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Auto sales are worst in 26 years
Chris Isidore, CNNMoney
Auto sales tumbled even more than expected in January to their worst levels since at least 1982, as a pullback in purchases by rental car companies became the latest problem for the troubled industry.
General Motors (GM, Fortune 500) reported that its sales plunged 49% from a year ago. Ford Motor (F, Fortune 500) said sales fell 39% at its Ford, Lincoln and Mercury brands, and 40% overall when including sales at Volvo, which Ford is trying to sell.
But it wasn’t just the U.S. automakers reporting sharply lower sales. Toyota Motor (TM) reported a 32% decrease in its U.S. sales, while sales at Honda Motor (HMC) tumbled 28%.
(3 February 2009)
The high cost of bad driving habits
DeeDee Correll, Los Angeles Times
Drivers in Denver cut back on speeding, tailgating and hard braking when they realize how much gas is burned, a city experiment discovers.
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The results of a novel experiment are in: A lead foot and lazy driving habits not only waste gas, they’re bad for the environment.
For nearly a year, every time a group of Denver drivers stomped on the gas pedal, slammed on the brake or spent an extra minute idling at the curb, the actions were recorded by a device called an accelerometer and assessed for effects on gas consumption.
The drivers — half of them city employees and half residents who volunteered for the constant surveillance — were subjects in a city experiment to see whether motorists would drop aggressive driving habits when they saw how much gasoline they were burning.
Apparently, they will.
(2 February 2009)
The Challenge of Sustainable Transportation: Prospects for Switzerland and the U.S
ThinkSwiss
The need for increased mobility has grown substantially around the world in the last century. Switzerland has a highly developed public transport system (operating trains, buses and trams) that makes travel between its cities and between cities and rural areas easy and rapid. Switzerland’s public transport system is the most used of all Western European countries, and the Swiss rail system has the highest share of freight traffic. Public transport infrastructure therefore makes a huge contribution to the quality of life and sustainable development.
Switzerland would like to discuss the techniques and ideas it has developed on public transport with other nations. The traveling exhibit The Challenge of Sustainable Transportation for the 21st Century: The Prospects for Switzerland and the U.S. fosters bilateral dialogue. It presents information on policies, incentives, infrastructure and maintenance plans, urbanism, pricing concepts and timetables. It also provides insights into the long-term financial aspects of transport and funding plans to ensure high quality and sustainable solutions.
It will launch on February 10, 2009 in Washington, D.C. The launch event will feature a workshop and viewing at the National Building Museum, co-sponsored by the American Public Transportation Association and the Embassy of Switzerland. The exhibit looks at the strengths and challenges of the Swiss and U.S. public transportation systems. It also presents The New Rail Link through the Alps (NEAT). This project, supported by numerous popular votes, involves two large tunnels to protect the Swiss Alps, massive investments, and innovative financing. On February 12, the exhibit will also be shown at George Washington University, in cooperation with the Young Professionals in Transportation and George Mason’s Transportation Policy, Operations and Logistics program.
(February 2009)
A large PDF is online, comparing US and Swiss mass transit:
http://www.thinkswiss.org/documents/01-Public_Transportation_Exhibit.pdf
Suggested by the Swiss Embassy via American_Swiss_archaeologist.
