Vehicles carrying objects that are not properly secured pose a safety risk on our nation's roadways. Debris that falls from a vehicle can collide with other vehicles or pedestrians, causing serious injuries or fatalities. According to data collected by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were about 440 fatalities caused by roadway debris in 2010. However, the exact number of incidents resulting from vehicles carrying unsecured loads is unknown. This book examines NHTSA's data collection efforts as well as states' laws related to unsecured loads. It also discusses the extent that Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration's (PHMSA) data reliably identify wetline safety risks; options for addressing wetline safety risks, and how well PHMSA has assessed the costs and benefits of addressing these risks through regulation.

Entering the 21st century, the Nation's transportation system has matured; it only expands its infrastructure by a fraction of a percentage each year. However, congestion continues to grow at an alarming rate, adversely impacting our quality of life and increasing the potential for accidents and long delays. These are expected to escalate, calling for transportation professionals to increase the productivity of existing transportation systems through the use of operational improvements. In order to assess the potential effectiveness of a particular strategy, it must be analyzed using traffic analysis tools or methodologies. The objective of this book is to assist traffic engineers, planners, and traffic operations professionals in the selection of the correct type of traffic analysis tool for operational improvements.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) provides about $40 billion to the states annually to build and maintain highways and bridges through the federal-aid highway program. This book describes the process and factors that could affect highway project time frames; examines state DOTs' views on the benefits and challenges of the provisions to expedite highway projects established in SAFETEA-LU and describes additional initiatives that state DOTs and FHWA have implemented to expedite the completion of highway projects.

Since the early 1980s, the periodic debate over the reauthorization of federal surface transportation programs has been primarily about money and its distribution. In each of the five reauthorizations that took place during that period, the federal fuel taxes and other sources of revenue dedicated to the highway trust were reliably providing the various surface transportation programs with more money year after year. In 2009, this was not the case. For the first time in decades, driving declined significantly, with a concomitant decrease in fuel tax revenues. Going forward the program cannot count on new money from the familiar sources. The law authorising federal surface transportation programs expired at the end of 2009, but Congress has failed to enact a new authorisation. This book examines the surface transportation program reauthorization issues for the 112th Congress; funding and finance; the Donor-Donee State issue of funding equity and federalism issues in surface transportation policy.

This book examines greenhouse gas (GHG) emission levels and trends from the transportation sector and analyses the full range of strategies available to reduce these emissions. These strategies include introducing low-carbon fuels, increasing vehicle fuel economy, improving transportation system efficiency, and reducing carbon-intensive travel activity. Policy options for implementing these strategies are also discussed, including an economy-wide price signal; efficiency standards; market incentives; transportation planning and funding programs and research and development.

Transportation infrastructure has a significant meaning for the economic growth, the mobility of labour, the opportunities for tendering transport services and the competitiveness of the economy as a whole. This book presents topical research in the study of transport policy, including the European Union (EU) policy on the sustainability of transport and policy goals; public transit service quality evaluation for a sustainable transportation system; urban structure and transport; policy and market-based mechanisms towards a green and sustainable transport and policies of railway interoperability.

The increasing use of cellular phones has served as a catalyst for growing interest in driver distraction in recent years. While the use of cellular phones poses a significant and increasing risk to roadway safety, studies show that it represents a relatively small proportion of a bigger distraction program. This book examines current knowledge on driver distraction to help state and local governments formulate effective policies, regulations and laws relating to this challenging issue.

Operator fatigue and sleep deprivation have been widely recognised as critical safety issues that cut across all modes in the transportation industry. However, there are a number of additional safety issues that plague drivers in a variety of vehicles. This book examines the safety issues that affect many types of transportation, such as improvements to drug testing programs in order to promote motor carrier safety, driver fatigue research, driver factors in fatal bus crashes and the role of driving-hours on driver fatigue. This book consists of public documents which have been located, gathered, combined, reformatted, and enhanced with a subject index, selectively edited and bound to provide easy access.

Every weekday in the United States more than 7 million people board a rail transit vehicle. Rail transit is considered one of the safest modes of transportation, but incidents such as the recent collision between two transit trains in Washington, DC, raise questions about the safety of rail transit and the government's role in ensuring its safety. This book examines the safety record of rail transit and the division of responsibilities for ensuring the safety of rail transit operations, with an emphasis on the role of the federal government. Discussed, herein, are the different types of rail transit systems and the condition of those systems, statistics on the safety record of rail transit operations, and the roles of federal, state, and local entities responsible for ensuring the safety of rail transit.

Airlines have imposed a variety of fees on a range of optional services, such as checked and carry-on bags; meals; blankets; early boarding; and seat selection. According to airline officials, the fees are based on a combination of factors, including the cost of providing the service, competition, and consumer demand. The fees have supplemented airline revenues, providing at least $3 billion in 2009. However, information about the fees is not fully disclosed through all ticket distribution channels used by consumers, making it difficult for them to compare the total cost of flights offered by different carriers. This book addresses the nature and relationship to cost and disclosure of airline fees; the potential impact of such fees on the Airport and Airway Trust Fund; checked and mishandled baggage issues; and the process, if any, for refunding government-imposed taxes and fees when passengers do not use non-refundable tickets.

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is the federal agency primarily responsible for safety in the rail industry. FRA's safety programs were last authorised in 1994; their authorisation expired in 1998. Most measures of rail safety have improved significantly since FRA's last authorisation, including the number of grade crossing collisions and fatalities and the number of employee injuries and deaths. However, the improvements in safety measures have levelled off in recent years. Given significant projected continued increases in freight and passenger rail activity in the coming decade, there is concern that without additional efforts, some of the gain of the past decade may be lost. This book explores the issues, regulations and safety of U.S. railroads.

Growing demands on the transportation system and constraints on public resources have led to calls for more private sector involvement in the provision of highway and transit infrastructure through what are known as "public-private partnerships" (PPPs). A PPP, broadly defined, is any arrangement whereby the private sector assumes more responsibility than is traditional for infrastructure planning, financing, design, construction, operation, and maintenance. This book describes the wide variety of public-private partnerships in highways and transit, but focuses on the two types of highway PPPs that are generating the most debate: the leasing by the public sector to the private sector of existing infrastructure; and the building, leasing, and owning of new infrastructure by private entities.

Dealing with research in the fields of passenger and freight transportation modes, this book looks at policy analysis, formulation and evaluation, interaction with the political, socioeconomic and physical environment, and the planning, design, management and evaluation of transportation systems.

The debate on rail privatisation often seems to focus on very narrow issues. Those on both sides of the argument seem to be able to employ a mass of statistics to prove their point. Proponents of privatisation suggest, with some credibility, that all was reasonably well with the privatised railways until the Hatfield disaster. Opponents point to spiralling costs since privatisation. The authors of this monograph examine privatisation in the context of the long history of continual government intervention. The government imposed upon the industry a particular structure - separation of track and wheel. It also wrapped it up in increasing amounts of regulation. After examining the history of government intervention in the railways and the privatisation process, the authors of this monograph then examine the future of railway policy. Should the industry be allowed to evolve its own structure - remerging the ownership of track and wheel if it wishes? What aspects of a railway should be regulated? Who should own the various parts of the infrastructure? This monograph is essential reading for all with an interest in railway policy and the process of privatisation.

The bicycle enjoyed a starring role in urban history over a century ago, but now it is back, stronger than ever. It is the single most important tool for improving our cities. Designing around it is the most efficient way to make our cities life-sized--to scale cities for humans. It is time to cement the bicycle firmly in the urban narrative in US and global cities. Enter urban designer Mikael Colville-Andersen. He has worked for dozens of global cities on bicycle planning, strategy, infrastructure design, and communication. He is known around the world for his colorful personality and enthusiasm for the role of bike in urban design. In Copenhagenize, he shows cities how to effectively and profitably re-establish the bicycle as a respected, accepted, and feasible form of transportation. Building on his popular blog of the same name, Copenhagenize offers vivid project descriptions, engaging stories, and best practices, alongside beautiful and informative visuals to show how to make the bicycle an easy, preferred part of everyday urban life. Copenhagenize will serve as inspiration for everyone working to get the bicycle back into our cities. It will give planners and designers the ammunition to push back against the Automobile Age and convince the skeptics of the value of the life-sized city. This is not a guide on how to become Copenhagen, but how to learn from the successes and failures (yes, failures) of Copenhagen and other cities around the world that are striving to become more livable. We need to act in order to save our cities--and us--from ourselves. Copenhagenize shows the path forward.

The coming of the railways in the 1830s killed off the stage-coach trade; almost all rural roads reverted to low-level local use. Cyclists were the first group in a generation to use roads and were the first to push for high-quality leadership for roads. They were also the first promoters of motoring; the first motoring journalists had first been cycling journalists; and there was a transfer of technology from cycling to motoring without which cars as we know them wouldn't exist! 64 car marques, including Rolls-Royce, Aston Martin, Chevrolet, Cadillac and GMC, had bicycling beginnings. Roads Were Not Built for Cars is a history book, focussing on a time when cyclists had political clout, in Britain and especially in America. The book researches the Roads Improvement Association - a lobbying group created by the Cyclists' Touring Club in 1886 - and the Good Roads movement organised by the League of American Wheelmen in the same period.

Bicycles as a means of transport in cities are playing an ever more important role. The reasons are: reduction of motorcar traffic, sustainable traffic planning, reduction of noise and exhaust emissions, enhancement of the value of public space, healthier form of transport, savings potential in national health services and infrastructure expenditure. The book illustrates urban design ideas and architectural projects which go far beyond purely redesigning road layouts; its eight essays focus on the trend in urban design, landscape design, and traffic planning, it introduces nine exemplary bicycle traffic concepts in various cities (Barcelona, Copenhagen, New York, and Oslo amongst others), and presents 28 forward-looking individual bicycle infrastructure projects.

Transport policy is an increasingly difficult area for all national governments and regional/local authorities. Tackling car use and realizing a sustainable transport system appears to be very difficult. Developing public transport is seen as an increasingly important element in improving the transport system, especially in densely populated areas. At the same time however, governments are under increasing pressure to cut taxation. As a result there is a growing gap between increasing policy need for public transport and government resources to fund that need. This timely book explores one solution to this dilemma, which is the use of local charges and taxes dedicated to support public transport. Unfare Solutions examines how and why such charges have evolved and how they do (or do not) relate to modern transport policy developments and theory. It shows innovative funding techniques developed by both public transport providers and federal and local authorities. The authors are very experienced in the field of mobility and public transport. They have conducted many researches in this field (including a major CEC research project towards the use of charges and taxes for public transport) and written several books and publications about the economics of transport in a sustainable context.

What happens when a functional building is decommissioned? This book investigates liminal spaces: areas we occupy between here and there; structures that exist only as a place to be passed through, rather than as a destination in themselves. Its onus is buildings that have fallen to the wayside, and no longer channel continuous flows of human traffic. Combining architectural insight with a study of the transitory human condition, Airports on Hold analyses a number of obsolete airport infrastructures. As well as exploring how design impacts on an airport's success, this book investigates the relationship between small and medium airports and territories through a series of case studies. The research included herein has been compiled from the author's experiences at numerous universities. Especial thanks go out to the Harvard Graduate School of Design, the University IUAV of Venice, the University of Genoa, and the Universidad Autonoma de Barcelona, for supporting the creation of this book.

With increasing awareness of the urgent need to respond to global warming by reducing carbon emissions and recognition of the social benefits of car-free and car-lite living, more and more city planners, advocates, and everyday urban dwellers are demanding new ways of building cities. In Low Car(bon) Communities, authors Nicole Foletta and Jason Henderson examine seven case studies in Europe and the United States that aim explicitly to reduce dependency on cars. Innovative and inspirational, these communities provide a rich array of data and metrics for comparison and analysis. This book considers these low car(bon) communities' potential for transferability to cities around the world, including North America. Aimed at practicing city planners, sustainable transportation advocates, and students in planning, geography, and environmental studies, this book will be an invaluable benchmark for gauging the success of sustainable urban futures.

This book discusses a unique combination of best practices and lessons learned, including evaluation and transparency issues not found elsewhere in other texts. Given that P3s are evolving and changing, it contains the most up to date information and review of relevant sources. Other topics that have become more important are reviewed, including the value of benefit cost analysis and the appropriate discount rate to use for value for money analysis. Practices and policies are discussed throughout, highlighting efforts that could lead to successful outcomes. Although transparency is an issue discussed by many, this research indicates that greater transparency would lead to more publicly accepted P3s and ensure greater success. Given recent national news coverage of relevant topics, such as the Highway Trust Fund "running out of money," President Obama's call for an infrastructure fund, and increasing Congressional interest and testimony, the content of this book is timely. A concurrent theme commonly addressed by other books and commentaries is the complexity of the topic and the lack of understanding of P3s. This research identifies practices and procedures that are innovative and "cutting edge." Many of the best practices identified are not uniformly adopted by all officials wishing to create P3s. The analysis does not simply describe these practices, but provides insights into the potential advantages of adoption. Experiences in the United States as well as selected international efforts provide a wide range of potential sources from which to draw upon. This book provides a series of case studies and examples, including one chapter devoted to ten studies that were written by several internationally known authors. References to actual experiences are found throughout almost all of the chapters. These case studies reinforce and illustrate relevant points made throughout.

Gentrifier opens up a new conversation about gentrification, one that goes beyond the statistics and the cliches, and examines different sides of a controversial, deeply personal issue. In this lively yet rigorous book, John Joe Schlichtman, Jason Patch, and Marc Lamont Hill take a close look at the socioeconomic factors and individual decisions behind gentrification and their implications for the displacement of low-income residents. Drawing on a variety of perspectives, the authors present interviews, case studies, and analysis in the context of recent scholarship in such areas as urban sociology, geography, planning, and public policy. As well, they share accounts of their first-hand experience as academics, parents, and spouses living in New York City, San Diego, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Providence. With unique insight and rare candour, Gentrifier challenges readers' current understandings of gentrification and their own roles within their neighborhoods. A foreword by Peter Marcuse opens the volume.

Based on a major three-year research project, this book explores the various roles of political actors and the policies that deal with the governance of reducing transport-related carbon emissions. Using this clear - and globally crucial - example of climate change governance, the authors are able to tease apart a range of debates and dilemmas and to fully explore the nature, pace and significance of core policies designed to tackle climate change. Much research in the field has over-emphasized the international realm and global policy, whereas this text uncovers the huge importance that domestic policy development plays in reducing emissions. It highlights normative positions that lie at the heart of institutional structures, enabling broader debates into the capacity and future of democratic governance.

In fiscal year 2013, the Department of Transportation (DOT) provided about $50 billion to states and other grantees (such as metropolitan planning organisations and transit agencies) to support highway and transit infrastructure and safety. However, it is not clear if this funding has improved system performance because, in part, these programs have lacked links to performance and national goals. This book examines the progress that DOT has made in developing a national performance-based approach to surface transportation; and the challenges states and other grantees report facing in implementing this approach. This book also reports on the extent to which federal transit programs use performance information in making decisions about funding distribution and in evaluating the programs' effectiveness; mechanisms for making these programs more performance based, and strategies for supporting their successful implementation; and how selected U.S. and foreign transit agencies have used performance measurement in their planning and decisions, and their views on the federal role in transit.