Infrastructure in the News: July 30, 2010

Hartford Courant reported that Connecticut roads and bridges are in need of repair and according to The Hill rail and ports are key to the exports, and exports are the key to the economy. More in this Infrastructure in the News.

National News

Streetsblog: Why Isn’t Traffic Reduction a Top Public Health Concern?
Earlier this week, Ken Archer at Greater Greater Washington posted this revealing graphic showing the relationship between the amount of driving we do in the United States and the death toll on our roads. Even as conventional traffic safety techniques have made driving less deadly, the rise in miles driven knocked back those improvements. It wasn't until our collective mileage flattened out that safety gains could be fully realized. Thousands of lives were saved when the growth in driving came to a halt.

Transport Politic: Putting the American Commitment to High-Speed Rail in Context
...Under the supervision of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, the Obama Administration has been making a big deal of its efforts to promote livable communities where people don’t have to drive to get everywhere. At the Netroots Nation conference last week in Las Vegas, Mr. LaHood was especially vocal about his goals. “Americans like their automobiles,” he said. “One of the reasons they like ‘em is because it is in some places in the country the only form of transportation, particularly in rural America.”

Infrastructurist: The Morning Dig: A Very Funny Stephen Colbert Segment on Trains
Video.

State News

City Fix: Learning Livability Locally: New PBS Series Imagines Future of American Communities
Wanna learn what livability looks like? Stay tuned to PBS. This summer, ten PBS partner stations are reporting on how transportation solutions at the local, state and national level can “create more equitable, convenient, greener, cleaner and healthier communities.”

The Hill: Rail and Ports are Key to Exports; Exports are Key to the Economy
The economy in our home state of Washington relies heavily on exports. Success of this vital economic driver depends on products moving efficiently from farms and factories in Midwestern, Mountain, and Western States over various transportation modes to our ports, and to markets abroad. One job in three in Washington depends on trade. And in 2009, we exported over $51 billion worth of goods – making us fourth in the nation for exports and first in the nation for exports per capita.

Hartford Courant: Report: Conn. Roads And Bridges In Need Of Repair
A national transportation research group says Connecticut roads and bridges are in dire need of an upgrade but the state lacks enough funding to make the changes.