, 02:12 PM
|
PORTLAND, Ore. - Oral health and politics collided Tuesday as Portlanders - proudly nonconformist and environmentally minded - decided whether their city remains the largest in the U.S. without public fluoridation. But by Tuesday it was too late to rely on the postman, so drop boxes have been placed across the city to accommodate those who waited until the final day to make a decision, as well as people who didn't want to pay for postage. If voters say no, Portland will remain the largest U.S. city without fluoride in the water or plans to add it to combat tooth decay. Associated Press/AP Online, May 21, 10:26 PM
|
EU's planned solar duties against China "grave mistake": German vice chancellor BERLIN, May 20 (Xinhua) -- German Vice Chancellor and Economy Minister Philipp Roesler said at the weekend that European Commission's agreement to back a proposal to levy punitive duties on Chinese solar panels is a "grave mistake." Roesler told Welt am Sonntag newspaper in an interview on Sunday that punitive duties are the wrong instrument to deal with the dispute, adding that he expects the European Commission to prevent an all-out trade conflict and solve the dispute through a negotiation and dialogue. China Economic Information Service (Xinhua), May 21, 10:53 AM
|
Connecticut commuters who endured slow trips to work Monday because of last week's train collision may only suffer one more day of chaos. Service west of New Haven was suspended after Friday's derailment that left 76 people injured. The collision occurred about 6 p.m. after a train heading east from Grand Central Terminal derailed near Bridgeport and collided with a train heading west from New Haven. New Haven Register (CT), May 21, 08:30 PM
|
Three days after a train crash near the Fairfield-Bridgeport line left more than 70 people injured and threw public transportation into near chaos, there's still a lot we don't know. Investigators are focusing their probe on a small section of rail where one train derailed and collided with another during rush hour Friday. Three of the injured passengers remained hospitalized Monday at Bridgeport Hospital, one of them in critical condition. New Haven Register (CT), May 21, 08:30 PM
|
May 21--Miami-Dade commissioners swallowed hard medicine Tuesday, approving an agreement with the federal and state governments to settle violations of environmental laws and committing $1.6 billion over the next 15 years to fix the county's antiquated water and sewer pipes. "Without water, we can't live. In addition to the $1.6 billion in repairs, the county will have to incur other expenses, including $15 million to cover maintenance and management costs, $2 million over five years from general-obligation bond funds to install sewers in an industrial and commercial area north of the Miami River to reduce water pollution, a one-time $978,100 civil fine and $825,000 to hire an outside monitor to oversee the decree's implementation. Miami Herald (FL), May 21, 08:12 PM
|
May 21--Sidewalks, streets and other public transportation projects could get a boost in Oak Park if the village receives a federal grant trustees agreed to seek this week that could be worth millions. The board of trustees Monday supported village staff's application for a grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation that would go specifically toward enhancing public infrastructure in the village's downtown districts, which include Lake Street from Harlem Avenue to Euclid Avenue, north and south of Lake Street and public streets that connect the Downtown Oak Park Business District and the Hemingway Business District and the Pleasant District. The village has applied for the same grant at least two times in the past unsuccessfully, said Village Manager Cara Pavlicek, but Trustee Ray Johnson said Monday some communities apply up to eight times before being rewarded money. Chicago Tribune, May 21, 06:13 PM
|
TOKYO -- Hundreds of residents and evacuees from just outside Fukushima say they have been unfairly denied full compensation despite high radiation levels in their area caused by Japan's 2011 nuclear disaster. Nearly 700 residents from the Hippo district of Miyagi prefecture, just north of Fukushima, are demanding equal compensation to the residents of Fukushima prefecture where the accident occurred. They demanded Tuesday that the nuclear plant's operator, Tokyo Electric Power Co., pay them an additional 70 million yen ($690,000) in damages from the Fukushima Dai-ichi meltdowns and radiation fallout. Associated Press, May 21, 06:52 AM
|
A deadly tornado hit suburban Oklahoma City on Monday. They're not easy to incorporate in the large computer simulations scientists use to gauge the impact of global warming. And when scientists ponder the key weather ingredients that lead to twisters, there's still no clear answer about whether to expect more or fewer twisters. Associated Press/AP Online, May 21, 05:20 PM
|
May 21--At least three Republican state lawmakers rallied Monday on the Capitol steps with backers of a gas tax and fee increase that would pay for roads, ferries, mass transit and other transportation improvements. Democrats such as House Transportation Committee Chairwoman Judy Clibborn, Gov. Jay Inslee and U.S. Rep. Denny Heck want it approved in the Legislature this year. Rep. Hans Zeiger and Sen. Bruce Dammeier, two GOP advocates of extending state Route 167 from their hometown of Puyallup to the Port of Tacoma, spoke to the crowd of a couple hundred people, many of them union workers. News Tribune (Tacoma, WA), May 21, 05:38 AM
|