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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