DOT 151-08
Friday, October 10, 2008

News Digest

BTS Update of National Transportation Statistics Includes Freight Ton-Miles Tabulations through 2006. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) today updated a special tabulation of ton-miles of freight by mode for 2006. BTS estimates for air, truck, rail, water, and pipelines were developed using a more comprehensive approach than was used in prior estimates. The special tabulation shows that freight ton-miles increased 1.4 percent from 2005 to 2006. Ton-miles by rail increased 6.9 percent from 2005 to 2006, the most of any mode. The new tabulation, with modal numbers through 2006, can be found here: http://www.bts.gov/publications/national_transportation_statistics/html/table_01_46b.html BTS also updated the following tables as part of the quarterly National Transportation Statistics update: Annual U.S. Motor Vehicle Production and Factory (Wholesale) Sales (Table 1-15); Retail New Passenger Car Sales (1-16); World Motor Vehicle Production, Selected Countries (1-22); U.S. Waterborne Freight (1-50); FAA-Cited Causes of Departure and En Route Delays (1-61); U.S. Commuter Air Carrier Safety Data (2-10); U.S. Air Carrier Fatal Accidents by First Phase of Operation (2-11); Occupant Fatalities by Vehicle Type and Nonoccupant Fatalities (2-19); Transit Safety Data by Mode (2-32; 2-33a); Hazardous Liquid and Natural Gas Pipeline Safety and Property Damage Data (2-46); Federal, State, and Local Government Transportation-Related Revenues and Expenditures (3-25b); Summary of Transportation Revenues and Expenditures from Own Funds and User Coverage (3-26); Overview of U.S. Petroleum Production, Imports, Exports, and Consumption (4-1); Certificated Air Carrier Fuel Consumption and Travel (4-8); Class I Rail Freight Fuel Consumption and Travel (4-17); Energy Intensity of Passenger Modes (4-20). National Transportation Statistics can be found here: http://www.bts.gov/publications/national_transportation_statistics/
Contact: Dave Smallen (202) 366-5568.

FRA Issues Final EIS for Replacement of 100-Year-Old Portal Bridge Over Hackensack River in New Jersey. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has released the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Portal Bridge Capacity Enhancement Project sponsored by Amtrak and New Jersey Transit (NJT). The project is intended to improve the Hackensack River crossing on the Northeast Corridor between Secaucus and Kearny, NJ. The FEIS contains an evaluation of the environmental, social and economic impacts of four proposed alternatives for replacing the nearly 100-year old two-track bridge and a “no action” option. The FEIS identifies the preferred alternative, which includes a three-track fixed northern bridge and a two-track movable southern bridge, both on new alignments. At present, nearly 500 trains operate over the bridge every weekday, and both Amtrak and NJT anticipate additional traffic growth in the future. Should the project be built, the addition of extra tracks is expected to increase capacity, improve service, and increase operational flexibility. The FEIS and additional information about the Portal Bridge project are available at http://www.portalbridgenec.com/. Contact: Rob Kulat (202) 493-6024.
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