When Vice President Joe Biden visited Minnesota's New Flyer bus company to tout the economic stimulus law's $8.4 billion investment in transit, hopes were high for a boom in cleaner-burning vehicle production -- which made for some bad press when the nationwide transit funding crunch forced New Flyer to lay off 13 percent of its workers.

But the recession hasn't dampened the economic potential of hybrid bus production, as the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) laid out today in a new report [PDF] on the industry. In fact, EDF found, transit bus companies share enough skills and regional foothold with the auto industry -- the map of bus makers pictured above could be mistaken for a map of automakers -- to pave the way for fuel-efficiency advances that would ultimately benefit all vehicles.

After noting that 32 percent of American transit buses do not rely on gas or diesel to run, today's report continues:

The bus industry serves as an important entry point for advanced vehicle technologies, especially in new vehicles that require refueling infrastructure and other major changes. For instance, since transit agencies have a well-defined base of centrally managed fleets, they are ideal for testing and proving plug-in hybrid and all-electric buses — thus leading the way for the passenger car industry.

While U.S. bus companies are well-positioned proving grounds for cleaner-burning vehicles, their export potential remains low, according to the EDF report. That's largely because the largest market for transit buses is China, where demand is expected to grow by 12 percent annually over the next decade -- double the projected growth rate in North America -- and where production standards are markedly lower.

"Emerging countries’ lower technology levels and standards appear to prevent them from competing in industrial country bus markets, while industrial countries’ higher production costs and standards appear to prevent them from competing in emerging country markets," EDF concluded.

Even so, there is a limited opening for bus supply companies to prosper on a global level. About 12,000 of Indianapolis-based Allison Transmission's 14,000 sales have come in China, and Firestone, which produces bus suspensions, has operations in China and India.

The National Academy of Science's new report on the hidden health costs of U.S. reliance on fossil fuels has generated high-profile media coverage around the country, most of it focusing on the $62 billion annual estimate for coal rather than the $56 billion projection for vehicles.

(Photo: SILive.com)

But Greenwire's write-up is particularly interesting, if only for its responses from the National Mining Association and the Competitive Enterprise Institute, a conservative and climate-denying D.C. think tank that has taken $2 million from Exxon Mobil this decade. From the Greenwire piece (sub.req'd.):

"Energy production from fossil fuels causes air pollution, which damages people's health and welfare. That was big news -- in the 1970s," Marlo Lewis, a senior fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, wrote in an e-mail. "Did we really need a 346-page study with more than 50 expert contributors to tell us that?" ...

"That aside, without energy, we'd all freeze in the dark," Lewis added. "The net cost of not having energy vastly outweighs the supposed 'hidden' costs."

Interestingly, Lewis' quip about "the net cost of not having energy" was similar in substance from the that of the Mining Association, which asserted that "the health and welfare benefits" of burning coal for electricity "clearly outweigh the cost."

MARTA train in Atlanta, Georgia, where officials are studying the link between transit and job growth.

"The federal government can promote better jobs, protect taxpayers, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by simply taking some lessons from states and cities," said Greg LeRoy, Executive Director of Good Jobs First. "These well-established safeguards are consistent with President-elect Obama’s stated goal of reforming programs to make them more transparent and cost-effective."

The study deals with five federal programs: the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant program; the Department of Labor’s Workforce Investment Act; the Department of Commerce’s Public Works and Economic Development Program; Industrial Revenue Bonds as allowed under the Internal Revenue Code; and the Department of Agriculture’s Business and Industry Guaranteed Loans Program.

The report, which could hardly be more relevant than it is today, may be downloaded here.

Photo: Michael Hinton/Flickr

A Hunter College study on cyclist behavior is making the rounds today, getting a long post on City Room. The data measure the extent to which cyclists take safety precautions and follow traffic laws. Helpful stuff to know, except that the findings are presented in a way that feeds into the worst stereotypes about cyclists and a blame-the-victim mentality toward traffic injuries and deaths.

In the post, headlined "Study Finds Cyclists Disobey Traffic Laws," the report authors call for greater helmet use and adherence to traffic laws. Again, all well and good, but leaving it at that reinforces the perception that cyclists would be much safer if only they obeyed the letter of the law. It's easy to hear echoes of NYPD's insistence, in the waning days of the Giuliani administration, that "cyclist error" was to blame in three quarters of deadly crashes. A follow-up study conducted by the advocacy group Right of Way [PDF] found otherwise:

Through careful reconstruction of crash circumstances, we were able to assign responsibility in 53 of the 71 fatal bicycle crashes during 1995-1998 for which we obtained police crash reports. We determined that drivers were highly culpable in 30 cases, partly culpable in 11 cases, and not culpable in 12 cases. Driver misconduct was thus the principal cause in 57% (30 out of 53) of the cases and a contributory factor in 78% (30 plus 11, or 41, out of 53).

Another way to view the Hunter College findings is that rates of traffic violations among cyclists are symptomatic of a system designed mainly to accommodate cars. In other words, cyclists follow the rules more when they feel safe. (City Room cites TA's Wiley Norvell to this effect, toward the bottom of the post.) This has been borne out on Ninth Avenue, where according to DOT's data, the incidence of sidewalk riding declined from five percent to below one percent after the protected path was installed.

It may seem paradoxical to some, but researchers at the University of South Whales in Australia shows that the more people that bicycle on the roads, the safer cyclists are.  The study included research from cyclists in Australia, Denmark, the Netherlands, 14 European countries and 68 Californian cities.  Put briefly, the study concludes that the more cyclists there are on the road, the more likely that drivers will recognize them as part of the transportation system and be aware of their presence.

Dr. Julie Hatfield, an injury expert from UNSW, explains what she calls the "Virtuous Cycle" of more people biking in Science Daily,

"The likelihood that an individual cyclist will be struck by a motorist falls with increasing rate of bicycling in a community. And the safer cycling is perceived to be, the more people are prepared to cycle."

If we accept the researcher's findings that to improve cyclist safety we need to get more people cycling, it raises questions about the effects of advertising campaigns built around encouraging safe cycling.  Remember the City of Los Angeles' award winning advertisement that compares cyclists to insects who need to be trained? 

Dr. Chris Rissel, co-author of a 2008 report on cycling safety with Dr. Hatfield, tells Science Daily that these types of advertiesments help keep people off their bikes and make the streets more dangerous.

"We should create a cycling friendly environment and accentuate cycling's positives rather than stress negatives with 'safety campaigns' that focus on cyclists without addressing drivers and road conditions. Reminding people of injury rates and risks, to wear helmets and reflective visible clothes has the unintended effect of reinforcing fears of cycling which discourages people from cycling."

Photo:Los Angeles Streetsblog/Flickr

• Tell us the story about the commuter rail that doesn't exist (voted down yet again). Would it run near your neighborhood, if it did?
• Tell us about the successes. Does the city leadership have the right idea? Are there projects run by nonprofit organizations or businesses worth mentioning?
• Tell us about the champions of sustainability in your city. Who's already doing it the right way?

Essays should be 500 words. Accepted entries will be rewarded with $100 and publication on a new urban sustainability web site.

Further details and the entry form are here.

Column one indicates responses for all those surveyed. Columns two, three and four show responses among those who identify as Republicans, Democrats and Independents, respectively. The poll was taken last February.

Other polls cited in the study show that Americans favor drilling for oil in the Arctic Wildlife National Refuge (50-43 percent) and believe developing new sources of energy is more important than protecting the environment (60-34 percent) -- though 73 percent believe global warming is a very serious or somewhat serious problem.

More questions and responses after the jump. You can download the entire report here.

In New York, it was the 2006 release of Growth or Gridlock, which pegged the annual price of traffic at $13 billion, that set off a public debate about congestion pricing that continues to this day. In London, the business group London First issued a similar report spurring Mayor Ken Livingstone to adopt a congestion charge. Now Chicago's Metropolitan Planning Council has released "Moving at the Speed of Congestion" [PDF], which estimates that excess traffic costs the region $7.3 billion per year.

Chicago is already in the process of implementing performance parking and launching its first BRT routes (using federal funds that New York would have received if Albany had approved congestion pricing). The new report indicates that local policy makers will be urged to go further, perhaps in the direction of congestion pricing, though not necessarily a London-style cordon.

"The report shows that if we do look at pricing it has to be with a regional focus, not just in the city," says Mandy Burrell of the MPC. "There needs to be a menu of solutions that work collectively across the region."

"Moving at the Speed of Congestion" eschews specific proposals, but the authors do note that an effective solution to the region's congestion problems won't be limited to tolling highways:

Congestion mitigation strategies that focus solely on increasing expressway speeds, perhaps by increasing expressway prices, could inadvertently divert traffic to arterials. Instead, a coordinated strategy to increase travelers' transportation options, while reducing traffic levels and increasing speeds on both expressways and arterials, will be necessary.

What sort of traffic mitigation ideas might surface following the release of the report? For now, the MPC is focused on improving Illinois's capital plan, an omnibus spending package that has not been renewed since 2004. The state legislature is currently debating a new plan, including funding for Chicago's bevy of local and regional transportation agencies.

Historically, the capital plan has diverted big chunks of money to a mishmash of member items and pork. The result? Two thousand miles of new lanes have been added to the region's highways and arterial roads over the last 20 years, while average rush-hour commute times have doubled.

The MPC wants future spending to be based on set criteria, like curbing the amount of money people have to spend at the pump, and the length of time they spend sitting in traffic. "We should be prioritizing transportation projects that reduce commutes and connect job centers," says Burrell. "Too often the projects that end up in the plan aren't the ones that reduce congestion, because the plan doesn't have stated goals."

The report suggests that one such goal should be to provide Chicagoans with more transportation options:

While some would say congestion is the result of people choosing to drive, it is equally accurate to view congestion as the result of a lack of choice. A prime example is a mass transit network that more efficiently moves people to and from home, work, stores, schools, and other transportation hubs to give people more choice in how to get around.

Photo: Metropolitan Planning Council

The LADOT and the Los Angeles Dodgers have struck a deal to bring transit back to Dodger Stadium on game day.

Starting with the first game after the all-star break and continuing through the rest of the season, buses will run from ninety minutes before gametime until roughly 60 minutes afterward. Shuttles will run every 8-10 minutes. If those 25 cent fares for DASH buses seemed to pricey, there's good news. Because LADOT is using a charter bus service that doesn't have fare boxes, the service will be provided for free.  You can read the LADOT's full report here.

It's been almost 15 years since the Dodgers, the only team to be partially named after a mode of transit, lost their transit service and this deal between the DOT and Dodgers is no guarantee it's going to stay. The proposed service is a pilot program that unless it attracts 1,000 riders per game could be discontinued by next season. The Dodgers discontinued a Friday night only service that drew only 400 riders in 2004.

The LADOT explains the service in a report to the City Council:

The route is proposed to begin at the Patsaouras Transit Plaza at Union Station (or at an alternative location in front of Union Station if the plaza proves to be.too congested) where it will connect to regional MTA bus and rail services, including the MTA Red, Purple and Gold Lines, Metrolink and Amtrak. The proposed route would exit the Transit Plaza on to northbound Vignes Street and turn left (westbound) on Cesar Chavez Ave. towards Dodger Stadium. Along the route the Dodger Shuttle service would make two intermediate stops on Cesar Chavez Ave.lSunset Blvd. The first intermediate stop is at Figueroa St., where the shuttle would connect with MTA Lines 2, 4, 55,60; Metro Limited Lines 302, 304 and 355; and Metro Rapid Line 704. Additionally, a connection would be made with LADOT's DASH Lincoln Heights/Chinatown service. The second intermediate stop is at Marion Ave. where the service would connect with MTA Lines 2 and 4 arriving from the west. The shuttle route would then continue along Sunset Blvd. before turning right onto Elysian Park Avenue. The route would then enter Dodger Stadium property and travels clockwise around the stadium arriving at the Stadiurn Transit Plaza. The return trip would utilize the reverse routing.

The city deserves the full kudos for bringing transit back to the Stadium. The city's report indicates that the Dodgers aren't willing to chip the $170,000 it would cost to run the service for the entire season. The lowest paid player on the Dodger roster, Blake DeWitt, makes $390,000 a season. The Dodgers have promised to promote the new service.

The deal must be approved by the City Council. A committee hearing is scheduled for later this week.

Photo: Fred Camino

As gas and oil prices continue to climb, a new report by Common Current ranks Los Angeles 12^th on a list of the 50 largest cities in providing alternatives to oil dependence. Because L.A. being ranked so close to the top ten seems a little high, we should note that the ranking is partially based on how much heating oil is used per capita.

According to Warren Karlenzig, author of "Major US City Preparedness for an Oil Crisis" the key to surviving an oil crisis is having alternatives to single passenger automobile travel.

"There are cities with less than 1-2% public transit commute ridership, compared to NewYork City, which has close to a 55% rate. It's no mystery who will be feeling the pain of high gas prices the most. Some employers and potential employees considering relocating to the Sunbelt and other 'car-only' cities should take into account the total expenses such locations will have on their budgets and employees."

When asked specifically about advice for Los Angeles, Karlenzig urged Angelenos, "Do not let public transit slip through the cracks."

In addition to transit, Karlenzig urges cities to invest in zoning for more in-fill and mixed use development, develop policies that encourage car-pooling and working from home and better maintainsidewalks and bike facilities. Despite its high ranking on the list, all of these suggestions are something Los Angeles could more firmly embrace.

Common Current, is a privately held economic development consulting firm working with government, business and non-governmental organizations based in California.

Photo: ABC News

There are currently over one million senior citizens living in New York City. While they represent only about 13 percent of the population, they account for 33 percent of pedestrian injuries and fatalities. Discriminatory by Design (pdf), a report released today by Transportation Alternatives, finds that street design, and in particular the width of a street, is a major contributing factor in negatively influencing pedestrian and driver behavior.

The study focused on the Upper East Side, an area with a high concentration of elderly residents as well as wide cross-town streets that are crossed by thousands of pedestrians and vehicles each day. Within this neighborhood, Transportation Alternatives and Rachel Krug, a doctoral student at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, observed vehicles and pedestrians at 18 locations, 6 wide crossings and 12 narrow crossings (30 feet).

The team found that senior citizens begin to show signs of distress and engage in dangerous crossing behavior -- such as speeding up their walking pace, walking unsteadily, standing in the street before beginning to cross and crossing before the signal has changed -- at wider crossings to compensate for the fact that they walk at slower speeds. Coupled with the fact that 95 percent of vehicles observed during the study period did not yield to pedestrians, the study concludes that wider streets present unacceptable risks to elderly pedestrians. These risks have an overwhelming impact on the well-being and quality of life of senior citizens.

To reduce these risks, Transportation Alternatives recommends that the city re-time pedestrian signals to accommodate senior average walking speeds of 3 feet per second (currently the signals are timed for speeds of 4 feet per second) and implement measures such as leading pedestrian intervals and curb extensions that would protect senior citizens from turning vehicles. The study also calls for a public awareness campaign to educate drivers and the public as to what it is like to be a senior pedestrian.