TransportGooru

New Mexico is the most recent case in a rash of rest-stop closures that has affected states from Vermont to California. Facing enormous budget deficits, many states have raided transportation funds, forcing them to shut down all but the most necessary of operations. For Arizona, Louisiana and Virginia, the shuttering of roadside rest stops has become one of the most visible signs of the current budget crisis. In Delaware, however, the story couldn’t possibly be more different. Last month, Delaware unveiled a sparkling new 42,000-square foot welcome center on the busy Interstate 95 corridor. Not only did Delaware not spend a dime constructing what amounts to a $35 million mini-mall in the highway median. The rest stop actually makes Delaware money. The state’s contract with HMSHost, a company that runs retail operations at many airports, gives Delaware a percentage of revenues from sales of gas, food and other goods — at least $1.6 million per year for 35 years. There’s always been a difference between the highly commercialized highway rest areas in the Northeast and those in the South and West, where the stops often are little more than parking lots with bathrooms and perhaps some vending machines. But the contrast has never been more stark than it is now. The states with commercialized rest stops like Delaware are free to find ways to milk them for more and more revenue. Meanwhile, the states without commercialization are coming to see highway rest areas as a financial drain they might just as well do without. Read more at www.stateline.org

Two hundred and fifty-nine miles per hour. That’s how fast the Sikorsky X2 flew during a recent test flight in Florida. The flight broke a record that had stood since 1986 when a Westland Lynx managed 249 mph. And Sikorsky isn’t done yet. The X2 is a technology demonstrator aimed at developing helicopters that easily cruise up to double the speed of traditional helicopters. Using a twin rotor design, a pusher prop and numerous aerodynamic improvements, Sikorsky says this type of design could lead to helicopters that are easily capable of even higher cruise speeds. Read more at www.wired.com

DOT, State Farm join ESPN “On the Road to Camp” with Stop Distracted Driving safety message How do you visit 32 NFL training camps in 19 days? If you’re ESPN NFL Insiders Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefter, you take the bus. In this case, two buses, and each of these twin tour buses sports the “Stop Distracted Driving” message, courtesy of DOT and State Farm. Mort and Adam will cross the nation–Mort in the West and Adam in the East–touring all 32 NFL training camps and helping spread the important safety message that, before you pick up the keys, you should put that mobile device down. The tour began on July 29 in Canton, Ohio, home of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. And, as ESPN’s popular on-air personalities log over 15,000 combined miles by August 16, they’ll be broadcasting updates and publishing all sorts of interactive content on the web. More important to me is that Mort and Adam use their influence to let players and fans at camp know that texting or talking on the phone while driving is a dangerous and deadly epidemic. By reminding all drivers to “Put it Down,” we can help prevent thousands of deaths and injuries and keep our roads safe. Read more at fastlane.dot.gov

The Chinese government has said repeatedly that it intends the country to become the world leader in development, production and use of electric cars and other alternative energy vehicles.

Now comes a report that it is preparing to put its money behind that promise. The Shanghai Securities News says China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has prepared a new 10-year plan, slated for approval by the State Council later this month, that sets aside 100 billion yuan (U.S. $14,7 billion) for development and adoption of alternative energy vehicles. The unattributed news report says that China hopes to produce 500,000 alt-energy vehicles annually starting in 2011. Analysts at IHS Global Insight say this proposed expenditure is in addition to about $3 billion in already-approved hybrid and plug-in electric vehicle subsidies for private and commercial purchases and that China also is increasing its focus on development of a national EV charging network. Read more at blogs.edmunds.com

AMSTERDAM — She’s not afraid of pirates. She’s packed plenty of school books. And she’s going to miss her family and her dog, Spot.

Fourteen-year-old Laura Dekker hopped onto her boat Wednesday and sailed off from the Netherlands hoping to become the youngest person to make a solo voyage around the world.

About 100 supporters waved as Laura and her father Dick Dekker left the southern Dutch harbor of Den Osse in her 38-foot (11.5-meter) yacht Guppy, bound for Portugal where she plans to leave her father and begin her circumnavigation attempt.

Last week, Laura won a legal battle when a court released her from the guardianship of Dutch child protection agencies. They had blocked her initial plan to depart at age 13 over fears for her safety and psychological health during the trip, which will likely take around a year.

Dekker’s case has fueled a global debate over the wisdom of allowing ever-younger sailors to take on the tremendous risks of sailing the high seas alone.

If she completes the voyage, any record she claims would be unofficial and likely to be challenged. The Guinness’ World Records and the World Sailing Speed Record Council have decided they will no longer recognize records for “youngest” sailors to avoid encouraging overly optimistic youths backed by ambitious parents from seeking a world record.

In June, 16-year-old American teen Abby Sunderland had to be rescued in a remote section of the Indian Ocean during an attempt to circle the globe. A huge wave snapped her mast and left her helpless until she was eventually rescued by a French fishing boat more than 2,000 miles (3,200 kilometers) west of Australia. Read more at www.washingtonpost.com

While Streetfilms was in Copenhagen for the Velo-City 2010 conference, of course we wanted to showcase its biking greatness.  But we were also looking to take a different perspective then all the myriad other videos out there.  Since there were an abundance of advocates, planners, and city transportation officials attending from the U.S. and Canada, we thought it’d be awesome to get their reactions to the city’s built environment and compare to bicycling conditions in their own cities.

If you’ve never seen footage of the Copenhagen people riding bikes during rush hour – get ready – it’s quite a site, as nearly 38% of all transportation trips in Copenhagen are done by bike.  With plenty of safe, bicycle infrastructure (including hundreds of miles of physically separated cycletracks) its no wonder that you see all kinds of people on bikes everywhere.  55% of all riders are female, and you see kids as young as 3 or 4 riding with packs of adults. Read more at www.streetfilms.org

The religious order that was home to three nuns whose car was hit Sunday morning by an alleged drunk driver in Northern Virginia said it is upset at what it views as the politicization of the incident.

Sister Glenna Smith, a spokeswoman for the Benedictine Sisters, said Tuesday that “we are dismayed” by reports that the crash, which killed one woman and critically injured two others, is focusing attention on the man’s status as an alleged illegal immigrant. Critics of federal immigration policy have seized on the crash.

“The fact the he had DUIs is really poignant, but he’s a child of God and deserves to be treated with dignity,” Smith said of the driver, Carlos A. Martinelly Montano. “I don’t want to make a pro- or anti-immigrant statement but simply a point that he is an individual human person and we will be approaching him with mercy. Denise, of all us, would be the first to offer forgiveness.” Read more at www.washingtonpost.com

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