MARTA Atlanta News Clips 8-16-13

7/29/2019 MARTA Atlanta News Clips 8-16-13

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News Clips

8-16-13

Today's Clips:

MARTA Falcons Stadium Atlanta BeltLine Atlanta/Georgia Transit/Transportation International Transit/Transportation News


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MARTA

WABE-FM, 8-15-13

State and Local Leaders Welcome Home-Building Giant to New Buckhead

Headquarters

By Jonathan Shapiro

In a ceremony Thursday morning, state and local leaders formally welcomedPulteGroup to its new Buckhead headquarters. The home construction giantrecently relocated from the Detroit area.

With the governor at his side, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed said it reinforces theregions place as a top corporate destination.

PulteGroup chose Atlanta over several other cities because we partneredtogether and we continue to attract top talent from around the country, saidReed.

At least $6 million in state and city tax credits and job training helped seal thedeal.

PulteGroup chief Richard Dugas says he sees tremendous growth potential inthe Southeast.

In 2012, the Southeast part of the country accounted for 37 percent of thehomes that we closed and 43 percent of our invested capital and we see thepotential for more growth in the future, said Dugas.

He noted the Case-Shiller index shows home prices in metro Atlanta are up 20percent over the last year, with pending sales up five percent and days-on-market down 16 percent through the first half of 2013.

PulteGroup is moving about 100 employees to Atlanta and plans to fill more than200 new positions at its Buckhead location.

Dugas said the new offices location adjacent to the Buckhead MARTAstation was a big attraction. He said he wouldnt be surprised if half of hisemployees take MARTA on a daily basis.


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Saporta Report, 8-15-13

PulteGroups decision to move headquarters to Atlanta from Detroit tied tocompanys growth

By Maria Saporta

Georgia and Atlanta leaders welcomed what they hope will be their next Fortune500 company headquarters to Atlanta Thursday morning.

Gov. Nathan Deal and Atlanta Mayor Nathan Deal welcomed Richard Dugas Jr.,the chairman, president and CEO of PulteGroup, to Atlanta at the location of itsnew headquarters a year from now.

PulteGroup is moving its corporate headquarters from Bloomfield Hills, Mi.in the Detroit area to the Capital City Plaza building right next to the

MARTA Buckhead station.

The PulteGroups ranking in the 2013 Fortune 1000 list? No. 501. Oh so close.

In an interview after the welcoming event, Dugas said the PulteGroup used torank as high as No. 250 in the Fortune 500 list, but then came the housing fall-out during the Great Recession in the late 2000s, and its business suffered alongwith other homebuilders.

And that helps explains why the PulteGroup decided to relocate its corporateheadquarters outside of the Midwest to the Sun Belt.

In 2012, the Southeast accounted for 37 percent of the homes that we closedand 43 percent of our invested capital, Dugas said. The total Midwest marketsgoing back 20 years ago represented just under 30 percent of our business, andtoday its a little less than 10 percent.

Dugas said it made sense to move the company to where it sees the greatestgrowth opportunities.

We wanted to pick a location that would be closer to our investments and closerto the customers that we serve, Dugas said. The Sun Belt continues to growaggressively, and its more convenient when we visit projects.

The corporate headquarters will employ about 320 people, Dugas said with abouthalf relocating from Michigan and the other half being hired in the Atlanta area.

When the PulteGroup announced earlier this year that it was moving itsheadquarters out of the Greater Detroit area to Atlanta, the news was not wellreceived.


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Dan Gilbert, founder of Quicken Loans and owner of the Cleveland CavaliersNBA team, actually wrote in a late night tweet when the move was announcedthat Dugas was a punk for making that decision.

He followed that up in an interview in the (Detroit) Free Press with the followingquote: Lets put it this way. When a guy is willing to move the headquarters of a63-year-old Michigan-based company in the middle of the night, basically,without even consulting with the founders family, I think that pretty much speaksfor itself. The words in the tweet are pretty appropriate.

Dugas said he can understand why people were so upset.

It was a business decision, he said. I dont take anything personally. At the endof the day, Pulte continues to have a large investment in Michigan.

And Dugas said that the companys founder, Bill Pulte, is a first-classgentleman who told him that he would support him and his decision to move thePulteGroup if it is good for the company.

Gilbert, however, didnt stop there. He also accused Dugas of not telling the truth.Dugas isnt moving to Atlanta because it matters where the corporateheadquarters is, Gilbert reportedly said. Hes moving to Atlanta because hesfrom Atlanta. Thats where he wants to live personally. At least be honest andcome out and tell the truth about it.

Actually Dugas grew up in southern Louisiana. He joined the PulteGroup in 1994.He did move to Atlanta (actually Duluth) in 1996 and lived here until 2002. Butthats not why the PulteGroup ended up deciding to move its headquarters to

Atlanta.

We did not move the company because it was where I wanted to live, Dugassaid. We had a very objective process (that included all sorts of criteria scoredby a team of executives). At the end of the day, the team was unanimous inselecting Atlanta.

But Dugas did add: I make no apology that I loved living in Atlanta.

Although the company has not yet completed its relocation, Dugas has alreadybought a home in Buckhead, and his family will be making the transition fromDetroit to Atlanta over the next year or two.

Dugas also was excited that the company will be based right next to aMARTA station.


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I frankly think we have the best location in Buckhead, he said. It wouldnot shock me if 50 percent of our workforce ends up taking MARTA to workevery day.

Meanwhile, Dugas is focused on making sure that the PulteGroup takes full

advantage of the recovering housing market. Although it is still building suburbansubdivisions, it is broadening its portfolio to include more urban, infilldevelopments.

We are learning to slice the demographic pie a little more finely, he said. Weare learning to target the infill urban buyer and the single buyer.

The PulteGroup also sees great growth potential in its Del Webb brand activeretirement communities to appeal to the aging, yet still healthy population.

The Metro Atlanta Chamber as well as the mayor and governor pledged to do all

they could to help the PulteGroup grow its business.

As Gov. Deal said: You will be in the top 500 corporations in the United Statesjust by coming to Georgia.


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Smart Meetings, 8-15-13

Train Yourself to Use Public Transit

By Holly Woolard

Do you take mass transportation on business trips? Or are you a little lazy andgrab a cab because youre running behind?

On a recent trip to Atlanta, I made sure to use the MARTA to transfer betweenthe airport and downtown. The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority has aconvenient station located at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL). Thenits a straight shot downtown to the Peachtree Center and Civic Center stations,which provide access to most meeting hotels and the Georgia World CongressCenter, Georgia Aquarium and World of Coca-Cola.

It only cost $3.50 for the initial one-way ticket from the airport to PeachtreeCenter (MARTA charges $1 for the pay card) and $2.50 for the return trip. Totalamount spent to get back and forth: $6. A cab ride costs about $30, thus I savedmy company $54.

My easy commute from the airport got me to thinking: Why arent more peopletaking advantage of public transportation systems when they attend meetings?For your convenience heres a list of a few our favorite airport -to-hoteltransportation systems:

New York City Subway (232 miles of tracks with 468 stations) connects to

with John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) via the eight-mileAirTrain. The Washington, D.C., Metro (106.3 miles of tracks with 86 stations)

connects to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). Bay Area Rapid Transportation (104 miles of tracks with 44 stations)

connects to San Francisco International Airport (SFO).


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Roswell Patch, 8-15-13

MARTA Extends Service to Roswell's East SideBus service will be reestablished on east side of GA 400 later this month.

By Ann Marie Quill

MARTA is reestablishing northbound service to the east side of GA 400, effectiveAug. 26.

The City of Roswell is very pleased that MARTA is bringing back bus service toour community east of GA 400, said Steve Acenbrak, Director of Transportationfor the City of Roswell in a press release. This is a great first step to providingbetter transportation options to our residents.

Currently, Route 185 begins at the North Springs MARTA rail station, travels

north of GA 400, and exits at Holcomb Bridge Road Exit 7B (loop ramp). It thentravels west along Holcomb Bridge Road and north along SR 9.

The new route will take Exit 7A East on Holcomb Bridge Road, and travel righton Market Way, left on Market Boulevard and left on Holcomb, then continuingcurrent routing. A MARTA bus stop will be located on Market Way.

This new service will only operate on weekdays, 6 to 9 a.m. and 3 to 7 p.m.


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Falcons Stadium

WABE-FM, 8-16-13

Morris Brown to City of Atlanta, Friendship Baptist: "Hands Off!"

By JIM BURRESS

Morris Brown College supporters gathered on the steps of the school's toweringbut crumbling Middleton Tower dorms late Thursday to protest what they call aland grab" related to the Atlanta Falcon's quest to build a new stadium.

The team wants to construct the facility on land now owned by two churches.

A deal with Mt. Vernon Baptist still hangs in the balance.

But the other, Friendship Baptist, could finalize a $19.5-million agreement assoon as Sunday.

As part of Friendship's plan, it wants to rebuild on adjacent property where theMorris Brown dormitory now stands. Recently uncovered documents show thechurch stipulates the city help broker that sale.

And that's not gone over well with those with connections to the historically Blackcollege who believe the City of Atlanta is interfering where it shouldn't, and in theprocess interfering with the colleges efforts to emerge from bankruptcy.

Chuck Barlow is past president of the Morris Brown National Alumni Association.He says a $20-million plan was in the works between the college and FamilyDollar Corporation to turn the towers into a hotel connected to the schoolshospitality program.

That money would have pulled the college from bankruptcy.

Thats killed," Barlow says. "If you take the towers away, that takes away theFamily Dollar Corp. That was the key to build this and make it a business andincorporation and partnership with Morris Brown.

Supporters say the citys involvement shows officials are more interested in alucrative sports deal than in keeping the historically black institution afloat.

In a statement, Mayor Reed calls the claim preposterous. [Reed's full statementis at the end of this report.]


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Meanwhile, Morris Brown supporters say theyll be in the congregation Sunday atFriendship Baptist. Thats when church membership is scheduled to vote on the$19.5-million offer.

From Mayor Reed's spokeswoman, Sonji Jacobs:

The claim that Mayor Kasim Reed and the City of Atlanta are attempting to "landgrab" Morris Brown College for the proposed new Atlanta Falcons stadium ispreposterous. The two transactions have been separate and independent. MayorReed's sole interest has been to enable Morris Brown to secure a stronger,financially healthier future as an educational institution that has been a vital partof the city since 1881. In addition, the Mayor is focused on bringing positiveeconomic development and neighborhood revitalization to the West Side and theMLK corridor. His desire to assist Morris Brown has been unwavering, includinghis support of the decision by President Barack Obama and the U.S.Department of Education to forgive more than $9.4 million in debt owed by the

college.

Mayor Reed and his administration continue to believe that the $10 millionfinancial offer put forth by the city, which would have eliminated all of MorrisBrowns debt, provided the school with a campus and gave the board theopportunity to repurchase the school's assets while working toward accreditation,has been the best solution. However, we wish Morris Brown well in pursuing anyother holistic alternative for securing the college's future, including reaching analternative deal to sell its properties. Finally, any negative assertion about MayorReed's commitment to serving and protecting all Atlanta residents, including the

African-American community, is blatantly false and misleading."


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11 Alive, 8-16-13

Protesters rally against new stadium plans

ATLANTA -- Morris Brown College alumni are fighting to save a piece of their

campus from being sold off as part of a deal to make room for the new AtlantaFalcons stadium.

They held a protest Thursday night to prevent it from being sold to the equallyhistoric Friendship Baptist Church.

On Sunday, the congregation will vote on a proposal to sell their site to theFalcons, and to try to buy the Morris Brown property to build the new church.

Protesters say they want to keep the campus intact, not sold off in pieces.


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Atlanta BeltLine

Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 8-15-13

BeltLine trail dedicated at Beecher Hills Elementary

By Mark Niesse

Atlanta leaders dedicated a one-mile spur trail part of the 33-mile network ofAtlanta BeltLine trails near Beecher Hills Elementary School this week.

Mayor Kasim Reed said the Atlanta BeltLine Southwest Connector Trail will helpmake the city more green, sustainable and walkable.

The trail through a stretch of woods will allow for improved access to BeecherHills Elementary, and it will eventually connect to the 22-mile Atlanta BeltLine in

the Westview neighborhood in southwest Atlanta.


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Atlanta/Georgia Transit/Transportation

Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 8-15-13

State transportation board members elected

By Andria Simmons

The State Transportation Board held its annual elections Thursday and choseformer vice-chairman Jay Shaw of the 8th Congressional District centered inLakeland (South Georgia) as its new chairman.

Georgia Department of Transportation is generally controlled and supervised bythe 14-member board, which is comprised of representatives from different areasof the state.

The former chairman, Johnny Floyd of the 2nd Congressional District centered inCordele (Southwest Georgia), now rotates to a regular position on the board.

In his first act as chairman, Shaw announced a new board position of Secretarywould be added and named Emily Dunn of the 9th Congressional District in BlueRidge to the post. He also created a new communications committee to bechaired by Dan Moody of the 6th Congressional District in Johns Creek.

[News Clips Note: More info on the committees is available athttp://www.dot.ga.gov/informationcenter/pressroom/PressReleases/BoardElections2013.pdf.]
http://www.dot.ga.gov/informationcenter/pressroom/PressReleases/BoardElections2013.pdfhttp://www.dot.ga.gov/informationcenter/pressroom/PressReleases/BoardElections2013.pdfhttp://www.dot.ga.gov/informationcenter/pressroom/PressReleases/BoardElections2013.pdfhttp://www.dot.ga.gov/informationcenter/pressroom/PressReleases/BoardElections2013.pdfhttp://www.dot.ga.gov/informationcenter/pressroom/PressReleases/BoardElections2013.pdf


13/24

WSB-TV, 8-15-13

Bus drivers protest outside APS headquarters

By Rachel Stockman

ATLANTA Atlanta Public School bus drivers protested at APS headquartersover concerns about low wages, and not getting paid for days worked.

A group of about 70 drivers marched from the IBEW building on Pulliam Street,to the district administration building on Trinity Avenue, honking horns andcarrying signs that said "drivers are being thrown under the bus."

The protest lasted about an hour and a half, and got the attention ofadministrators.

"We got drivers crying. You should not want drivers transporting children whenthey are upset," said Valerie Burrell, a bus driver who has been with APS for 22years.

The drivers say they haven't received a cost-of-living increase in more than fiveyears.

"We need a raise," said Marvis Stewart. "We need our money. We love the kidsbut we need to feed our kids too."

Atlanta Public Schools CFO Chuck Burbridge spoke with Channel 2's RachelStockman.

"Our employees have not had pay raises for five years so yes, we understand.We'd like to do more but we are just not in the position to do more right now," hesaid.

This year, the board sent bus drivers to work one week early, to practice new busschedules and routes. Some of the bus drivers are concerned that they are notreceiving the proper compensation.

"It is important not just to me but to all my co-workers because we are not beingtreated fair and we should be," said bus driver Stephanie Woods.

Administration officials said bus drivers will receive five other days off during theyear to make up for the early start.

"I think perhaps we haven't done a good enough job communicating that there isno loss in pay. There is no additional work days. We are just swapping, a changein the calendar," said Burbridge.


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But some bus drivers said early retirements will keep them from getting paid forthe early days. They also said they are still concerned about their low wages.

"We are just tired of it," said Stewart. "We can't keep living like this. We have got

to make a stand and it is now."


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Associated Press, 8-16-13

GDOT adds new features to website

ATLANTA (AP) Georgia transportation officials say they're trying to

communicate with the public more online.

The Georgia Department of Transportation says it has added a "projects" sectionto its website that will give the public descriptions and the current status of itsprojects throughout the state. The projects section can be accessed by clickingthe yellow hardhat icon on the left side of the page.

GDOT has also added a "quick fix" section to the website to allow the public to letthe agency know about roadway or traffic problems and to offer suggestions onhow to fix them.


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CBS Atlanta, 8-15-13

Atlanta airport ranks #1 for confiscated guns, Wynonna Judd says "I'm notpacking"

By Adam Murphy

ATLANTA (CBS ATLANTA) - Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airportofficials confiscated 100 guns last year, more than any other airport in the entirenation. This year they've picked up 67 guns in carry-on luggage. Now they saidit's time to take action to prevent the problem.

CBS Atlanta News ran into country music singer Wynonna Judd at the airportThursday and she weighed in on the issue.

"I'm not packing," Judd said.

Judd knows not to bring a gun to the Atlanta airport, but apparently others don'tand the airport has added new warning signs to educate travelers.

"The Atlanta Police Department will arrest you and charge you for that violation,"Atlanta police Chief George Turner.

The Transportation Security Administration said Atlanta is on pace to confiscatemore guns this year than last, and just this week one was taken out of apassengers carry-on luggage.

"You can't take guns on airplanes," Airport General Manager Louis Miller said.

"Duh," Judd said.

Atlanta police said every time they respond to a call about a gun in someone'sluggage, it takes two officers more than an hour to process the traveler.

"Every time TSA discovers a firearm in a bag at the checkpoint it delays thescreening process for other travelers at the checkpoint," TSA Federal SecurityDirector Mary Leftridge said.

"If there's a rule, there's a rule. It's not my rule," Judd said.

Airport officials tell us you can travel with a gun as long as you put it in yourchecked luggage and notify the airline in advance. If you do that you shouldn'thave any problems.


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Streetsblog, 8-15-13

Atlantas Big Bike Push

By Angie Schmitt

What would it take to change Atlanta into a place that values and celebrateshealthy, active transportation? We just may see, in short order.

Atlanta just recently installed its first protected bike lane on a short segment of10th Street at Piedmont Park. But thats just the beginning of what the city hasplanned.

Atlanta has committed almost $2.5 million in local funds to building 26 high-quality bike infrastructure projects this year, including six miles of protected bikelanes, buffered bike lanes and bike boulevards. One of those protected lanes

runs right through the center of downtown on Peachtree Center Road.

Joshuah Mello, assistant director of planning at the city of Atlanta, who overseestransportation, says Peachtree Center will be like Chicagos Dearborn Street bikelane. The bikeways will build on the success of Atlantas Beltline trail system,which will connect urban neighborhoods by reclaiming abandoned industrialareas.

Atlantas City Council and Mayor Kasim Reed authorized the bikewaysexpenditure in February and began Phase 1 of the Cycle Atlanta plan. Mellosaid the mayors strong commitment to better bicycling was key, as was the citysinvolvement in the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO).

Atlanta joined the organization as a member city in 2011 and the following yearhosted one of the organizations Cities for Cycling events.

Now all of Atlantas transportation engineers use NACTOs bikeway design guidefor planning in addition to the American Association of State Highway andTransportation Officials guide, which excludes protected bike lanes.

A lot of our engineers now carry the NACTO guide around to our meetings, saidMello. Its been the go-to document for our city staff.

Rebecca Serna, executive director of the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition, said hergroup is thrilled.

Its like Christmas came early this year. Were really excited, she said. I thinkits going to really surprise a lot of people who have almost given up on this kindof thing in Atlanta.


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Atlanta Business Chronicle, 8-15-13

Ga. freight roads win flexible funding

By Dave Williams

The State Transportation Board approved a plan Thursday aimed at making sureimprovements to Georgia highways vital to the movement of freight areadequately funded.

Board members voted unanimously to declare Georgias entire interstatehighway system and other key highways across the state freight corridors. Thatdesignation will exempt projects along those highways from a state law requiringthat federal transportation funds be divided equally among the states 14congressional districts.

This is a good step forward for how we can use limited resources, Toby Carr,director of planning for the Georgia Department of Transportation, told boardmembers before Thursdays vote.

Besides the interstate system, the state-designated freight corridor also includesa series of mostly four-lane divided highways that draw a lot of truck traffic.

The list includes the Fall Line Freeway connecting Augusta, Ga., to Columbus,Ga., via Macon, Ga.; U.S. 441, which travels the length of eastern Georgia fromthe North Georgia mountains through the Okefenokee Swamp; and U.S. 27, anorth-south highway through western Georgia.

In metro Atlanta, the only non-interstate highway thats part of the freight corridoris a short stretch of Georgia 6 that connects warehouse-distribution facilities in

Austell, Ga., to Interstate 20.

Carr said future plans call for improving highway connectivity between Macon,Ga., and LaGrange, Ga., to provide relief to growing truck traffic congestion inthe metro region.

The DOTs Office of Planning released a study last year warning that Georgiacould lose its edge as a freight hub without $18 billion to $20 billion inimprovements to highways, freight rail lines, ports and air cargo handlingfacilities. The report suggested the largest chunk of that wish list $9.5 billiongo to highway projects.


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International Transit/Transportation News

Slate, 8-15-13

Hot Air

The big problem with vehicles that run on natural gas: methane.

By Uven Chong

On a sweltering Tuesday afternoon in June in Washington, D.C., PresidentObama unveiled a plan to lead the world in a coordinated assault on a changingclimate. His speech was complemented by a plethora of visual exclamationpoints. Acknowledging the heat, Obama took off his jacket and paused severaltimes to wipe the sweat off his brow. After a first term in which manyenvironmental supporters felt neglected, the speech suggested that the Obamaadministration is finally ready to spend some political capital on climate change.

A large tenet of Obamas energy plan is to promote the use of shale natural gasthat has recently become accessible due to advances in drilling technology (thatis, fracking). This appears to be working. A recent report by the U.S. EnergyInformation Administration shows that carbon dioxide emissions in the UnitedStates are steadily decreasing in large part to the substitution of coal with naturalgas. More recently, the Economist has also enthusiastically embraced thepotential of natural gas to replace demand for oil.

However, shale exploitation is not without critics, and rightfully so. In terms ofclimate change, there are two main objections to shale gas. One is in the processof digging up the gas and moving it to fuel stations through pipelines, and thesecond is in the use of the gas itself. The former gets most of the attention, butthe latter could also have significant implications, especially if predictions ofincreased natural gas vehicle adoption come to fruition.

The first argument against shale gas is that the extraction and pipeline transportprocess of shale results in leaked methane, a greenhouse gas that is strongerthan carbon dioxide. In April 2011, researchers at Cornell published a study thatconcluded that if methane leaks are considered, natural gas contributes more toglobal warming than oil or coal.

The exact quantity of so-called fugitive methane continues to be hotly debated,but the good news is that there seems to be an emerging consensus thatcontaining the leaks is neither difficult nor expensive. In April 2013, the EPAlowered its estimates of methane leakage from natural gas production in part dueto voluntary industry-imposed methane control measures, such as better-sealedreplacement gaskets.


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But theres a second problem here, one that hasnt received nearly as muchattention as fugitive pipeline methane leaks: methane emissions from in-usenatural gas.

Over the past decade, there has been an increase in the adoption of natural gas

vehicles in bus and truck fleets. Most recently in December 2012, the San DiegoMetropolitan Transit System Board of Directors announced a planned $343million and 500-bus transformation of its transit bus fleet to compressed naturalgas.

The New York Times recently reported that there is momentum in the truckingindustry to adopt natural gas vehicles, as the increase in shale gas supply hasmade the fuel cheap and economically attractive. As an added marketingincentive, most transit agencies trumpet their natural gas vehicle investments toburnish their green credentials.

What those bragging campaigns fail to mention, however, are the methaneemissions that have been reported by several studies. The emissions occurwhen the natural gas is actually combusted to create energy (such as in theengine of a natural gas vehicle). Just as hydrocarbons, for example, are belchedout by gasoline and diesel vehicles today, methane is a pollutant that is emittedby natural gas vehicles. Vehicle emissions are highest when operating conditionsare unsteady or dynamic, such as when a cool engine is first turned on or whenan engine has to speed up.

Thats particularly worrisome if natural gas vehicles like transit buses or freighttrucks are operated in urban environments and are subject to a lot of stops andstarts that could result in methane emissions.

One study of compressed natural gas buses even suggests that when methaneis considered, the total global warming impact for natural gas vehicles could begreater than current diesel buses. The methane impact from smaller vehicles(such as passenger cars) is unclear, as most studies have been conducted onheavy-duty trucks and buses. However, since the current interest in natural gasvehicles is predominantly coming from freight and bus companies, tailpipemethane emissions from these studies are still relevant.

Yet, amid the optimism for natural gas, it seems that these results have beenoutshined by the bright promise of a fuel that can ease the tension betweeneconomic cost and environmental protection.

The threat of methane emissions should not necessarily spell the end of naturalgas vehicles. One clear solution is to develop a catalyst that is able to reducemethane. Catalysts are devices that cause chemical reactions in a vehiclesexhaust to eliminate many of the toxic air pollutants that result from cars andtrucks.


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Much in the same way that catalysts are used in diesel or gasoline engines tochemically convert exhaust gases to meet federal emissions limits, a catalystcould be designed to break down methane to solve this suffocating issue.

But this is easier said than done because existing catalysts are not effective atreducing methane, a very stable compound that is resistant to chemical reaction.

Researchers at the University of Trieste, the University of Pennsylvania, and theUniversity of Cadiz recently published promising findings of a new catalyst usingpalladium and ceria that can reduce methane. The solution is not yetcommercially feasible, but the results are promising. Methane emissions limitshave also been developed by the U.S. EPA and will be implemented starting withmodel year 2014 vehicles.

These regulatory actions will spur on new research programs to comprehensively

measure methane emissions from natural gas fleets and ensure that natural gasis a truly climate-friendly alternative fuel.

To be clear, there are political, economic, and environmental advantages tonatural gas use, which make it a potentially important tool in the fight againstclimate change. But in the context of urban transportation fleets, we need to bemindful that natural gas could be a methane-filled Trojan horse, a deceptivelyveiled prop that ultimately proves destructive.


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Associated Press, 8-15-13

Transit Misery Leads to Anger in Brazil

Chests squashed flat against backs, hours a day, every day. That's the daily

commute for the 8 million citizens who ride the subway and bus lines in SaoPaulo, South America's largest city.

Exhausted workers often travel two or three hours each way, crammed intotightly packed buses and subways. And that's if things work as planned.Commuter train breakdowns are common, and enraged commuters have clashedat times with police after being stranded.

Such experiences helped spark the biggest revolts to hit Brazilian streets in ageneration. A bloody police crackdown roused sympathy for demonstrators whowere protesting a 10-cent hike in bus and subway fares. That brought millions

into the streets across the country, protests that came to encompass otherfrustrations, such as corruption, pitiful schools and poor health care.

Officials rolled back the fare hike. But Sao Paulo workers still pay a relatively stiff$1.30 fare for each miserable trip. That means the poorest people, who oftenmust changes buses and subway lines repeatedly to reach work from distantslums, can wind up paying 20 percent of their pay on transportation.

President Dilma Rousseff recently announced $4 billion in public spending in SaoPaulo, much of it earmarked for new infrastructure for bus lanes and the subway.

But officials acknowledge it will take years to expand the subway, create morededicated bus lanes and beef up public transportation fleets.

[News Clips Notes: A photo gallery is available athttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/15/sao-paulo-commute_n_3762934.html.]
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/15/sao-paulo-commute_n_3762934.htmlhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/15/sao-paulo-commute_n_3762934.htmlhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/15/sao-paulo-commute_n_3762934.htmlhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/15/sao-paulo-commute_n_3762934.htmlhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/15/sao-paulo-commute_n_3762934.html


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Reuters, 8-16-13

New Yorker arrested 29 times for transit crimes sentenced in bus theft

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A New York City man arrested nearly 30 times over 30

years for posing as a subway worker or bus driver, at times piloting trains full ofunsuspecting commuters, was sentenced to up to 5 years in prison on Thursdayfor his latest joyride.

Darius McCollum, who has been diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, [anautism-spectrum disorder], will seek treatment for his transit obsession upon hisrelease from prison, under a plea deal with prosecutors, his lawyer said.

McCollum, 48, pleaded guilty this month to taking a Trailways bus in 2010 from adepot in Hoboken, New Jersey, and driving it to the city's Queens borough,apparently en route to John F. Kennedy International Airport, the Queens District

Attorney's office said.

It was McCollum's 29th arrest since the age of 15.

He faced up to 15 years behind bars for the Trailways theft but as part of a pleadeal with prosecutors, he was sentenced to 2-1/2 to 5 years in prison.

McCollum has been in jail for nearly 3 years and could face a parole board withinweeks since he already has served the minimum of his sentence, his attorneySally Butler said.

"The goal was to get him in front of a parole board as soon as possible, to gethim out of the system and to get him some help," she said.

McCollum's obsession with mass transit, specifically with the city's subwaysystem, started early in his life when he hid in a train after being violentlyattacked at school, she said.

"It was his home. It's was an environment where he feels safe," she said.

In 1981, McCollum was arrested for the first time after taking the controls of an Etrain and driving it six stops, apparently without any complaints from theconductor or passengers.

Over the next two decades, McCollum was arrested for a series of transit crimes,including dressing like a Metropolitan Transportation Authority employee andattempting - and at times succeeding - to drive trains and repair vehicles.

He also posed as a member of a crew working on tracks.


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"He's done this way more times than he's been arrested," his attorney said.

MARTA Atlanta News Clips 8-16-13

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