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Pay Me Now Or Pay Me Later
Tolls and taxes.
Drivers don’t like shelling out cash for either one.
But the money to build new roads and fix crumbling bridges has to come from somewhere.
So what are transportation agencies to do?
Here’s an idea that’s quickly gaining popularity across the country. Drivers would pay a fee based on where you drive, at what time of day and how often you’re on the road as well as what type of car you have.
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Traffic Web Site Now Has More Travel Information
The state has redesigned its SMART SunGuide web site, making it more user-friendly for the tens of thousands of commuters in South Florida.
The web site now has a route planner, allowing motorists in Broward and Palm Beach to get specific information on their preferred route.
After logging in, drivers will be able to see travel times, images from cameras and messages on the highway signs about delays or crashes along their route.
“We want to give our motorists as much decision-making information as possible,” said Steve Corbin, the state Department of Transportation’s district ITS operations manager. “Additionally, we feel that the new features will be valuable to the first-responder agencies that we work with on a regular basis.”
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Chatting On The Phone While Flying
Safety experts discourage people from talking on the cell phone while driving. No secret about that.
Well, what about in the air?
A new report shows that Americans are split on whether cell phones should be allowed during flights. Those age 65 and older are more likely to oppose the idea than those between 18 and 34.
The Bureau of Transportation Statistics report found that 39.7 percent of respondents felt passengers should be able to use their phone as long as it didn’t interfere with the aircraft communications systems.
Meanwhile, 45.2 percent didn’t think it was a good idea. The remaining 15 percent weren’t sure.
Can you image sitting next to someone with a really annoying voice who couldn’t shut up during a really long flight?
Road rage? How about air rage!
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Getting Ready For The Start Of School
Students and parents are getting in the back-to-school mode.
Drivers should be too.
On Aug. 18, many of the roads where you’ve been cruising this summer will become school zones. They will be flooded with kids riding bikes, walking home and getting on and off the school bus come.
That’s why AAA is once again promoting its School’s Open, Drive Carefully program.
The goal is to reduce the number of dangerous incidents that can result in a child’s death of injury. Getting hurt while walking is the second leading cause of injury-related death for children ages 5-15, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Highways Signs Aid In Police Searches
In May, Gov. Charlie Crist signed an executive order creating the Florida Law Enforcement Officers Alert Plan.
The order calls for the use of the electronic message signs found along I-95, Florida’s Turnpike and other highways to broadcast information to the public in specific cases when an officer is killed or seriously wounded.
However, the signs could not be used Tuesday when Donald J. Pettit, an agent for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, was shot and killed outside a Pembroke Pines post office.
Police were able to identify the shooter’s car as a green or grey Chrysler 300, but did not have any information on the license tag. Coincidentally, Pettit was driving the same model car.
To activate the message signs, a complete or partial tag number must be available.
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Another Shutdown On I-95 Coming Up
Late-night and early-morning drivers on I-95, take notice:
The highway will be closed for two nights early next week.
To prepare for a traffic shift, all I-95 lanes will be closed from 9 p.m. Sunday to 5 a.m. Monday and again from 9 p.m. Monday to 5 a.m. Tuesday.
Motorists can detour by way of Okeechobee Boulevard and Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard.
There’s a whole lot of other work going on in that area, so it may be wise just to avoid the mess.
As part of the construction, Congress Avenue at I-95 will be closed from 7 a.m. Saturday until 5 a.m. Monday.
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Stupidity Takes Over The Roads This Morning
Nothing like a couple of really dumb stunts to start off the week.
I’m heading south on Congress Avenue toward Belvedere Road when a small white Toyota speeds past me on the right, swerves in front of me and pulls into the far left-turn lane to go east on Belvedere.
I pull up beside the car and there’s a young lady behind the wheel and a small baby in a car seat in the back. Enough said.
A few minutes later, I’m getting ready to make a left turn into my office parking lot off Monceaux Road when a small white SUV speeds past me on the left. A second or two later and the SUV would have been part of my driver’s side door.
I guess lots of folks we’re running late this morning.
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Using Transit Saves Big Bucks
Commuters can save more than $8,000 a year by riding the bus or train instead of driving, according to a report released today by the American Public Transportation Association.
That’s almost $2,000 more than the average household spends on food in a year, the report says.
Based on gas costing $3.91 a gallon, which is today’s national average, the savings amounts to $672 a month.
APTA has decided to release a “Transit Savings Report” every month to remind people that public transportation is the quickest way to save money and beat the high price of gas, said William Millar, the group’s president.
“In these tough economic times, a record number of Americans are saying my other car is the train or bus and it helps me balance my budget,” Millar said.
Gas prices have increased by 179 percent since 2003, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
To calculate your individual savings, click here.
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Will’s Bolivian Cone
Question.
Do you prefer the traditional orange traffic cones that line Palm Beach County streets, warning us that closed lanes and delays are about to thrown a damper on our commute?
Or is the two-tone yellow and black traffic control device that our correspondent found during a recent trip to Bolivia more to your liking? You’ve got to admit, it has a rather distinct if not extremely overused look.
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Commuting By Bike Gets Easier
More and more people are hopping on their bikes as a way to beat high gas prices.
And to help them get to work, school and other destinations, the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy has launched an on-line trail-finder, called TrailLink.
The free resource allows cyclists to plan their routes using off-road trails as the backbone of their trip, said Katie Test, the conservancy’s spokeswoman.
Users can search for trails by zip code or state. They can also click on the national rail-trail map that zooms down to show individual trails or an entire regional trail network.
About half of the 1,500 rail-trails nationwide have been mapped and more are being added every day, Test said. Many routes connect to on-road bikeways, making a commute by bike easier.
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Bill For Bridge Repair: $140 Billion
One out of every four of the 600,000 bridges in the United States needs to be modernized or repaired.
Making all of the necessary repairs would cost at least $140 billion.
Those two staggering facts are the premise of a report released today by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.
With the first anniversary of the Minneapolis I-35W bridge tragedy on Friday, the report — Bridging the Gap: Restoring and Rebuilding the Nation’s Bridges — outlines the critical challenges ahead in upgrading our roadway transportation system.
“Across the nation, state and local transportation agencies are struggling to keep our country’s bridges safe, sound and fit for the future,” said AASHTO Executive Director John Horsley. “A new generation of bridges must be built and Bridging the Gap points the way.”
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Hybrids Pose A Threat To The Blind
The increasing number of electric and gas-battery hybrid cars on the road today is definitely good for the environment.
And hybrids help drivers strike back in the battle against high gas prices.
But there’s also an unintended consequence with these vehicles that puts blind and low-vision people in danger.
Hybrid vehicles cannot be heard by blind people and others when running on their electric motors, “rendering such vehicles extremely dangerous when driving on the streets, emerging from driveways, moving through parking lots, and in situations where pedestrians and vehicles come into proximity with each other.”
So says the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act of 2008, which is currently being considered in Congress.
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Five Reasons For Not Speeding
According to the Governors Highway Safety Association, speeding is one of the few aspects of highway safety where little progress has been made.
About 13,500 people are killed annually in the United States from speeding-related crashes and other incidents.
With this in mind, the association has made speeding a priority issue. It’s urging Congress to create a program in the new highway bill to raise awareness about the dangers of speeding.
The association also is asking for an incentive program to reward states that use automated enforcement (cameras) to nab speeders and enforce speed laws.
In the interim, the group is hopeful that the high cost of gas will get people to think twice before they lead-foot the accelerator.
If slowing down to save a life is not that important, maybe slowing down to save a few dollars is.
So here’s 5 reasons why drivers shouldn’t speed.
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Traffic Fatalities Down; High Gas Prices The Reason?
Finally, some good news from the insanity of $4-plus gas prices.
According to the National Safety Council, motor vehicle deaths are down 9 percent for the first five months of the year, compared to the same period in 2007.
In Florida, traffic fatalities dropped 11 percent.
Pinpointing the exact reason is difficult, experts say, but the decrease is occurring at the same time as gas prices go through the roof.
People also are driving less. Travel was down 1.8 percent in April, continuing a trend that began late last year.
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Is It A Decoy Or A Real Cop?
I know a lot of folks who drive Florida’s Turnpike have a hard time keeping it under the speed limit.
Every time I use the highway, which I admit isn’t that often, it seems like the average speed is 80 mph. OK, 85 mph.
That’s why it’s good to hear the FHP is stepping up speed enforcement out there.
Some drivers have reported seeing unmanned FHP cars parked near the PGA and Okeechobee exits during rush hour.
The presence of the units along the road is sure to slow some drivers. Others probably won’t be fazed a bit.
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Crosswalk Crackdown Long Overdue
I see where cops in a number of cities around the country are starting to get serious with drivers who zip past pedestrians in crosswalks.
When does it start here?
In a story the other day, Chicago police officer Grace Delgado said it best.
“People, they don’t care. It’s ‘Get out of my way.’ The whole mentality is ‘Get out of my way.’”
When you think about it, there’s a whole lot of stupidity too.
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New Campaign Targets Motorcycle Safety
That’s the message state officials want to send to motorcyclists.
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles is teaming up with law enforcement agencies on the campaign to promote motorcycle visibility and safety.
Why?
Because of the increasing number of fatalities in motorcycle-related crashes.
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Cops Can Stop You Anywhere
Speeders and aggressive drivers in Broward County — Beware.
Beginning Aug. 1, a new agreement between the Broward Sheriffs Office and several cities takes effect that removes jurisdictional boundaries on enforcement.
Police officers who work for cities participating in the program will now be able to nab certain traffic violators anywhere in the county.
Now, there’s nothing an officer can do if he sees someone speeding in another city. But that’s going to change with the new agreement.
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How Long Before I Get To My Exit?
Anyone who’s driven South Florida highways during rush-hour knows getting to your exit can’t come soon enough.
Now, thanks to the latest intelligent transportation technology, motorists on I-595 know exactly how long it will take to reach their destination.
The SMART SunGuide traffic management center in Fort Lauderdale is posting travel time information on the dynamic message signs along I-595.
Soon, it will be available on I-95 in Broward County, said Steve Corbin, the Florida Department of Transportation’s district ITS operations manager.
And it will roll into Palm Beach County when the big electronic signs are installed on I-95 in a couple of years.
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Full Moon Over The Train Tracks
It started out as a dare.
After having a beer or two…or three or four, go outside near the railroad tracks and drop your pants at the passing train.
But like many events that are supposed to be fun, the annual “Mooning the Amtrak” party in Southern California apparently got out of hand and was shut down by police.
Never heard of it? Neither did I until this weekend.
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Big Truck Crashes Decreasing In Florida
A story in today’s Palm Beach Post about the state’s record seat belt usage rate mentioned the role that the Florida Trucking Association is playing to get more people to buckle up.
The FTA and Florida Department of Transportation will work together on a campaign to put large decals on more than 1,000 big trucks that encourage drivers to wear their safety belts.
“Be Ready. Be Buckled. Live It.”
The story goes on to say that the number of fatal crashes involving large trucks decreased 23.4 percent last year, following a 19.4 percent drop in 2006. Overall, crashes involved big rigs are at their lowest level since 2003.
Here’s more on how these numbers were achieved.
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Momentum Building For National Speed Limit
Sen. John Warner, an influential Republican from Virginia, is the latest to hop on board the speed limit train.
Warner believes Congress may want to consider returning to the days of a national speed limit as a way to save gas and possibly lower fuel prices.
Last week, he asked Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman to determine what speed limit would provide the optimum gasoline efficiency, considering the current technology.
In 1974, a national 55 mph speed limit was set because of energy shortages due to the Arab oil embargo. It was repealed in 1995, when crude oil dropped to $17 a barrel and the average price at the pump was $1.10 a gallon.
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Move Over Dragnet Snares Thousands
Need further proof that many motorists simply don’t understand the Move Over law or see no need to follow it?
During a week long campaign on June 23-29 spearheaded by the Florida Highway Patrol, law enforcement agencies throughout the state issued more than 4,500 Move Over citations and more than 10,000 warnings, which included Move Over violations and other offenses.
The Move Over law requires drivers to move over one lane whenever an emergency vehicle on the side of the road has its emergency lights activated. It you can’t move over, then you must slow down at least 20 mph below the posted speed limit.
It’s been on the books since 2002, but many drivers say they’ve never heard of it.
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Ethanol Now Available On The Turnpike
Motorists who use E85 fuel now have another place to fill up. But it’s a bit of a drive to get to the pump.
Last week, the Turkey Lake service plaza on Florida’s Turnpike became the first spot in Central Florida to offer ethanol to the motoring public. The only other E85 fueling stations are in Miami and Tallahassee.
Later this summer, ethanol also will be available at the turnpike service plazas in Port St. Lucie and Pompano Beach.
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It Was A Mistake To Turn On Southern
Taking an extra long holiday weekend, I was out and about Monday running some errands.
Heading north on SR 7 from the Wellington mall, I thought to myself, “Why not go on Southern and see how the construction is coming along.”
The next thing I said to myself? “You’re an idiot!”
As soon as I merged onto Southern, I saw the sign that warned, “Right lane closed.” So naturally, I got over into the left lane.
Little good that did when traffic came to a dead stop.
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Words Of Wisdom On The Back Bumper
Spotted on the rear bumper of a beat-up Buick tooling down Jog Road yesterday:
“Guns don’t kill people. Drivers on cell phones do.”
I thought for sure the driver would be on the phone, but he wasn’t.
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Staying Home On The Fourth
With the Fourth of July falling on Friday, you’d think lots of people are planning a long weekend away from home.
Not as many as last year, says AAA.
Travel for the Independence Day weekend is expected to decrease 1.3 percent, compared to 2007.
Still, about 2.1 million people will be traveling by car in Florida and that will mean a noticeable increase in traffic on the highways, said Kevin Bakewell, AAA’s senior vice president.
“We expect a great many will head to the beaches, theme parks and community gatherings especially to enjoy fireworks displays,” Bakewell said.
Not hard to figure out what’s keeping many folks home. Gas prices.
Today’s statewide average for regular is $4.03 a gallon. That’s $1.10 higher than a year ago.
In our area, the average is $4.14 a gallon, which is also $1.10 higher than this time in 2007.
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Is The Congress Avenue Overpass A Little Shaky?
Bob Flannery has never been accused of being a gephyrophobiac.
For those of you not familiar with the term, that’s someone with an abnormal and persistent fear of crossing bridges.
Sufferers of this phobia experience undue anxiety, even though they know their fear is irrational.
“I’ve crossed many, from the Verrazanno-Narrows to the Golden Gate,” the West Palm Beach resident says.
But, lately, Flannery said he gets a strange feeling every time he drives across the Congress overpass at I-95.
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Move Over Crackdown: Part Two
Last week, it was Palm Beach County sheriff’s deputies who swarmed I-95 to nab drivers who failed to follow the Move Over law.
This week, it’s the Florida Highway Patrol that’s saturating the highway to enforce the law.
It’s not that hard to understand.
The Move Over law requires drivers to move over one lane whenever an emergency vehicle on the side of the road has its emergency lights activated. It you can’t move over, then you must slow down at least 20 mph below the posted speed limit.
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Are I-95 Drivers Slowing Down To Save Gas?
A reader reports:
“The driving speed has decreased substantially on I-95. Used to be, 70-75 (mph) was the norm, with a good number going faster.”
“Now, it’s 60-65. This is just my observation, but I bet it’s right. Speed has slowed over the past two weeks.”
So, all of you I-95 commuters. What do you think?
Are you slowing down to save on gas?
Or might it have something to do with all of the cops on the interstate?
The Move Over law crackdown has been going on all week and the Staying Alive on 95 program got underway yesterday and will run through tomorrow.
Some people have a tendency to ease off the accelerator when they see flashing blue lights.
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Ride Tri-Rail And Help Set A Record
All set for Dump the Pump Day tomorrow?
No matter if you take transit, carpool, vanpool or even ride your bike, commuters are encouraged to leave the car at home and use a gas-saving, more environmentally-friendly way to get to work.
If you decide to ride Tri-Rail, you could be part of a record-setting day.
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Catching Speeders Is Like Going Fishing
A lot of drivers are not too happy that cops are swarming I-95 this week to conduct an education and enforcement campaign on the Move Over law.
Consider this comment from a reader.
“Can the police also ‘target’ the crack houses that are very obvious?”
That’s fairly typical whenever police agencies team up to try to make a dent in the speeding and aggressive driving on our major roadways.
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Slow Drivers: Stay Out Of The Left Lane
Have you been minding your Ps and Qs behind the wheel the past week?
In other words, have you made it a habit to move to the right to allow faster traffic to pass?
It’s called “lane courtesy” and the National Motorists Association is promoting the “incredibly important and positive traffic safety concept” during June, the start of the summer vacation season.
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A Commuter’s Quandary
Two big events are happening June 19 in the South Florida transportation world.
It’s “Dump the Pump” and “Staying Alive on 95.”
Dump the Pump is the day people are encouraged to leave the car at home and take public transit to save money, conserve gasoline and help reduce harmful greenhouse gases.
This year, local transit agencies, including Palm Tran and Tri-Rail, are teaming up with South Florida Commuter Services to promote the campaign.
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I-95 Construction Tours: Good Idea?
Caught an item over the weekend about the weekly tours being offered to the public at the site of the new Interstate 35W bridge being built in Minneapolis.
We all remember last August when the old I-35W span over the Mississippi River collapsed, killing 13 and injuring dozens of others.
The Sidewalk Superintendent tours, as the Minnesota DOT calls them, apparently are quite popular with the locals, tourists and retired transportation workers. A really different kind of public meeting, if you will.
Of course, we’ve never had a tragedy like that here, but there still is a lot of interest in new road and bridge projects.
So what if the Florida DOT conducted tours of the I-95 widening or the construction of the new Flagler Memorial and Southern bridges over the Intracoastal Waterway which are set to get underway in a couple of years.
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Some of them are using it as entrappment. My spouse was pulled over by a Trooper that was actually rolling not stopped. He said everyone had passed by buy since my husband was last he got the ticket. The pamphlet states when they are stopped with lights
... read the full comment by Carol | Comment on Move Over Crackdown: Part Two Read Move Over Crackdown: Part Two
Some of them are using it as entrappment. My spouse was pulled over by a Trooper that was actually rolling not stopped. He said everyone had passed by buy since my husband was last he got the ticket. The pamphlet states when they are stopped with lights
... read the full comment by Carol | Comment on Move Over Crackdown: Part Two Read Move Over Crackdown: Part Two
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