Transportation Library News

Look at a book.

The Transportation Library has acquired China's Great Train: Beijing's Drive West and the Campaign to Remake Tibet by Abraham Lustgarten. Here is an abstract of the book:

In the summer of 2006, the Chinese government fulfilled a fifty-year plan to build a railway into Tibet. Since Mao Zedong first envisioned it, the line had grown into an imperative, a critical component of China’s breakneck expansion and the final maneuver in strengthening China’s grip over this remote and often mystical frontier, which promised rich resources and geographic supremacy over South Asia.

Through the lives of the Chinese and Tibetans swept up in the project, Fortune magazine writer Abrahm Lustgarten explores the “Wild West” atmosphere of the Chinese economy today. He follows innovative Chinese engineer Zhang Luxin as he makes the train’s route over the treacherous mountains and permafrost possible (for now), and the tenacious Tibetan shopkeeper Rinzen, who struggles to hold on to his business in a boomtown that increasingly favors the Han Chinese. As the railway, ­the highest and steepest in the world, ­extends to Lhasa, and China’s “Go West” campaign delivers waves of rural poor eager to make their fortunes, their lives and communities fundamentally change, sometimes for good, sometimes not.

Lustgarten’s book is a timely, provocative, and absorbing first-hand account of the Chinese boom and the promise and costs of rapid development on the country’s people.

Bikes. Part II

Since some of us ride our bicycles for transportation or recreation and all of us should be concerned with congestion and pollution in our cities, I would like to point you to the website of Transportation Alternative http://www.transalt.org/about According to their website, their mission "…is to reclaim New York City's streets from the automobile, and to advocate for bicycling, walking and public transit as the best transportation alternatives…" As a bonus to all urban planning aficionados, you may want to take a look at their link to the recently published report titled: Designing the 21st Century Street http://www.transalt.org/

New Digital Historical Maps Resources

By now, pretty much all transportation information professionals have become pretty good at working with Google Maps http://maps.google.com/maps?q= when searching for maps to obtain locations, distances, routes and satellite images. But, when we need to research for historical information obtained from maps, our resources dwindle to nothing unless you have access to a special collection.

Because of this, I was delighted to receive notification from ProQuest www.proquest.com about their new Historic Map Works collection. From their email we learn that this product has "… [an] extensive digital map collection…., with 200,000 antique and historic maps spanning hundreds of years. It provides unprecedented access to fully searchable maps that help researchers trace the "residential genealogy" of people and places over time."

Of significance to transportation researchers we have that "These high-resolution, full-color maps, composed of multiple layers through time, facilitate new methods of research. Using the collections can uncover clues about geographic locations, property boundaries, historical structures, and land ownership. And, provide illustrative sources for the study of land use, migration patterns, community growth, topography, and more." The only bummer is that the maps are pretty much only for the U.S.

Additionally, you can sign up for free trials at http://trials.proquest.com/pqte/cust/requestTrial.do?code=HMW108

Are you wondering how safe your vehicle is?

Are you wondering how safe your vehicle is in the event of a crash, or the crash safety rating of a vehicle you'd like to purchase?

NHTSA has carried out crash testing on new vehicles for 30 years, and the five star rating has both helped drivers make decisions about which vehicle to purchase as well as provide an incentive to manufacturers to improve vehicle safety.

Beginning with 2010 models, the safety ratings will include:
· New frontal crash tests;
· New side pole tests which simulate wrapping a vehicle around a tree;
· Female crash dummy results, which represent women and large children;

· Availability of advanced safety technology in new vehicles.

The five star ratings can be found on the NHTSA's Safecar.gov website. The site not only includes the five star ratings, but a host of other safety information for drivers, including information on tire, airbag, and rollover prevention; defect and recall information; and electronic versions of safety brochures for the general public.

Further resources:

NHTSA press release: http://www.dot.gov/affairs/dot9508.htm

Safecar.gov: http://www.safercar.gov/

CTA rush-hour solution comes at cost of seats- More riders, funding woes spur standing-room-only cars on Brown Line

Chicago Tribune (IL) - July 17, 2008
Author: Jon Hilkevitch and Deanese Williams-Harris, TRIBUNE REPORTERS
The cattle car is being reintroduced on CTA trains, even though the transit agency has worked hard in recent years to erase a reputation for treating riders like pork bellies being hauled on a freight train.

Under an experiment announced Wednesday, the Chicago Transit Authority plans to remove all the seats on some cars of rush-hour trains to jam in more riders who otherwise would be left behind on crowded rail platforms.

The strategy is a bit comparable to cramming 10 pounds of potatoes into a 5-pound sack.

Despite fiercely negative reactions among riders, the move is not aimed at punishing commuters, who are parking their cars due to record gas prices and riding trains and buses during the workweek and on weekends. But rising transit ridership is causing an acute crunch on CTA trains.

The standing room-only cars will begin operating within a few months, probably starting on the Brown Line and later expanded to the Red and Blue Lines, CTA President Ron Huberman told the transit agency's board.

Up to about 90 riders can sit or stand in each car on most standard CTA trains. By yanking out seats and eliminating the aisle, an additional 25 to 50 passengers could be crammed into each car , officials estimated.

The seatless cars would be used at only peak travel hours, primarily on trains that operate on a portion of the route, then turn back to pick up more riders either headed into the Loop in the morning or home at night, Huberman said.

On an eight- car train, up to two of the cars would have no seats , he said.

Elderly and disabled passengers, pregnant women and those who prefer to sit could opt to ride in the cars with seats , he said.

"It's coming soon," said Huberman, indicating that design and engineering are well under way.

It will surely create challenges for Brown Line riders who would have to stand during an entire commute while positioning the ear buds of their iPods and not spilling the double caramel low-fat cappuccino (extra milk foam) on other passengers.

Riders aren't looking forward to the change.

"People enjoy the opportunity to get some work done and read while they're riding," Brown Line rider Trang Nguyen, 35, said while waiting for a train Wednesday evening at the Clark/Lake stop downtown. "You can't do that standing up."

Other riders who jockeyed for seats during the height of the rush period also voice opposition to the plan.

"I usually carry my laptop, and when I can't put it down, my back hurts," said Brown Line rider Abigail Szymonik, 29, at the State/Lake station.

But the reasons behind the change signal good news for the CTA : ridership is up, due in large part to soaring gasoline prices. But the extra fares from carrying more riders don't begin to cover the transit agency's operating costs, said CTA chairwoman Carole Brown.

In addition, the CTA cannot buy all the new rail cars it needs until the state comes through with new capital funding for transit, she said.

It puts riders in a real-life squeeze. The CTA will keep the "grab" bars on trains for riders to hang onto, assuming they can avoid the temptation to grab ahold of each other as trains round sharp bends or screech to a stop. There are no plans to remove seats from buses, Huberman said.

The CTA began considering alternative seating several years ago when it tested a train car with more center-facing seats .

About 400 rail cars being built for the CTA will have some aisle-facing seats . They are set for delivery in 2010.

How far the experiment goes will depend on customer response, said Huberman, whose solution is a tacit nod to Japan's strategy for handling commuter congestion.

In Tokyo, uniformed "subway pushers" cram people inside overcrowded trains. The workers, called oshiya, or pushers, are assigned to every downtown station. Even when the rail cars seem full, the oshiya aggressively stuff additional passengers through the doors.

Huberman assured CTA riders that he is not looking to Asia or the Third World for ideas. He said CTA customers won't be asked to ride on the roofs of trains, as riders frequently do in India.

Not yet, at least.

Stripping out all the seats from some train cars is not the CTA 's preference. But with ridership increasing each month -- due not only to gas prices but also a new requirement to provide free rides to senior citizens -- the transit agency is unable to afford more service. Ridership among seniors has jumped 25 percent since March when the free-ride program took effect, officials said.

The Brown Line is experiencing the most serious crunch, even though it has the third highest ridership among the CTA 's eight rail lines. The Brown Line provides about 65,000 rides a day.

Last month, CTA rail ridership rose 3.4 percent compared with June 2007, while bus ridership gained 9.2 percent, officials said. While the numbers may not seem like such a dramatic change, many rush-hour trains have been packed for years, and there's simply no room for more passengers -- barring the use of oshiyas -- unless some seats are jettisoned.

Despite the CTA 's good intentions, it will be tough convincing riders that rail cars without seats is a smart idea.

"I hope the CTA buys extra insurance for all the people who will be falling down," said Brown Line rider Michelle Kent.

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2 places where not to snooze

Chicago Tribune (IL) - July 22, 2008
Hey nappers, here's a wake-up call: There are rules against dozing on the CTA and in Chicago laundromats.

On the CTA, passengers can be cited if they sleep "in such a way as to impede or pose a hazard to other customers or to interfere with the operation of the bus or train," CTA spokeswoman Wanda Taylor said. Violators could be fined between $100 and$300.

There are no rules against napping on Metra trains, and passengers take snoozes, Metra spokeswoman Judy Pardonnet said.

Meanwhile, no one is permitted to sleep in a Chicago laundromat, according to law. If a person is found snoozing at a laundromat, the business owner faces a violation.

No laundromat has been ticketed under that law, said Efrat Stein, spokeswoman for the city Department of Business Affairs and Licensing.

A touch of transportation humor

For my initial foray into transportation humor, see the image at http://icanhascheezburger.com/2008/05/16/funny-pictures-mechanic-is-a-pony. This of course references the classic Koren cartoon of two people leaning over an engine, captioned "Well, there's your problem".

City's bike messengers ride a fine line when on the job

Chicago Tribune (IL) - July 8, 2008
Author: Leonor Vivanco, RedEye
They are the road warriors of Chicago streets.

Bike messengers slice through traffic, clashing with drivers, battling buses and dodging pedestrians who dare cross their path.

More than 300 bike messengers in Chicago work year-round to make an estimated 1.1 million deliveries a year, mostly downtown, according to the city's 2015 Bike Plan, which was implemented in 2006. They are perhaps the most colorful representatives of a growing number of commuters and others driven to two wheels by such factors as the high price of gas.

But as they buzz along city streets, bike messengers ride a fine line between speedy delivery and unwarranted risk. Some drivers and pedestrians see messengers as reckless riders who follow their own set of rules.

"I think they're kamikaze pilots and not bike messengers because they ride so crazy in and out of traffic," said Steve Wiedersberg, a cabdriver for 25 years.

Messengers admit to breaking traffic laws and riding aggressively -- after all, the more runs they make, the more money they earn. They argue the importance of their mission justifies their derring-do at the handlebars.

"A lot of times it's very likely the messenger who just broke the traffic law you saw is delivering a document that directly affects your life," said Augie Montes, 34, co-owner of 4 Star Courier Collective and a bike messenger for eight years.

Five bicyclists have been killed on Chicago streets since October, and while none of them were reported to be messengers, their deaths brought attention to the need for better understanding between drivers and bicyclists.

In March, the City Council approved fines ranging from $150 to $500 for certain driving violations, including turning left or right in front of a bicyclist, passing a bicyclist with less than 3 feet of space, opening a vehicle door into the path of a bicyclist, and parking in a bicycle lane.

"It sends a message there are bikers in Chicago," said bike messenger Amy Polcaster, 20, of Humboldt Park, who delivers sandwiches and soda for Freshii catering. "We're not trying to hurt anybody, but we're here. And we'd like a little room in the street."

Dave Ryndak of Wicker Park, who worked as a messenger for most of last year, complained that drivers often don't check their blind spots or look for bicyclists, especially when making right turns.

"Many drivers zone out," he said.

It's not only the vehicles they share the road with that messengers have to watch out for.

"Pedestrians are probably my biggest pet peeve because they're on their phones, talking to their friends and not paying attention," said Adam Glenn, 21, of Rogers Park, who delivers food on his bike.

Most messengers say they love the job -- even though the job can be dangerous, the pay isn't great (messengers average about $100 a day) and the weather can be downright brutal.

"You don't have someone looking over your shoulder. You're not stuck in a cubicle all day," said Rene Cudal, 40, a messenger for 13 years who lives in Noble Square and is a co-owner of 4 Star Courier Collective.

The messengers say their job is a balancing act in a race against time.

"A lot of people do not really realize how hard it is. [They think] 'Oh, you're just riding your bike,'" Cudal said. "But let's see you cut through this traffic and get to North Avenue (from Superior and Wells Streets) in 7 minutes."

- - -

Special deliveries

The assignments for bike messengers can sometimes be downright strange.

Rene Cudal and Augie Montes recall their unforgettable deliveries.

Hardest: A 7-foot-long, 1-foot-wide canister wrapped in pink Bubble Wrap weighing 50 pounds.

"I thought I looked like Wile E. Coyote with the rocket pack on his back," Rene Cudal said.

Smallest: A postage stamp-sized Post-It with a logo.

"I was worried I'd lose it or use it as scrap paper," Cudal said.

Craziest: Underwear.

Augie Montes was called to a downtown hotel on Wacker Drive to pick up a manila envelope from a man and deliver it to a woman at a law firm. He noticed the envelope wasn't sealed very well. "Part of what was in there was coming out and I went to shove it back in and seal the envelope when I realized it was this woman's underwear," he said.

Weirdest: Pumped breast milk.

Montes picked up an envelope at a downtown law firm that had some kind of liquid in it. After calling his dispatcher, he found out what it was: breast milk. Montes recalled his reaction at the time: "You've got to be kidding me."

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O'Hare ranks No. 1 in tardy departures - Delays rise despite decrease in air traffic

Chicago Tribune (IL) - July 8, 2008
Author: Julie Johnsson, TRIBUNE REPORTER
A falloff in air traffic doesn't appear to be easing delays at O'Hare International Airport.

Chicago's chronically congested airport had the worst on-time departure performance of any major U.S. airport from January to May, a new report shows.

Just 63.2 percent of flights departed O'Hare as scheduled over that five-month period, according to a report from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics released Monday. That's a decline from the same period of 2007, when 64.4 percent of O'Hare departures were late.

City of Chicago data show that the number of flights at O'Hare declined by 4.6 percent over that period, as the airport's major tenants, United and American Airlines, began to cut flights to temper rising fuel costs.

Both carriers plan double-digit service reductions at the airport this fall, anticipating that typical seasonal declines in air travel will be exacerbated by a stagnant economy.

Federal regulators plan to lift flight curbs at the airport as airlines reduce capacity and a new runway opens.

Delays continue to plague the U.S. air system despite similar cutbacks by airlines nationwide, federal data show.

U.S. carriers arrived on time at their destinations for 79 percent of all flights during May, according to the transportation bureau's data. While that's a slight improvement over May 2007 results, it is the second-worst performance recorded for that month in the 14 years that federal officials have tracked on-time performance.

American Airlines had the worst overall on-time arrival performance among major airlines, followed by United and Continental Airlines.

Southwest Airlines operated the flight most plagued by delays during the month: Flight 2709 from Houston to San Diego, which was late 100 percent of the time.

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jjohnsson@tribune.com

July is Tour de France Month – Tools to follow it

Whether you are a casual cyclist or a raving aficionado, the following website, blog and newspaper alert are all you will ever need to follow, understand and learn the history of the most exciting bicycle race in the world: Le Tour de France. An additional bonus is that Le Tour is a yearly event, so you can recycle the sources next year!

The official Le Tour de France website http://www.letour.fr/us/homepage_courseTDF.html is all Tour all the time. You get access to race newsflashes every few minutes describing how the stage is unfolding, stage maps, stage videos, photographs, etc. The newsflashes are invaluable to learn about Tour history, racing tactics, life on the "peloton" (rider's pack) and tidbits of the racer's personal lives. Since the flashes are almost live, at exciting junctions of the stage or towards the end of the stage, things get chaotic, mistakes are made and corrected, and a sense of urgency is experienced: you will be racing to read the next flash to find out how it all ends up. Also, very European in flavor.

The Tour de France blog http://www.tdfblog.com/ is a breezy source of more technical and newsy information commenting on everything "Tour" that is lost in more established publications and television. In some ways, the real value for aficionados is the large number of links to other sites and postings drilling down to exoteric and obscure cycling subjects. Their comments on television commentators following the daily stage are hilarious.

Finally, we get to the source to get the story behind the story. Right before the start of the Tour, I signed up to receive daily updates of Tour stories published by the New York Times. Here is a link to set up your own updates http://select.nytimes.com/mem/tnt.html?emc=tnt&module=precall please note that you may have to register (its free!). The updates provide background information and in-depth coverage that the other two sources do not present.

Enjoy the Tour!

Take a look at a book

The Transportation Library has acquired Fighting Traffic: The Dawn of the Motor Age in the American City by Peter D. Norton. Here is an abstract of the book:

Before the advent of the automobile, users of city streets were diverse and included children at play and pedestrians at large. By 1930, most streets were primarily motor thoroughfares where children did not belong and where pedestrians were condemned as "jaywalkers." In Fighting Traffic, Peter Norton argues that to accommodate automobiles, the American city required not only a physical change but also a social one: before the city could be reconstructed for the sake of motorists, its streets had to be socially reconstructed as places where motorists belonged. It was not an evolution, he writes, but a bloody and sometimes violent revolution.

Norton describes how street users struggled to define and redefine what streets were for. He examines developments in the crucial transitional years from the 1910s to the 1930s, uncovering a broad anti-automobile campaign that reviled motorists as "road hogs" or "speed demons" and cars as "juggernauts" or "death cars." He considers the perspectives of all users--pedestrians, police (who had to become "traffic cops"), street railways, downtown businesses, traffic engineers (who often saw cars as the problem, not the solution), and automobile promoters. He finds that pedestrians and parents campaigned in moral terms, fighting for "justice." Cities and downtown businesses tried to regulate traffic in the name of "efficiency." Automotive interest groups, meanwhile, legitimized their claim to the streets by invoking "freedom"--a rhetorical stance of particular power in the United States.

Fighting Traffic offers a new look at both the origins of the automotive city in America and how social groups shape technological change.

Click hereto view the table of contents and sample chapters from the book.