Government Newspaper.
Your Source for Daily Government News, Information and Research
Department of Transportation Updates
DOT 167-08
Three New Federally Funded Runways Open In Washington Dulles, Chicago O’Hare and Seattle-Tacoma International Airports
###
For the Dulles Fact Sheet - click here http://www.dot.gov/affairs/DullesFactSheet.htm
You are subscribed to DOT News for Department of Transportation. This information has recently been updated, and is now available.
FHWA 24-08
Highway Trust Fund Revenue Falls $3 Billion in Single Year as Americans Drove Almost 11 Billion Fewer Miles This September
WASHINGTON -- The Highway Trust Fund, the federal government’s primary source for financing highway, bridge and transit projects, took in $3 billion fewer in Fiscal Year 2008 as Americans drove 90 billion miles less over 11 months of the same fiscal year, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary E. Peters announced today. The trend underscores the need to find a new way to finance transportation projects in America, she added.
“Our current approach has us encouraging Americans to change their driving habits and burn less fuel while secretly hoping they drive more so we can finance new bridges, repair interstates and expand transit systems,” said Secretary Peters. “We need a new approach that compliments, instead of contradicts, our energy policies and infrastructure needs.”
The Secretary noted that Americans drove 4.4 percent less, or 10.7 billion fewer vehicle miles traveled (VMT), in September 2008 than September 2007, the eleventh-straight month of declining driving. The trend is most evident in rural interstate travel, which fell by 8 percent that month, while urban interstate travel declined by 3.9 percent.
As a result of the continued decline in VMT, the Highway Trust Fund, which is primarily funded through federal gas tax receipts, collected $31 billion in revenue between October 2007 and September 2008 – $3 billion less than it collected the previous year, while federal transportation spending increased by $2 billion.
The Secretary noted that, if VMT continues to decline, the Highway Trust Fund may experience another shortfall sooner than expected. For this reason, she again urged Congress to fundamentally change the nation’s approach to financing and managing transportation systems.
In addition to reversing the tremendous growth in wasteful spending, the Secretary also urged Congress to act on the Administration’s surface transportation reform proposal, “Refocus, Reform, Renew,” which would give state and local officials new sources of revenue and new flexibility to finance transportation projects that will improve commutes.
“We can keep trying to patch our broken transportation policies, or we can embrace the kinds of changes needed to keep American commuters moving, shippers hauling and the economy moving,” said Secretary Peters.
To review the VMT data in FHWA’s “Traffic Volume rends” reports, including that of September 2008, visit http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ohim/tvtw/tvtpage.htm.
# # #
You are subscribed to DOT News for Department of Transportation. This information has recently been updated, and is now available.
Weddnesday, November 19, 2008
MEDIA ADVISORY
BTS Reports that U.S. Freight Shipments with Canada and Mexico Reached a Record High in 2007
-END-
You are subscribed to DOT News for Department of Transportation. This information has recently been updated, and is now available.
REMARKS FOR
Good morning, Mr. President. It is an honor and a privilege for us to have you here today.
###
For direct access to the Civil Penalties Final Rule click on http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main?main=DocumentDetail&o=09000064807aea9e
For direct access to the Domestic Baggage Liability Final Rule click on http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main?main=DocumentDetail&o=09000064807ae961
For direct access to the Consumer NPRM click on http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main?main=DocumentDetail&o=09000064807aecba
For the White House Fact Sheet click on http://www.dot.gov/affairs/WHFactSheet.htm
You are subscribed to DOT News for Department of Transportation. This information has recently been updated, and is now available.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
MEDIA ADVISORY
BTS Releases September Passenger Airline Employment Data;
U.S. scheduled passenger airlines employed 4.5 percent fewer workers in September 2008 than in September 2007, the third consecutive decrease in full-time equivalent employee (FTE) levels for the scheduled passenger carriers from the same month of the previous year and the largest year-to-year decrease since July 2006, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), a part of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA), reported today.
A news release and summary tables can be found at www.bts.gov. More information on airline employment and data from previous years are posted on the BTS website at http://www.bts.gov/programs/airline_information/number_of_employees/
-END-
You are subscribed to DOT News for Department of Transportation. This information has recently been updated, and is now available.
Monday, November 17, 2008
President Bush to Announce New Measures to Ease Holiday Travel, Protect Air Travelers During Visit to U.S. Department of Transportation on Tuesday, November 18 at 9:55 a.m. (EST)
Tomorrow, Tuesday, November 18 at 9:55 a.m. (EST), President George W. Bush will announce new holiday air travel and consumer protection measures designed to improve air travel during an address to employees of the U.S. Department of Transportation, at its Washington, D.C. Headquarters.
The remarks are open to credentialed media only and media must RSVP no later than
WHO: President George W. Bush
WHAT: Announcement of New Measures to Ease Holiday Travel, Protect Air Travelers
WHEN: Tuesday, November 18
WHERE: U.S. Department of Transportation Headquarters – East Building
You are subscribed to DOT News for Department of Transportation. This information has recently been updated, and is now available.
Monday, November 17, 2008
President Bush to Announce New Measures to Ease Holiday Travel, Protect Air Travelers During Visit to U.S. Department of Transportation on Tuesday, November 18 at 9:55 a.m. (EDT)
Tomorrow, Tuesday, November 18 at 9:55 a.m. (EDT), President George W. Bush will announce new holiday air traveland consumer protection measures designed to improve air travel during an address to employees of the U.S. Department of Transportation, at its Washington DC Headquarters.
The remarks are open to credentialed media only and media must RSVP no later than
WHO: President George W. Bush
WHAT: Announcement of New Measures to Ease Holiday Travel, Protect Air Travelers
WHEN: Tuesday, November 18
WHERE: U.S. Department of Transportation Headquarters – East Building
You are subscribed to DOT News for Department of Transportation. This information has recently been updated, and is now available.
You are subscribed to DOT News for Department of Transportation. This information has recently been updated, and is now available.
U.S. Department of Transportation
News
STATEMENT FROM U.S. SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION MARY E. PETERS REGARDING THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD’S FINAL REPORT ON THE COLLAPSE OF THE I-35W BRIDGE IN MINNEAPOLIS
You are subscribed to DOT News for Department of Transportation. This information has recently been updated, and is now available.
U.S. Department of Transportation
News
BTS Releases August 2008 Airline Traffic Data;
The number of scheduled domestic and international passengers on U.S. airlines during the first eight months of 2008 declined by 1.4 percent from the same period in 2007, dropping to 516.2 million, 7.3 million fewer than a year earlier, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), a part of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA), today reported in a release of preliminary data.
-END-
Thursday, November 13, 2008
MEDIA ADVISORY
BTS Releases Freight Transportation Services Index (TSI);
The Freight Transportation Services Index (TSI) fell 2.5 percent in September from its August level, declining for the second consecutive month, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), a part of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA), reported today.
A news release summarizing the data may be obtained at www.dot.gov/affairs/briefing.htm. TSI data can be found on the BTS website http://www.bts.gov/xml/tsi/src/index.xml.
You are subscribed to DOT News for Department of Transportation. This information has recently been updated, and is now available.
Contact: Brian Turmail, Tel.: (202) 366-4570
Thursday, November 20, 2008
A Week Before Thanksgiving
New Runways Latest Success in Bush Administration’s Efforts to Expand Aviation Capacity, Improve Air Travel Experience
New runways at three of the nation’s busiest airports mean countless travelers will experience fewer delays and better service one week before the start of the Thanksgiving holiday travel season, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters announced today. Peters, who is scheduled to attend all three runway openings noted they were the latest in a series of measures the Administration was taking to improve air travel.
“These new runways are a testimony to the power of perseverance, the wisdom of foresight and the audacity of action,” said Secretary Peters. “Taken together, they will cut delays, improve service and help make the flying experience better for millions of travelers.”
The Secretary said the new runways opening today at Washington Dulles, Chicago O’Hare and Seattle-Tacoma International Airports would allow for an additional 330,000 take-offs and landings each year. She added that the runways, which were built with $643 million in federal airport improvement program funds, also will help reduce delays at the three airports and in other communities served by the facilities.
Secretary Peters said the runways are the 12th, 13th and 14th facilities opened since December of 2001. She added that over the past eight years the federal government has invested over $50 billion in new runway and taxiway projects, new airport facilities and new air traffic control technology.
“There’s nothing a pilot likes more than to touch down or take off on a new slab of concrete,” said Acting Federal Aviation Administrator Bobby Sturgell, a former commercial pilot who also is scheduled to attend all three openings.
Secretary Peters said that the Department of Transportation also has taken 30 different actions to break the bottleneck at the three New York airports that experience record airline delays during the summer of 2007. Those measures include redesigning the region’s airspace routes, setting hourly caps at two of the three airports, lowering the cap at the third and committing tens of millions of dollars to expand and improve taxiways.
“Our efforts have been driven by a single purpose, improving the air travel experience,” Secretary Peters said. She added that earlier this week President Bush announced the opening of military airspace for the Thanksgiving holiday, as well as new proposals to protect travelers from extended tarmac delays, and increase the amount of compensation for lost baggage and a range of consumer issues.
“Hopefully, thanks to these new runways, travelers suffering from heartburn will have Grandma’s dinner, and not their trip, to blame,” said the Secretary.
Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2008
Contact: Doug Hecox
Tel.: (202) 366-0660
Eleven-Month Decline in U.S. Driving Shows Need for New Way to Finance America’s Road, Bridge and Transit Projects
Contact: Dave Smallen, Tel.: (202) 366-5568
Goods valued at more than $909 billion crossed the U.S. border in trade with Canada and Mexico in 2007, 4.9 percent higher than the previous record set in 2006, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), a part of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA), reported today as it released the third annual update of the North American Transportation Statistics (NATS) online database.
A news release and summary tables can be found at www.bts.gov. The NATS database can be found at http://nats.sct.gob.mx/
THE HONORABLE MARY PETERS
SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION
PRESIDENTIAL VISIT TO U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
FOR HOLIDAY AVIATION ANNOUNCEMENTS
INTRODUCTION OF THE PRESIDENT
WASHINGTON, DC
NOVEMBER 18, 2008
9:55 AM
More so than ever before, transportation – the way we get to work, the way we travel for business or pleasure – is the topic of front page stories and dinner conversations in towns and cities across America.
Today, our roads and skies are safer; our need to reform is clearer; and our commitment to innovate is stronger than it has ever been. That is because you have made transportation a priority for this country.
Under your leadership, we have saved lives, pursued new ways to build and maintain our highways, and tackled congestion in the air and on the ground.
Yet all the while, you have made sure we never forget our absolute obligation to be good stewards of the American people’s trust and tax dollars.
Most importantly, you have made us proud to serve this great country of ours.
Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in welcoming the 43rd President of the United States, George W. Bush.
For the Next Gen Executive Order click on http://www.dot.gov/affairs/ExecutiveOrder.htm
Contact: Dave Smallen, Tel.: (202) 366-5568
September 2008 Employment Down 4.5 Percent from September 2007
Contact: Brian Turmail
Tel.: (202) 366-4570
4 p.m. EDT on Monday, November 17, 2008. Call Lori Irving at 202-366-9268 to RSVP. Live news trucks must arrive no later than 6:30 a.m. EST on Tuesday, November 18. Media should report to the 3rd Street Entrance of the Department’s East Building. The East Building is located on M Street SE between 3rd and 4th Streets SE. Doors will Close at 9:15 a.m.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters
9:55 a.m. (EST)
Doors Will Close at 9:15 a.m.
1201 4th Street, SE
Entrance located at M and 3rd Street, SE
Call Lori Irving at 202-366-9268 to RSVP.
###
Contact: Brian Turmail
Tel.: (202) 366-4570
4 p.m. EDT on Monday, November 17, 2008. Call Lori Irving at 202-366-9268 to RSVP. Live news trucks must arrive no later than 6:30 a.m. EST on Tuesday, November 18, 2008. Media should report to 3rd Street Entrance of the Department’s East Building. The East Building is located on M Street SE between 3rd and 4th Streets SE. Doors Will Close at 9:15 a.m.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters
9:55 a.m. (EDT)
Doors Will Close at 9:15 a.m.
1201 4th Street, SE
Entrance located at M and 3rd Street, SE
Call Lori Irving at 202-366-9268 to RSVP.
###
Office of Public Affairs
Washington, D.C.
www.dot.gov/affairs/briefing.htm
DOT 164-08
Contact: Ian Grossman
Friday, November 14, 2008
Tel.: (202) 366-0660
The National Transportation Safety Board's final report should help close what has been a painful chapter for those who lost family and friends on that fateful day last August. All of us in the business of transportation safety have an absolute responsibility to ensure that the right lessons and the right conclusions are drawn from this terrible incident. In that light, we are acting immediately to ensure that transportation officials nationwide understand and act on the Board's findings. Many of the conclusions track with guidance we have previously issued to states over the past 14 months. Based on the Board's findings and the need to ensure the structural integrity of gusset plates on bridges across the country, I am directing the Federal Highway Administration to work with the states to improve upon quality controls during the bridge design process. I am further directing the Federal Highway Administration to revise its training materials and inspection procedures to include specific guidance for reviewing gusset plates during all appropriate inspections. The Board's conclusion that this tragic collapse was caused by a design failure is an important reminder that we must maintain the highest quality controls throughout the design and construction of our nation's highways and bridges.
# # #
Office of Public Affairs
Washington, D.C.
www.dot.gov/affairs/briefing.htm
Friday, November 14, 2008
Contact: Dave Smallen
Tel.: (202) 366-5568
Eight-Month 2008 System Traffic Down 1.4 Percent from 2007 and Down 5.1 Percent in August
A news release summarizing the data may be obtained at www.dot.gov/affairs/briefing.htm. Airline traffic data can be found on the BTS website at TranStats, the Intermodal Transportation Database at http://transtats.bts.gov. Click on “Aviation,” then on “Air Carrier Statistics (Form 41 Traffic),” then on “T-100 Domestic Market.”
Contact: Dave Smallen, Tel.: (202) 366-5568
Freight Index Fell 2.5 Percent in September from August
-END-