gildone

See WSJ article below. It has meek title: "Potential Energy Crunch May Bring Other Fuels to Fore" but in a nutshell, the Oil industry just released a report whereby they admit they cannot keep up with demand. For them to admit this is significant: Article has graphics, hence just the link: http://online.wsj.com/public/article_print/SB118454442678367140.html

Anyone catch Gary Seman's diatribe against the Lorain-Cleveland Commuter rail project on WRUW 91.1 FM this past tuesday? It starts at the beginning of the second hour: http://www.wruw.org/guide/show.php?show_id=144 Gary does a show called Music for Psychedelic Submariners (currently on Tuesdays from 11am-1pm). From what I understand, he's a reasonable guy who is willing to listen and learn, however, got quite a few things wrong. Not to mention, he said that if there is a need for commuter rail, then there should be people from the private sector clamoring to build it...

I think the Euclid project in its current incarnation started in 2004 with the moving of utilities and is supposed to be completed in Dec. 2008--3.5 years. This doesn't count all the pre-planning. What happened to America's can-do attitude?

Musky: Thanks for the pics. I see they are using the same audible crosswalk buttons that they put on the Bagley boulevard project in Berea. They are notorious for unreliability. Every year at least two have to be replaced or repaired. I hope the manufacturer worked the bugs out, otherwise the Cleveland is going to be replacing/repairing several per year along Euclid. As for trees-- there needs to be variety for practical reasons as well as aesthetic. Planting too much of the same species invites infestations and blights that can wipe out large swaths of trees in an urban setting. With respect to urban plantings, no species should account for more than 10% of the total and there shouldn't be large groups of the same species-- they should be mixed. This is something that is routinely ignored by city planners everywhere. There are dutch elm disease resistant elms. I planted one in my front yard a few years ago, and it's growing like gangbusters-- about 4-6 feet per year.

I don't think it's dragging so badly now. I've seen considerable progress over the past 6 months. All the un-sexy work gets done first (like the moving of utilities a couple of years back), and that's what takes the longest. Still, it's 18 months away from completion-- I want to be able to ride the damn thing! :wink:

Here it is. Taken around noon today:

^I would like to see at least see summary of the meeting since I was unable to go.

I hear the station at E. 40th is done. Anyone have pics?

If the latest predictions regarding oil supplies are correct, we need this to be completed in a hell of a lot less than 40 years. http://www.theoildrum.com/node/2689#more excerpt: "The most common response I get to all of this is simply denial. The reserve situation "can't be that bad". All I can tell you is what the mathematical models are telling me. In a nutshell, I think that the reserve situation is that bad, and I think that we are facing the near certainty of rapidly declining net export capacity worldwide. "While reasonable people can disagree on what the annual and monthly production data are telling us about our proximity to Peak Oil, in my opinion it is a virtual certainty that Peak Oil, from the point of view of importers, is here. This virtual certainty is due to the absolutely lethal combination of flat to declining crude oil production in exporting countries and the (sometimes rapidly) rising domestic consumption in exporting countries, resulting in sometimes catastrophic declines in oil exports. For example, based on EIA data, net total liquids exports by the UK dropped at an annual rate of 60% per year from 2000 to 2005. "In effect, in my opinion the very lifeblood of the world industrial economy is draining away in front of our very eyes. The only question is how fast the patient is bleeding to death. "Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but you wuz warned." Jeffrey Brown is an independent petroleum geologist in the Dallas, Texas area. His e-mail address is westexas[at]aol.com.

Bill protecting cyclists passes Sharing roads - A recent death gives a push to a measure creating tougher penalties for careless drivers Thursday, June 21, 2007 JAMES MAYER SALEM -- A careless driver who kills or seriously injures a cyclist or other "vulnerable" road user will face much stiffer penalties -- up to a year's license suspension and a $12,500 fine -- under a bill that cleared the Oregon Legislature on Wednesday... House Bill 3314 picked up speed after a 26-year-old Idaho woman with a suspended license struck and killed Washington County cyclist Tim O'Donnell as he signaled to make a left turn on a rural road earlier this month. Original link: http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1182396317323250.xml&coll=7 The cyclist's widow, Mary O'Donnell, watched from the gallery as the Senate approved the bill earlier this week.

Peak oil crisis: approaching the cliff By Tom Whipple Last weekend across southern South Dakota the pumps went dry. Gas terminals from Sioux Falls to Yankton to Sioux City were empty. “There is simply not enough fuel coming down the pipeline into the delivery system” said a BP station owner. Eventually the tankers were sent to Nebraska to find gas. A minor glitch in the distribution? Possibly, but more likely a harbinger of more serious problems to come... Article archived at : http://www.energybulletin.net/newswire.php?id=31199 Original article : http://www.fcnp.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1438&Itemid=35

Pay Attention to Price, Naysayers Say: http://biz.yahoo.com/seekingalpha/070620/38895_id.html?.v=1 Wednesday June 20, 6:55 am ET "Tim Iacono submits: The folks over at The Oil Drum are a persistent bunch. As the years go by and it continues to look as though Steve Forbes' post-Katrina prediction of $35 oil will forever fail to materialize, the forecasts by the crew at TOD appear increasingly likely to prove more accurate than predictions from most Wall Street types and nearly every big oil company and energy agency." There's graphics in this one, that's why just the first paragraph posted...

^ a lot of that had to do with efficiency and conservation efforts at the time.

That's Miss Othmar. ;)

5 bucks a gallon to clear the mind By TOM MAST Star-Tribune staff writer Sunday, June 03, 2007 http://www.casperstartribune.net/articles/2007/06/04/news/ AAA projected a slight increase in travel over the Memorial Day weekend, as compared to a year earlier, despite the fact prices for gasoline were near or above record levels in many parts of the country. So despite much grumbling, the price apparently was not high enough to dissuade most would-be travelers from hitting the road. In view of the fact our social structure over the past century has been shaped to a large extent by the automobile, our thirst for gasoline is hardly surprising. But as gasoline prices continue to climb, speculation invariably begins about just what price level will trigger dramatic changes in driving habits and lifestyles...

It may be. I've always wondered if suits could be filed by disabled our elderly groups for not providing enough non-automobile transportation options.

Unfortunately, a lot of jobs are located in suburbs and exurbs where public transit does not go or cannot efficiently go. If you live in south Toledo and have to commute to the industrial parks of Perrysburg, how are you going to get there by transit? The chickens are coming home to roost now with respect to our poor land use and transportation policy choices. And it's only going to get worse.

It's about time these dots were connected. Even though this is a case in the California state court, it's going to have national implications: Sprawl clashes with Global Warming San Francisco Chronicle by Mark Martin (05-27) 04:00 PDT Sacramento -- California's pioneering push to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is colliding with one of the state's most ingrained legacies: urban sprawl. In litigation and legislation, environmentalists, lawmakers and Attorney General Jerry Brown are using a landmark law enacted last year by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to argue that the state must rethink the kind of immense and far-flung housing developments that have defined California land-use patterns for decades. The global warming fight has given new ammunition to the battle against sprawl, which detractors argue creates more cars on the road and energy use and is therefore a key ingredient in the climate-change crisis that threatens the California coastline and snowpack... Original article link gone. Article archived here: http://postcarboncities.net/sprawl-clashes-global-warming-efforts-california

"My bullet...where's my bullet?!??!" :lol: sorry... just a little comic relief...

I agree Mike Bradley was indeed a very good choice on the part of the Commission. He won a lot of respect from the freight railroads by the way he handled the COTA light rail plan. Former Director Jim Seney did a great job getting the background work done for the Ohio Hub. The plan ready for the next level and Bradley is the right person at the right time to pick up the ball and take it there. Add in a very supportive gubernatorial administration and the current movements in both houses of Congress on passenger rail (i.e. SB 294, Title V of HR 1300, etc) and the stars are aligning very well for passenger rail in Ohio.

There is a possibility of regional gasoline shortages in August. Perhaps the decline in driving will help avert it. We'll see: The peak oil crisis: Alarms are sounding By Tom Whipple Across the world alarm bells are starting to clang. Above every gas station, a large sign is proclaiming that prices are on an unstoppable climb towards un-affordability. In Paris, the International Energy Agency has announced that the demand for oil is likely to exceed the supply later this year, unless, of course, OPEC steps up production. In the Middle East OPEC spokesmen reiterate time after time that all is well, there is plenty of oil, and there is no need to increase production. Article archived at : http://www.energybulletin.net/newswire.php?id=29754 Original article : http://www.fcnp.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1284&Itemid=35

You're not in Europe yet. You're still in the UK. Don't let anyone there hear you refer to the UK as Europe. :wink:

KJP: You've been there a day and you're already updating us? It's great to hear from you, but enjoy your vacation and don't worry about all of us stuck here in single-modal transportation policy hell. :wink: Thomasbw: There are already a lot of foreclosures occurring. I recently saw an LA Times article about a deputy who works for San Bernadino county. He's the guy who issues foreclosure notices in the county. Something like 40% of his notices now are in affluent neighborhoods.

According to the long time peak oil voices-- Ken Deffeyes, Colin Campbell, Kjell Acklett, the people at The Oil Drum and others like JH Kunstler, this is exactly what peak oil is-- the peak in light, sweet, easily extracted and refined crude. The refinery bottleneck is likely due to the fact that there are more heavy oils on the market which too many US refineries cannot process. Saudi Arabia has been putting more heavy, sour oil on the market for several months now. To make matters worse, an article at Bloomberg.com says, Saudi Arabia recently issued a statement that they may not need to raise their oil production (as promised) beyond 9.5 mbd after 2009 due to ongoing conservation measures around the globe. Here's the article: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20602099&sid=ataHAA7GX3js&refer=energy I don't know about you all, but I think it's a bunch of B.S. There isn't a whole lot of conservation going on (especially in the US) as global demand is still rising. IMHO, they aren't going to raise production beyond 9.5 mbd because they cannot.

We need to contact our state senators to ask that they support Gov. Strickland's proposed $2 million increase in ORDC's budget. The Ohio House stripped the funding from the budget, but the Senate may restore it. The Senate is going to be holding a hearing in a couple of weeks about ORDC. Let's turn our words here into action! I received the following e-mail a few days ago: You might call ORDC “the little engine that could”. That’s a reputation the Ohio Rail Development Commission could be said to have earned over the last several years: getting the most out of our often limited funding to advance a variety of freight rail projects that have helped Ohio’s economy grow, attracted new business and jobs, retained existing jobs and put more of Ohio’s rapidly increasing freight traffic off our congested highways and move faster and better by rail. Since FY 2001, ORDC freight rail programs have: · Positively impacted over 156,000 jobs in Ohio · Preserved and rehabilitated 293 miles of rail line, and · Help secure the movement of over 120,000 carloads of freight Already, ORDC staff is working on 15 projects for fiscal year 2008. Preliminary estimates suggest these projects will require approximately $2.3-million of support from ORDC. We estimate this kind of essential transportation investment will: · Leverage approximately $70.4-million of additional investment of private sector dollars in Ohio’s rail infrastructure · Create 673 new jobs · Retain 651 existing jobs · Preserve and rehabilitate 43.5 miles of Ohio rail lines Keep in mind that ORDC is often the only public source of funding for rail infrastructure improvements necessary to support critical economic development projects. 2007 was appearing to be a turnaround year for ORDC’s funding, with Governor Ted Strickland proposing a modest $2-million dollar per year increase in ORDC’s budget over the next two years. These dollars can have an immediate and larger impact than ever before on ORDC’s mission. But those proposed dollars were removed recently by the Ohio House from their version of the budget bill. There is, however, a chance to restore all or part of that funding before a final budget is approved by the Ohio General Assembly. The Ohio Senate is about to begin hearings on their version of the budget bill. We are asking you to send a message of support for ORDC to your members of the Ohio Senate. The message is this: If Ohio is to effectively and significantly address the challenges of growing our economy, creating jobs, reducing traffic congestion, improving our air quality and truly reducing our dependence on oil: then Governor Strickland’s proposed $2-million dollar budget increase for ORDC must be viewed as an essential investment toward meeting these challenges. Ask your State Senator to consider these facts: · The average railroad freight car may take up to the equivalent of three trucks off of our highways, reducing both traffic congestion and the cost of wear and tear on our highways. · A fully-loaded, 100-car, “double-stack” container train (two freight containers per car) takes 200 long-haul trucks off of our highways, conserving fuel and reducing diesel emissions. · Improving Ohio’s rail system and increasing its capacity reduces shipping costs for existing Ohio shippers and makes Ohio a more attractive location for new business and jobs. ORDC’s goal is to do even more, including advancing our “Ohio Hub Plan” to create a statewide and regional high-speed passenger rail network and expand capacity to move even more freight by rail. Your message of support, whether it’s via postal mail, e-mail or phone call to your State Senator, can help get this important work done. Here is the link to find your State Senator: http://www.senate.state.oh.us/senators/