The May / June 2006 Edition of the excellent Public Roads magazine includes a wonderful article on how the highways trucks use could take a hint from the information superhighway.

With freight volume on American highways expected to increase by a whopping 70% by 2020, over 1998 levels, Electronic Freight Management (EFM) can help considerably reduce congestion by better coordinating intermodal connections.

Biometric smart cards are already in use and contain information on truck drivers, including a photocopy of a commercial driver license as well as the driver’s thumbprint. This information, contained in the embedded gold-colored chips, is used to expedite the movement of cargo through intermodal transfer facilities and trucks through border crossings.

Learn more about EFM and the future of transportation by clicking on the title of this article.

Yet another important speech has been given by Norman Y. Mineta, df, before the prestigious U.S. Chamber of Commerce, in Washington D.C., at 11 AM, today July 6th, 2006.

The tone was resolutely engaging and the crowd listening to this speech meant business, big infrastructure development business. Most experts agree Mr Mineta want to help the American transports industry as well as the already stressed out commuters, especially in dense urban areas.

Click on the title to read the complete speech transcript.

Freight transportation is a key concern of the US Department of Transportation and nearly every operating administration listed in DOT Agencies.

The following major web pages at DOT are entirely dedicated to freight transportation on the American territory:

• Framework for a National Freight Policy
• National Freight Statistics and Maps
• Freight Information by State
• National Freight Data Sources

• Freight at the Bureau of Transportation Statistics
• Freight at the National Transportation Library
• Freight Analysis, Professional Development, Intermodal Technology, and SAFETEA-LU Freight Programs at the Federal Highway Administration
• Freight Planning at the Federal Highway Administration
• Freight at the Federal Railroad Administration

• The Transportation of Hazardous Materials
• Pipeline Safety

If you feel these links don’t answer all your freight-related questions, you can write to the US Department of Transportation using this freight-specific e-mail address: freight@dot.gov.

Tags: freight, transportation, us, dot, safety, hazmat, highways, railroads, american, agencies

On Friday, April 21st, 2006, the Department of Transportation has announced the State of Louisiana will receive an additional 53 million dollars to help repair hurricane-damaged railroad signals and highways.

Louisiana is receiving an additional $53 million in federal funds to help restore railroad signals, clear roads and continue repairs to hurricane-damaged highways and bridges, U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta said today.

The Department has now made over $1 billion available to Louisiana with this latest round of support, Mineta added.

The funding announced today reimburses the state for repairing railroad signals in Orleans, Jefferson and Plaquemines Parishes and additional expenses from clearing downed trees, sand and other debris from highways after the storm. The funding has been used to reopen the I-10 Twin Spans Bridge and repair or replace traffic signals, highway signs, guardrails and washed out pavement and highway shoulders.

“We will work with Louisiana until the job is done,” said Mineta. “Louisianans know they will get the support and resources they need from Washington to continue repairing roads and reopening businesses.”

Today’s funding is part of an emergency highway aid package for Gulf Coast states requested by President Bush and approved by Congress the end of last year.

In addition to providing federal dollars, Mineta said the Department of Transportation has made it easier for Louisiana to use those funds by cutting red tape and giving state officials the flexibility to get repairs underway as quickly as possible. As a result, two lanes on the Twin Spans Bridge reopened in mid-October only 47 days after its destruction by Katrina. All four lanes were restored in early January nine days ahead of schedule.

Tags: new orleans, louisiana, katrina, us, dot, bridges, commuters, emergency, highways, mineta, red tape

If you’re looking to get the latest information about transports, in Canada, one of your favorite destinations could be the Transport Canada web site which is the national online gateway to the latest news, the regulations and countless tips on various subjects.

Here’s a list of regional offices for Transport Canada:

• Pacific Region (British Columbia)
• Prairie and Northern Region (Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut)
• Ontario Region (Ontario)
• Quebec Region (Québec)
• Atlantic Region (New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland & Labrador)

To complement Transport Canada’s links, consider these Provincial and Territorial ministries responsible for transportation:

• Alberta – Alberta Transportation
• British Columbia – Ministry of Transportation
• Manitoba – Manitoba Transportation and Government Services
• New Brunswick – Department of Transportation
• Newfoundland and Labrador – Department of Works, Services & Transportation
• Northwest Territories – Department of Transportation
• Nova Scotia – Transportation & Public Works
• Nunavut – Community Government and Transportation
• Ontario – Ministry of Transportation
• Prince Edward Island – Transportation and Public Works
• Quebec – Transports Québec
• Saskatchewan – Highways and Transportation
• Yukon Territory – Highways and Public Works

Transportation is essential to our well-being. Canadians need a reliable, safe and sustainable transportation system to connect our communities, and to connect us with our trading partners.

Transport Canada works to help ensure that Canadians have the best transportation system by developing and administering policies, regulations and programs for a safe, efficient and environmentally friendly transportation system; contributing to Canada’s economic growth and social development; and, protecting the physical environment.

The department employs approximately 4,700 people at headquarters in Ottawa and in locations across Canada. The headquarters organization is made up of a number of groups:

• Policy overview
• Safety and Security
• Programs Group
• Corporate Services
• Departmental General Counsel
• Communications

Transport Canada takes an active role in communities across Canada. Together, Transport Canada’s groups and regions work to:

• Set policies, regulations and standards to protect the safety, security and efficiency of Canada’s rail, marine, road and air transportation systems, including the transportation of dangerous goods and sustainable development.
• Work in partnership with other federal, provincial, territorial and municipal departments and organizations, the Transportation Safety Board, the Canadian Transportation Agency, NAV CANADA, other private organizations, stakeholders, and members of the transportation industry.
• Promote and enforce departmental policies, regulations and standards through inspection, education and consultation.
• Monitor and assess the performance of the transportation system.
• Administer the transfer of ports, harbours and airports to communities and other interests and operate the facilities not yet divested.

You can get in touch with Transport Canada by calling (613) 990-2309.

Tags: transport canada, facilities, ports, harbours, airports, highways, communities, federal, provincial, territorial