October - 2019

Archive

Slowing economy, trade wars, drag on US rail companies

OMAHA, Neb. – The slowing economy and ongoing trade disputes are dragging railroad profits down in the second half of the year. Two railroads, Union Pacific and CSX, have reported declining profit and revenue this week as they hauled less grain, imported goods and other products. Union Pacific's freight volume slid 8% in the quarter. Kansas City Southern reports quarterly results Friday and Norfolk Southern reports next week. "It feels to me like the industrial economy is wea

Loma Prieta 30 years later: Santa Cruz rises from the rubble to become a model of earthquake prepare

Santa Cruz — This week’s burst of earthquakes ended this city’s stretch of seismic calm, reminding residents of the 6.9 Loma Prieta temblor that almost destroyed it 30 years ago Thursday. But downtown’s newest building never flinched. Built in the hole that once held a beloved 1890s-era brick bookstore, the ambitious $35 million Park Pacific project is secured by a sunken array of stable columns, a two-foot deep concrete mattress, more flexible framing and other state-of-the-

Photos: Heavy Lift Ship Delivers New STS Cranes to Charleston

On Thursday, the port of Charleston, South Carolina received a shipment of three new STS cranes from Chinese manufacturer ZPMC, part of the port's effort to accommodate larger post-Panamax container ships. After a two-month journey from China, the heavy lift ship Zhen Hua 28 arrived with the oversize consignment to the port's Columbus Street Terminal. This weekend, the ship will shift to the Wando Welch Terminal, where the cranes will be offloaded. The process of erecting and

The Four-Letter Word Changing Daily Commutes

Until December, the 10-mile stretch of Interstate 66 in Northern Virginia that takes drivers from the Washington Beltway into the nation’s capital was off limits to nearly everyone driving alone during rush hour. Officials in the traffic-choked region reserved the popular route for electric cars and vehicles carrying multiple passengers. But late last year, Virginia added another option. The state started letting single-occupancy cars use the road, but at a price. The exact p

West Coast Ports Still Dominate, But Are Feeling the Heat From Rivals

Even the strongest narrative about international trade flows can shift with jarring suddenness. For the last 30 years or so, the conventional wisdom about U.S. seaports has centered on the increasing dominance of the West Coast, particularly the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. The coming Century of the Pacific, during which trade patterns were expected to overwhelmingly favor goods from East Asia, was said to ensure the growth of West Coast container terminals at the exp

Port Report: MSC adds to big ship trove with latest $762m order

Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) is poised to become one of the biggest owner-operators of ultra-large container ships with its latest vessel order. MSC is adding capacity even as container rates continue to slide. MSC is linked to an order for five ships with 23,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in capacity, according to PR News Service. The ships are being built at Korea’s Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering for a reported cost of $762 million, according to

Robots in Miami Help Speed Up Airport Luggage Screenings

(TNS) — A yellow, stainless steel topped table glided across the cement floor of the 18,000-square-foot space carrying a checked suitcase. No human attached. The table pulled up to a screening station and parked in front of Shonte Hardwick, an officer with the Transportation Safety Administration at Miami International Airport. The table’s “headlight” turned red, meaning a TSA officer had flagged it for further review. Hardwick put on her latex gloves and grabbed a pair of pl

How FHWA is using new data analytics to reduce fatalities on rural roads

With so many miles of rural roads and accident hotspots changing from year to year it is a difficult job attempting to proactively prevent drivers from departing their lanes and crashing on these roads. Watch the video to see how the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) is approaching the issue. https://www.traffictechnologytoday.com/videos/reducing-accidents-on-rural-roads.html

System to predict rising flood waters could benefit Apache Junction

APACHE JUNCTION – Although this monsoon season was one of the driest on record, parts of Arizona were pummeled with rain in late September, leading to intense flooding in Apache Junction and other cities. “I don’t like to over dramatize things when we say rescue,” said Richard Ochs, a longtime member of the Superstition Fire and Medical District. “It’s really more of a citizen-assist call in most cases.” Apache Junction in northern Pinal County has mountains on two sides, whi

NJ Transit restores Raritan Valley Line direct service

New Jersey Transit will resume weekday off-peak, one-seat Raritan Valley Line (RVL) train service to New York Penn Station beginning Nov. 4, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced yesterday. The commuter-rail service was suspended in September 2018 to allow NJ Transit to install positive train control equipment on its rail fleet, according to a press release issued by Murphy’s office. Now — following the advancement of safety improvements and based on the increased availabilit

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