DOT 32-08
Friday, March 7, 2008

News Digest

Daylight Saving Time to Begin Sunday, March 9, for Most Americans. Most of the nation will return to daylight saving time at 2 a.m. on Sunday, March 9, when clocks will be set ahead one hour, providing an additional hour of daylight in the evening. Under law, daylight saving time is observed from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November, with the nation returning to standard time starting Sunday, Nov. 2, 2008. Prior to legislation that took effect in 2007, daylight saving time was observed from the first Sunday in April to the last Sunday in October. Federal law does not require any area to observe daylight time, but those that do must follow the starting and ending dates set by the law. No resetting of clocks is required for those parts of the country not observing daylight time: Arizona, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam and the Northern Marianas. Contact Bill Mosley: (202) 366-4570.

Study Confirms Benefits of Moving Freight on Inland Waterways. A new joint study by government and industry confirms the efficiency, cost-savings and environmental benefits of moving freight on America's inland waterways. The study, titled "A Modal Comparison of Freight and Transportation Effects on the General Public," was conducted by Texas A&M University's Texas Transportation Institute, and sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration and the National Waterways Foundation. Considering river barge transportation along certain corridors in the nation, researchers compared that mode's cargo capacity and fuel efficiency with over-the-road trucks and trains. They also compared the overall safety of the three modes; the impact of building and maintaining roads, rails and ports; and the environmental impact of each mode. The study may be seen online at www.marad.dot.gov.


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