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Monday, November 17, 2008

Major boost for East of England as planned A11 dualling brought forward

Suffolk and Norfolk residents and commuters could benefit from better, more reliable and safer journeys 18 months earlier than expected, after the planned start date for dualling of the A11 was brought forward to 2010 by Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon.

Following discussions with local MPs, councils and the Regional Assembly, Mr Hoon has confirmed crucial improvement work to the A11 between Fiveways and Thetford can be brought forward from 2012/13, subject to consideration of any objections to the scheme and the outcome of statutory processes. This would enable this important scheme to open to traffic in early 2013, 18 months ahead of the previous timetable.

Geoff Hoon said:

"The Government is committed to bringing forward infrastructure investment wherever possible, so I am pleased to confirm that today I have asked the Highways Agency to work towards delivering this much needed scheme to dual the last single carriageway stretch of the A11 at the earliest opportunity - subject to the outcome of statutory planning and order making processes.

"The region has confirmed improvement work to this heavily used road which connects the East of England with London and the Midlands via the motorway network is a top priority which will bring increased capacity, improved journey times and safety, and provide a big boost to the region's economy.

"Bringing start of works forward to Autumn 2010 would mean road users would benefit from the improvements around 18 months earlier than originally planned. It will also provide better value for money, costing around £8 million less than it would to start work in 2012/13. This scheme confirms the Government's commitment to delivering transport improvements to the East of England."

Barbara Follett, Regional Minister for the East of England, said:

"Today's announcement of a planned earlier start on an upgrade to the A11 is great news for the East of England and will boost the economy during these difficult times.

"This is the Government's commitment to support key infrastructure projects despite the downturn in the economy in action and is, I believe, the result of effective partnership working locally, regionally and nationally.

"As Chair of the East of England Regional Economic Forum I will continue to work with all stakeholders to ensure that we can help support the region's economy."

Roger Hawkins, project manager for the Highways Agency, said:
"Completing the dualling of the A11 between the M11 and Norwich will significantly contribute to improving journey time reliability and ease congestion. The scheme includes a bypass that will take traffic away from Elveden, bringing substantial benefits to the village which has Conservation Area status."

Draft Orders for the scheme will be published shortly by the Highways Agency.

Depending on the nature and weight of any objections to the proposals, a Public Inquiry may be held.

posted by transport blogs @ 11:40 PM permanent link | Post a Comment | 0 comments

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Tarmac Delay Task Force's Model Contingency Plan

"Last December I created a task force to develop a model contingency plan that would address the needs of passengers who are subject to lengthy ground delays aboard aircraft. Today, the task force voted 34-1 in favor of a model contingency planning document that can be used by airlines and airports to develop their own individualized plans to deal with lengthy tarmac delays. I deeply appreciate the time, efforts and thoughts of all the representatives of airlines, airports, consumer groups and the Department who served on this task force. As we continue our efforts to improve protections for airline passengers, this document and the viewpoints of all the task force members should provide a valuable resource to minimize the hardships to passengers resulting from lengthy airline ground delays. I look forward to reviewing the document in the coming days."

To view the task force recommendations, .

posted by transport blogs @ 9:07 PM permanent link | Post a Comment | 0 comments

Monday, November 10, 2008

Airline On-Time Performance Improves in September

Flights operated by the nation's largest airlines arrived on time at a higher rate this past September than in either September of last year or in August 2008, according to the Air Travel Consumer Report released today by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT).

According to information filed with the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), a part of DOT's Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA), the 19 carriers reporting on-time performance recorded an overall on-time arrival rate of 84.9 percent in September, higher than both September 2007's 81.7 percent and August 2008's 78.4 percent.

The monthly report also includes data on flight cancellations and the causes of flight delays, as well as information on reports of mishandled baggage filed with the carriers, airline bumping and consumer service, disability and discrimination complaints received by DOT's Aviation Consumer Protection Division. This report also includes reports of incidents involving pets traveling by air, as required to be filed by U.S. carriers.

Cancellations

The consumer report includes BTS data on the number of domestic flights canceled by the reporting carriers. In September, the carriers canceled 1.8 percent of their scheduled domestic flights, a higher rate than both the 1.1 percent cancellation rate of September 2008 and the 1.6 percent rate posted in August 2008.

Causes of Flight Delays

In September, the carriers filing on-time performance data reported that 5.10 percent of their flights were delayed by aviation system delays, compared to 6.68 percent in August; 3.62 percent by late-arriving aircraft, compared to 6.32 percent in August; 4.02 percent by factors within the airline’s control, such as maintenance or crew problems, compared to 5.82 percent in August; 0.40 percent by extreme weather, compared to 0.82 percent in August; and 0.02 percent for security reasons, compared to 0.04 percent in August. Weather is a factor in both the extreme-weather category and the aviation-system category. This includes delays due to the re-routing of flights by DOT's Federal Aviation Administration in consultation with the carriers involved. Weather is also a factor in delays attributed to late-arriving aircraft, although airlines do not report specific causes in that category.

Data collected by BTS also shows the percentage of late flights delayed by weather, including those reported in either the category of extreme weather or included in National Aviation System delays. In September, 37.07 percent of late flights were delayed by weather, up 8.52 percent from September 2007, when 34.16 percent of late flights were delayed by weather, and down 5.82 percent from August when 39.36 percent of late flights were delayed by weather.

Detailed information on flight delays and their causes is available on the BTS site on the World Wide Web at http://www.bts.gov.

Mishandled Baggage

The U.S. carriers reporting flight delays and mishandled baggage data posted a mishandled baggage rate of 3.86 reports per 1,000 passengers in September, an improvement over both September 2007's rate of 5.36 and August 2008's 4.98 rate. For the first nine months of this year, the carriers posted a mishandled baggage rate of 5.41 per 1,000 passengers, down from the 7.26 rate posted during January-September 2007.

Bumping

The report also includes reports of involuntary denied boarding, or bumping, for the third quarter and first nine months of this year from U.S. carriers who also report flight delay information. These carriers posted a bumping rate of 1.03 per 10,000 passengers for the quarter, up from the 0.99 rate for the third quarter of 2007. For the first nine months of this year, the carriers had a bumping rate of 1.11 per 10,000 passengers, down from the rate of 1.22 rate posted during the first nine months of 2007.

Incidents Involving Pets

In September, carriers reported no incidents involving pets while traveling by air, down from four incidents in August.

Complaints About Airline Service

In September, the Department received 684 complaints about airline service from consumers, down 23.8 percent from the 898 complaints filed in September 2007 and 32.0 percent fewer than the total of 1,006 received in August 2008. For the first nine months of this year the Department received 8,786 complaints, 15.7 percent fewer than the 10,420 complaints filed during January-September 2007.

Complaints About Treatment of Disabled Passengers

The report also contains a tabulation of complaints filed with DOT in September against specific airlines regarding the treatment of passengers with disabilities. The Department received a total of 40 disability-related complaints in September, down 18.4 percent from the 49 filed in September 2007 and 2.4 percent fewer than the 41 complaints received in August 2008. For the first nine months of this year the Department received 372 disability-related complaints, up one-half of one percent from the 370 disability complaints filed during January-September 2007.

Complaints About Discrimination

In September, the Department received 10 complaints alleging discrimination by airlines due to factors other than disability – such as race, religion, national origin or sex – the same number recorded in September 2007 and down from the total of 17 received in August 2008. For the first nine months of this year the Department received 91 discrimination complaints, up 9.6 percent from the total of 83 filed during January-September 2007.

Consumers may file their complaints in writing with the Aviation Consumer Protection Division, U.S. Department of Transportation, C-75, W96-432, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE, Washington, DC 20590; by voice mail at (202) 366-2220 or by TTY at (202) 366-0511; or on the web at http://airconsumer.ost.dot.gov.

Consumers who want on-time performance data for specific flights should call their airline's reservation number or their travel agent. This information is available on the computerized reservation systems used by these agents.

The Air Travel Consumer Report can be found on DOT's World Wide Web site at http://airconsumer.ost.dot.gov. It is available in "pdf" and Microsoft Word format.

posted by transport blogs @ 11:40 PM permanent link | Post a Comment | 0 comments

Thursday, November 6, 2008

New Data Show Drinking Age Laws Saved 4,441 Lives Over 5 Years

WASHINGTON - Minimum 21-year-old drinking age laws prevented an estimated 4,441 drunken driving deaths in the last five years alone, according to a new report released today by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

NHTSA Acting Administrator David Kelly, who today presented the report at a symposium on the subject led by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) said, "Turning our back on these laws would be a deadly mistake. Minimum drinking age laws are among the most effective measures ever used to reduce drunken driving deaths among America's young people."

In addition to estimating lives saved due to 21-year-old minimum drinking age laws, the new NHTSA study shows the number of lives saved by motorcycle helmets has risen sharply in recent years, paralleling an increase in motorcycle use. Agency estimates indicate that lives saved by helmets rose from 1,173 in 2003 to 1,784 in 2007. For the five-year period ending last year, fully 7,502 lives were spared because motorcyclists used helmets.

The new statistical report examined a series of additional safety issues, and showed that in 2007 alone: frontal air bags saved 2,788 passengers age 13 and older; child safety seats saved 358 lives of children age 4 and under; seat belts saved 15,147 and could have saved another 5,024 lives had they been worn by all vehicle occupants involved in fatal crashes.

To view the new NHTSA report, please

posted by transport blogs @ 9:09 PM permanent link | Post a Comment | 0 comments

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Governor Blagojevich Announces Nearly $6 Million in Federal Funds to Improve Public Transportation in Downstate Illinois

CHICAGO - In an effort to improve public transportation services in downstate Illinois, Governor Rod R. Blagojevich today announced a total of $5.88 million in federal grants to 16 downstate transit agencies and local governments. The funding will go towards the purchase of new buses and the construction of new facilities to make local public transportation more safe and reliable.

"Many of these agencies are the sole providers of public transportation in their communities. These grants will help our downstate transit agencies continue to provide safe and reliable service to their customers and the riding public in Illinois," said Governor Blagojevich.

The grants, from the Illinois Department of Transportation's (IDOT) Division of Public and Intermodal Transportation or the Federal Transit Administration, will provide federal funding from the Discretionary Bus and Bus Facility Program. This program is made possible by federal funding that was requested and received by the State of Illinois earlier this year.

"Public transportation ridership is on the rise across the state," said IDOT Secretary Milton R. Sees. "This funding will give downstate transit agencies and local governments the opportunity to upgrade the service they provide to the general public."

IDOT's Division of Public and Intermodal Transportation provides technical assistance and administers state and federal operating and capital funds to public transportation systems throughout the state. Together, these agencies serve an average of 600 million passengers a year. Operating funds from IDOT assist public transportation systems in providing necessary day-to-day public transportation service within their community.

Capital funds are used to purchase new buses and rail transit cars, the rehabilitation and new construction of transit maintenance and garage facilities and stations, and the upgrading of rail track. The Division of Public and Intermodal Transportation also assists non-profit agencies throughout the state in the purchase of special vehicles and equipment to serve the needs of the elderly and individuals with disabilities.

"Annually, we see an ever demanding need to replace older vehicles, provide vehicles for new or expanded service and as more and more Illinois residents are utilizing public transportation, the need for transit funding will continue to increase in the upcoming years," said Linda Podeschi, Executive Director, Illinois Public Transportation Association. "This awards announcement could not come at a more opportune time for these 16 downstate systems."

posted by transport blogs @ 8:54 PM permanent link | Post a Comment | 0 comments

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Major Boost for Crossrail as BAA Agree £230m Funding

Crossrail took a significant step forward today thanks to the agreement of a £230 million funding package from BAA, Transport Minister Andrew Adonis and BAA's Strategy Director Mike Forster have announced.

In return, Crossrail will guarantee a fast train service four times an hour for the majority of the day. This will provide direct services from Heathrow airport through central London, the City and Canary Wharf and out to Shenfield and Abbey Wood.

The construction and implementation of Crossrail will also provide a boost of at least £20 billion to the UK economy and generate an extra 30,000 jobs.

Transport Minister Andrew Adonis said:

"Crossrail is the largest addition to the transport network in 50 years, and today's announcement that BAA have confirmed a £230 million funding package for the project represents a major step towards its delivery. Business has long been a strong advocate for Crossrail and this is borne out today.

"Trains will run four times an hour for most of the day - cutting journey times across London and the South East and significantly improving rail access to Heathrow for thousands of passengers and airport workers every day.

"This is a hugely important scheme for the country. Its implementation will help to generate new jobs, and so support the economy, as well as assist the revitalisation of some of London's most deprived areas by offering them a fast and reliable connection to the rest of the city."

Mike Forster, BAA's Strategy Director, added:

"We are delighted to support the Crossrail scheme, which demonstrates our commitment to improving public transport access to Heathrow. This vital new link will directly connect the City and Canary Wharf to the airport, complementing our existing Heathrow Express service and taking thousands of cars off the roads. Crossrail will be crucial in keeping London and the UK globally competitive."

Mayor of London Boris Johnson said:

"The agreement with BAA is very welcome news and underlines the commitment that businesses, as well as TfL and the Government, are showing towards delivering the funding package for Crossrail.

"This is another significant step forward in preparing for the construction of this landmark new railway. Works have already begun at Tottenham Court Road station and the contracts to design and build the multi-billion pound project are all on track to be awarded by spring 2009. All parties are committed to Crossrail's success, and together we will deliver it on time and on budget."

The new line will run from Maidenhead and Heathrow in the west through new tunnels under central London to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east. New stations will be created at Paddington, Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Farringdon, Liverpool Street, Whitechapel and the Isle of Dogs (Canary Wharf). Passengers will benefit from reduced journey times to Heathrow as Crossrail will provide direct rail services for the first time from the key business centres across central London.

Crossrail is on track to be operational in 2017, providing a 10% rail-based increase in public transport capacity across London and faster services for passengers. In a ground-breaking deal the £15.9 billion project will be funded by both Government and the businesses that are set to benefit from it. BAA's funding announcement today demonstrates the commitment of the business community to this unique project.

The legislation that allows Crossrail to progress was given Royal Assent in July this year, with work to begin in earnest in 2010.

posted by transport blogs @ 3:01 AM permanent link | Post a Comment | 0 comments

Friday, October 31, 2008

New Swindon Rail Terminal to cut congestion and carbon emissions

A new rail terminal that will help to tackle local congestion and substantially reduce carbon dioxide emissions was opened by Transport Minister Andrew Adonis today.

Trains from the Keypoint Swindon rail terminal will transport around 23,000 vehicles each year from the Honda factory to the Channel Tunnel, meaning almost 3,000 fewer transporters on the roads. This will not only help to reduce congestion on key local routes, it will also cut local CO2 emissions.

Andrew Adonis said:

"Transporting 23,000 vehicles each year by rail to continental Europe will ensure almost 3,000 trucks are taken off Swindon's roads - cutting congestion and carbon emissions on local roads.

"The amount of freight transported by rail has grown by more than 60% since the mid-1990s, which is a tremendous achievement, but we are determined to do more. That is why the Government has announced the most significant rail freight funding for decades - including around £200 million for the development of a strategic rail freight network.

"Honda's commitment to transporting Swindon built Civics and CR-Vs by rail, using the new Keypoint Swindon terminal, is to be commended and I hope that this will increase in the future. I also urge other local companies to follow suit."

The new terminal will allow Honda to export cars from their Swindon plant to their European logistics centre in Gent, Belgium. The terminal links directly to the Honda facility, and has been developed jointly between Honda and Kilbride Group. Vehicle logistics company STVA operates the movement service for Honda.

Up to two trains a week will run from the terminal, with each train carrying over 200 cars. Carrying the equivalent number of cars on the road would require 30 HGVs and substantially reducing CO2 emissions.

Last summer's 'Delivering a Sustainable Railway' White Paper set out plans for carrying 30% more freight on the network by 2014/15, including the development of a £200 million Strategic Freight Network. In 2007 the Department for Transport also announced that £150 million will be dedicated to improving rail freight infrastructure, including wider gauge clearance to enable larger wagons, capable of carrying more freight, to run on the network.

posted by transport blogs @ 10:12 PM permanent link | Post a Comment | 0 comments

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