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.

Congress is considering legislation to strengthen federal regulation of auto safety, in response to hundreds of reported accidents, and more than 50 fatalities, that may be linked to sudden acceleration in certain makes of Toyota and Lexus vehicles. Toyota, under pressure from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), has recalled more than 6 million autos in the United States, and for a time stopped production of certain new-model vehicles in an effort to address the problems, which is one of the largest such efforts in recent history. This book examines the problem of unintended or sudden acceleration of automobiles occurring during the past year and what mitigating challenges and procedures lay ahead for Congress and automakers.

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.

Public health is now considering road safety as a major factor to improve morbidity and mortality but the health community is poorly educated regarding this issue. The World Health Organization dedicated the 2004 World Health Day to road safety. Since then, various campaigns around the world have been launched to reduce the number of traffic accidents and death, and several projects we initiated to improve traffic safety. Sleepiness at the wheel is an important cause of traffic accidents. This book discusses the causes and consequences of driver sleepiness in a systematic manner. Experts in the field of traffic safety and sleep research have contributed to this book.

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.

Over the last decade, Class I railroads have consolidated and, particularly in the past two years, have achieved high profitability. The present, mostly deregulated railway regime was designed during a period when railways were in financial peril. Some Members of Congress believe that the present, mostly deregulated regime needs to be revised to provide more balance for the interests of those rail customers who are served by only one railroad. A major point of contention is whether current railroad industry practices should be changed to provide these customers (referred to as "captive shippers") with more routing options. This book provides background on the current railroad regulatory regime and examines the major points of contention between railroads and their "captive customers."

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.

All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs), which are off-road motorised vehicles, usually with four tires, a straddle seat for the operator, and handlebars for steering control, have become increasingly popular. All-Terrain Vehicles are mainly used for recreation, but are also used in occupations such as farming and policing. ATVs are also used as primary transportation in some remote communities, such as in parts of Alaska. However, ATV fatalities and injuries have increased over the last decade and are a matter of concern to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which overseas ATV safety. This book explores how ATVs are used, their crash statistics, and sales of adult-sized vehicles for children's use. Also discussed are the effects of ATVs on forested lands and grasslands and their impact on natural resources.

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.

New transportation technologies can expand our world. During the last century, motorised modes increased our mobility by an order of magnitude, providing large benefits, but also imposing huge costs on individuals and communities. Faster and more expensive modes were favoured over those that are more affordable, efficient, and healthy. As new transportation innovations become available, from e-scooters to autonomous cars, how do we make decisions that benefit our communities? In New Mobilities: Smart Planning for Emerging Transportation Technologies, transportation expert Todd Litman examines 12 emerging transportation modes and services that are likely to significantly affect our lives: bike- and carsharing, micro-mobilities, ride hailing and micro-transit, public transit innovations, telework, autonomous and electric vehicles, air taxis, mobility prioritisation, and logistics management. These innovations allow people to scoot, ride, and fly like never before, but can also impose significant costs on users and communities. Planners need detailed information on their potential benefits and impacts to make informed choices. Litman critically evaluates these new technologies and services and provides practical guidance for optimising them. He systematically examines how each New Mobility is likely to affect travel activity (how and how much people travel); consumer costs and affordability; roadway infrastructure design and costs; parking demand; land use development patterns; public safety and health; energy and pollution emissions; and economic opportunity and fairness. Public policies around New Mobilities can either help create heaven, a well-planned transportation system that uses new technologies intelligently, or hell, a poorly planned transportation system that is overwhelmed by conflicting and costly, unhealthy, and inequitable modes. His expert analysis will help planners, local policymakers, and concerned citizens to make informed choices about the New Mobility revolution.

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.

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.

After Suburbia presents a cross-section of state-of-the-art scholarship in critical global suburban research and provides an in-depth study of the planet's urban peripheries to grasp the forms of urbanization in the twenty-first century. Based on cutting-edge conceptual thought and steeped in richly detailed empirical work conducted over the past decade, After Suburbia draws on research from Asia, Africa, Australia, Europe, and the Americas to showcase comprehensive global scholarship on the urban periphery. Contributors explicitly reject the traditional centre-periphery dichotomy and the prioritization of epistemologies that favour the Global North, especially North American cases, over other experiences. In doing so, the book strongly advances the notion of a post-suburban reality in which traditional dynamics of urban extension outward from the centre are replaced by a set of complex contradictory developments. After Suburbia examines multiple centralities and diverse peripheries which mesh to produce a surprisingly contradictory and diverse metropolitan landscape.

The Model Regulations cover the classification of dangerous goods and their listing, the use, construction, testing and approval of packagings and portable tanks, and the consignment procedures (marking, labelling, placarding and documentation). They aim at ensuring a high level of safety by preventing accidents to persons and property and damage to the environment during transport and, providing at the same time, a uniform regulatory framework which can be applied worldwide for national or international transport by any mode.

The Model Regulations cover the classification of dangerous goods and their listing, the use, construction, testing and approval of packagings and portable tanks, and the consignment procedures (marking, labelling, placarding and documentation). They aim at ensuring a high level of safety by preventing accidents to persons and property and damage to the environment during transport and, providing at the same time, a uniform regulatory framework which can be applied worldwide for national or international transport by any mode.

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.

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 the past few years, interest in plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) has grown. Advances in battery and other technologies, new federal standards for carbon-dioxide emissions and fuel economy, state zero-emission-vehicle requirements, and the current administration's goal of putting millions of alternative-fuel vehicles on the road have all highlighted PEVs as a transportation alternative. Consumers are also beginning to recognize the advantages of PEVs over conventional vehicles, such as lower operating costs, smoother operation, and better acceleration; the ability to fuel up at home; and zero tailpipe emissions when the vehicle operates solely on its battery. There are, however, barriers to PEV deployment, including the vehicle cost, the short all-electric driving range, the long battery charging time, uncertainties about battery life, the few choices of vehicle models, and the need for a charging infrastructure to support PEVs. What should industry do to improve the performance of PEVs and make them more attractive to consumers? At the request of Congress, Overcoming Barriers to Deployment of Plug-in Electric Vehicles identifies barriers to the introduction of electric vehicles and recommends ways to mitigate these barriers. This report examines the characteristics and capabilities of electric vehicle technologies, such as cost, performance, range, safety, and durability, and assesses how these factors might create barriers to widespread deployment. Overcoming Barriers to Deployment of Plug-in Electric Vehicles provides an overview of the current status of PEVs and makes recommendations to spur the industry and increase the attractiveness of this promising technology for consumers. Through consideration of consumer behaviors, tax incentives, business models, incentive programs, and infrastructure needs, this book studies the state of the industry and makes recommendations to further its development and acceptance. Table of Contents Front Matter Summary 1 Introduction 2 Plug-in Electric Vehicles and Charging Technologies 3 Understanding the Customer Purchase and Market Development Process for Plug-in Electric Vehicles 4 Government Support for Deployment of Plug-in Electric Vehicles 5 Charging Infrastructure for Plug-in Electric Vehicles 6 Implications of Plug-in Electric Vehicles for the Electricity Sector 7 Incentives for the Deployment of Plug-in Electric Vehicles Appendixes Appendix A: Biographical Information on the Committee on Overcoming Barriers to Electric-Vehicle Deployment Appendix B: Meetings and Presentations Appendix C: International Incentives

Public transit systems, which receive funding from the federal government, are vulnerable to catastrophic events, as demonstrated by the impact Hurricane Sandy and other events have had on transit systems. These events highlight our reliance on transit systems for access to jobs, medical care, and other services, as well as the cost of recovering from these events. Building resilience -- the ability to prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the risk of catastrophic events -- is one strategy to help limit the nation's fiscal exposure to catastrophic events. This book examines how DHS and DOT help transit agencies make their systems resilient; actions selected transit agencies take to make their systems resilient; and challenges transit agencies face with making their systems resilient. It also addresses the progress the Department of Transportation has made allocating, obligating, and disbursing the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act surface transportation funds; how the Federal Transit Administration's (FTA) new Public Transportation Emergency Relief program compares to the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) and Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) emergency relief programs; and the extent to which FTA and FEMA have implemented their memorandum of agreement to co-ordinate their roles and responsibilities when providing assistance to transit agencies.

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.