Ground / Mass transportation

CSX to give Maryland real-time information on hazardous cargo
Baltimore no longer uses chlorine in their water treatment facilities, yet their citizens are exposed to the toxic substance as trains carrying the hazardous material to facilities elsewhere go through the city; Maryland, rail company reach an agreement on the issue
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U.S. school bus system vulnerable to attack
Billions of dollars have been invested in shoring up security for ports, railways, motor coaches, and air travel — but practically nothing has been done to improve security of buses carrying millions of children every day to and from school; President Bush gave TSA a year to develop a national assessment of school bus security, but TSA has yet to develop such a plan
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General Dynamics wins $100 million passport card contract
The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) will allow U.S. residents to travel by land and sea to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda using a passport card rather than a traditional passport (travel by air, and travel to other countries, would still require a passport); General Dynamics wins contract to produce the cards
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Wireless sensors to monitor bridges' health
There are about 597,000 bridges exceeding 20 feet in length on public roads in the United States; more than 50,000 of them were found to be deficient in load-bearing ratings; wireless sensors embedded in the bridge’s concrete will monitor structure’s health
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Day of ultra-clean engine nears
One of the major obstacles facing the development of ultra-clean car engines is the need for permanent-magnet electric motors to operate well at temperatures up to 200 degrees Celsius; Iowa researchers offer a way to create such magnets
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CN expands rail holding, banking on increasing northern oil production
As the price of oil increases, the attractiveness of extracting oil from oil sands in Canada’s northern regions increases apace; CN acquires yet more rail to ensure rail links to Alberta’s oil sands region
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Weapon-grade plutonium shipped cross-country
The Department of Energy plans to scale down U.S. nuclear weapons program by consolidating special nuclear materials — read: weapon-grade material — at five federal sites by the end of 2012 and reducing the square footage and staff within those sites by 2017; nuclear materials will have to be shipped from different labs around the country to these five sites
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U.S. DoT seeks technology to improve safety, reduce congestion on roadways
Department of Transportation is looking for commercially available technology applications designed to fight congestion and improve the safety and performance of the nation’s transportation system
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DHS announces Real ID grants
DHS released grant guidelines to assist states in applying for $35 million to begin implementing Real ID requirements for handling personal information associated with driver’s licenses
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Ground transportation security market may reach $500 million in 2008
Since 9/11, the investment in bolstering the security of aviation security far exceeded the investment in improving the security of ground transportation; that imbalance is now being redressed as both government and the private sector are investing more in upgrading ground transportation security
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Land travel phase of WHTI to begin along Canadian border 31 January 2008
As of 31 January 2008, for all land and sea border crossings between the United States and Canada, citizens of each country will need to present a Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI)-compliant document
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Cities worry about toxic substances in freight cars
Water treatment facilities in Baltimore no longer use chlorine, but city residents are still exposed to risk because trains carrying the toxic substance to facilities elsewhere go through the city; city officials want to change this situation
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Australia launches counterterrorism Web site to provide information
Aussies launch Web site to provide information about what to do in case of terrorist attacks; site would provide information on preparation, mitigation, evacuation routes, and more
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Six teams cut in Urban Challenge qualifying round
In qualifying rounds in California, robotic vehicles are tested in self-navigation — no driver, no remote control — through a series of urban challenges; some teams don’t make it
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Basque separatists planned to attack high-speed train
In the United States there are growing worries about domestic use of Iraq-inspired IEDs; in Europe, there are growing worries about attacks on high-speed trains
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