Deadly Airliner Crash in Arctic

OTTAWA — A Boeing 737 crashed in Canada’s high Arctic on Saturday, killing 12 of the 15 people on board, the government transportation agency said.

The plane, owned by First Air, crashed about 1:30 p.m. while approaching Resolute Bay, Nunavut, for a landing, according to the agency, Transport Canada.

Members of a large Canadian military contingent, who were in the area for an Arctic training exercise, rushed to the scene to put out fires and rescue survivors.

CTV, a Canadian broadcaster, reported that two adults and one child were airlifted to a hospital in Iqaluit, Nunavut. One of the adults was reported to be in critical condition.

Because the military intended to stage a mock airliner crash rescue on Monday, investigators were already in the community.

from Ian Austen @ the New York Times

Grant Will Fund Lewes Byway Plan

LEWES, DE — Lewes will receive more than $99,000 for development of a corridor management plan for the city’s scenic and historic byway.

The money is part of a $1.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to the Delaware Department of Transportation.

The funds will be used to assist with construction, safety improvements and planning assistance along Delaware highways.

U.S. Sens. Tom Carper and Chris Coons and Rep. John Carney announced the $1.3 grant award Aug. 19.

“These grants will promote innovative new practices that will help improve the experience of those traveling on Delaware’s roads and scenic byways,” Sen. Carper said.

In April 2009 the Lewes Scenic and Historic Byway Committee submitted a $120,000 grant request to fund its corridor management plan.

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Just Regular Folks

These are the people standing between you and 300 percent toll hikes:

Four corporate executives - two of them big campaign donors to the governor.

Two former federal transportation officials, one now a Washington lobbyist.

A civil engineer.

And a prominent pastor.

The eight are the members of the Maryland Transportation Authority, which, according to its website, is "a group of citizens appointed by the governor."

These citizens include a bank CEO, a former Black & Decker vice president and two former assistant U.S. secretaries of transportation.

You know, just regular folks.

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Shore Delegation Keeps Up Fight Against Toll Hikes

DENTON, MD - Members of the General Assembly delegation for Maryland's Eastern Shore may not have a vote on increasing toll rates for the William Preston Lane Jr. Memorial (Bay) Bridge crossing the Chesapeake Bay, but they are continuing to fight against the state's proposal.

Maryland Transportation Authority officials are proposing to raise the standard Bay Bridge toll from $2.50 to $5 in October, then to $8 in July 2013. State officials also have submitted a proposal to increase the tolls for commercial vehicles crossing the Bay.

Public hearings were held around the state by MDTA officials on their proposed toll hikes and the public record remains open until 5 p.m. Aug. 1 for concerned citizens to submit written testimony.

"I don't know anybody that's in favor of increasing tolls," state Sen. Richard Colburn, R-37-Mid-Shore, said Friday.

Colburn said he wrote a letter May 19 to Gov. Martin O'Malley opposing the toll increases. Colburn called the Bay Bridge a vital link for commuters and commercial traffic and said higher bridge tolls could lead to increased prices for goods on the Shore.

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Jacobs Offers Toll Plan

Sen. Nancy Jacobs (R-34) hopes the Maryland Transportation Authority will embrace her idea to offer Cecil and Harford county residents what she is calling "an E-ZPass version of the AVI decal."

"I'm hearing that the board really wants to get rid of the decal program, so I asked them to consider issuing an E-ZPass to Cecil and Harford residents for use on the Hatem Bridge only.

Jacobs said it would be a lower-tier Hatem "only" unlimited E-ZPass for those who don't use other toll facilities. Residents would be charged $10 for the plan starting Oct. 1 and $15 effective July 1, 2013, which is the second phase for increases being proposed by the MdTA.

She wants residents to be exempt from the one-time only transponder fee and the monthly service fee.

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Cost of EZ-Pass Transponder to Drop by Half

The multistate consortium that runs the E-ZPass toll collection system has agreed to a deal that would cut the cost of each transponder issued by its member toll authorities, including Maryland's, by more than half.

TollRoadsnews reported that the E-ZPass Interagency Group has chosen Kapsch TrafficCom IVHS Inc. as its supplier for the next generation of toll-collection devices. The Frederick-based trade publication calculated that Kapsch's bid would lower the per-unit cost of transponders from $20.95 to $8.90.

The deal would presumably give the Maryland Transportation Authority some room to offer its customers a better deal starting next year, though the savings are unlikely to significantly offset the record-high toll increases now pending.

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Toll Increase NOT Reasonable

by Mike McDermott

If “reasonable” is the term used by the Daily Times to describe a 300% toll increase for a bridge that is currently self sustaining, I do not want to know what you consider “unreasonable”.

The Bay Bridge has generated about one billion dollars in revenue since it has been open. It has been paid for time and again. The money that it generates should go towards maintenance and upkeep. This would seem “reasonable”.

The MTA does not argue that the Bay Bridge is self sustaining. Many would argue that it is far beyond self sustaining, particularly when viewed in aggregate totals over the decades.

New MTA projects, which many deemed ill advised, such as the ICC (Inner County Connecter) and the I-95 expansions require vast sums of cash. It would seem “reasonable” to let the user pay for their construction and upkeep. It is noteworthy that the proposed MTA Toll fees do not include any increases for users of the ICC.

As we slip further in the ranking of states in which to conduct business (now at 46 out of 50) , does it seem “reasonable” to raise the cost of commerce by requiring a company now paying $18 to pay $60 to move their goods across the bay? The bills for some of our major companies will be raised by hundreds of thousands of dollars.

As people struggle everyday with the job market, does it seem wise and “reasonable” to take away hundreds of dollars of discretionary spending out of the hands of those who must cross over on a daily basis? The estimated increased cost for a two income household living on the shore with a daily commute across the bay is over $900.00.

You lament the days of Governor Tawes and the “gentle persuasion” in Annapolis. In those days, most members of the General Assembly were folks who signed the front of a paycheck and they understood the need for a thriving business economy. In those days, they would never have agreed to a 50% tax increase or a 300% fee increase for they new the problems it would create and the competive edge that would be lost.

I doubt seriously that Governor Tawes would sign a bill giving illegal aliens the same benefits as American citizens, or that he would be the champion of a bill promoting cross dressers and transgenders.

In fact, the last time I was in the Governor’s Signing Room at the State House, I took a long look at the grand painting of our great governor from the Eastern Shore...and I believe it was tears that I saw.

Let us take back Maryland from such “reasonable” people.

Del. Mike McDermott (R-38B) represents the people of Worcester and eastern Wicomico counties in the Maryland House of Delegates.

Rural Markets Losing Air Service

Rural America, already struggling to recover from the recession and the flight of its young people, is about to take another blow: the loss of its airline service.

That was underscored last week when Delta Air Lines announced that it “can no longer afford” to continue service at 24 small airports. The carrier says it is losing a total of $14 million a year on flights from places like Thief River Falls, a city of 8,600 in northwest Minnesota that fills only 12 percent of the seats, or Pierre, the capital of South Dakota, where Delta’s two daily flights are on average less than half full.

Nationally, all major airlines have been reducing and sometimes eliminating flights altogether in small cities, as the industry concentrates much of its service in 29 major hubs, which now account for 70 percent of all passenger traffic, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

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Bay Bridge Work Begins Today

A $19.5 million cleaning and painting project on the west span of the Bay Bridge begins Monday.

One lane of the westbound span will be closed from 9 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. Thursday.

In an un-related project to replace vertical suspension ropes, the eastbound span will be closed entirely, from 10 p.m. until 5 a.m. Monday through Thursday. Two-way traffic will operate on the west span during those time periods. Closures on the two spans do not overlap.

The westbound project, labeled Phase I of a four-part preservation project scheduled through 2016 by Maryland Transportation Authority (MdTA), includes complete removal of the existing paint and repainting steel girders on the western shore portion of the U.S. Route 50 west bridge, said Teri Moss, MdTA spokesman.

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TRAFFIC ALERT - Bridge Painting Will Require the Closure of Front Street

The Department of Transportation (DelDOT) has scheduled painting of the bridge over the Nanticoke River along Front Street in Seaford. The bridge will be closed beginning on Monday, July 18 and ending on Thursday, August 25.

The project includes the removal of the existing paint material and priming/recoating with a lead-free paint on the steel bridge. The contractor for these improvements is Marinis Brothers, Inc. of New Castle, Delaware.

The detour route will be clearly posted for motorists and pedestrians.

Motorists should drive with caution, slow down in work zones, and never enter a roadway that has been blocked with barriers or cones.

For Whom the Toll Pays

With its regular commuters and weekend beach traffic, the Bay Bridge made more than enough money to pay for itself last year - $10 million more.

The tunnels under Baltimore waterways, too, made money: To the tune of $73.5 million after paying their bills.

Even so, state officials are finalizing a plan to nearly double and in some places more than triple the base rates charged at all Maryland toll facilities starting later this year.

Why?

On its surface, it appears the funds will go toward paying off the $2.56 billion Intercounty Connector between Montgomery and Prince George's counties.

Officials pushing for the toll increases won't say it quite so bluntly, instead saying the money also is needed for maintenance of all aging facilities.

But the numbers point directly at the Intercounty Connector.

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Lufthansa Starts Biofuels Flights

Germany's biggest airline, Deutsche Lufthansa AG, says it has begun trial flights using biofuels in a bid to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

Lufthansa said Friday that an Airbus A321 flying the Hamburg-Frankfurt route four times daily will use a 50/50 mix of regular fuel and biosynthetic kerosene in one of its two engines for the next six months.

The airline says during the test period the use of biofuel will reduce CO2 emissions by up to 1,500 tons.

German environmental group BUND criticized the project, saying any short-haul flight is bad for the environment compared with train travel.

In another effort to reduce emissions and fuel use, Lufthansa said Monday it will begin using a new plastic cargo container that is 15 percent lighter than the traditional aluminum ones.

from the Washington Examiner / AP

Revolving Door Can Be Sqeaky

The beauty of a revolving door is that it can take you back where you started with little effort. But, it can also put you in a different place, and not necessarily a better place in the long run.

The term “revolving door” is commonly used when referring to public employees who leave their jobs to go work in the private sector. The opposite also occurs, thus the “revolving” metaphor, as in coming and going.

A recent state audit shows how the revolving door can be problematic. Two former managers of the State Highway Administration were found to be in potential violation of state ethics laws and Department of Transportation rules.

One employee apparently solicited funds from companies doing business with SHA. A senior manager was involved in awarding a $16 million contract to a firm for which he went to work 12 days after retiring from the agency, according to the audit. Ask any public lawmaker and they’ll tell you that the revolving door practice is long-standing and continues, despite the best efforts of governmental bodies to curtail it.

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Bay Bridge – Cash Cow of MD

As they say in show business – “Tough crowd"; at least if you were in favor of raising the toll on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.

Pocomoke Mayor Bruce Morrison warmed up the vocal crowd by pointing out that Worcester County thrives on tourism. Down in Pocomoke, at the southern end of the county, Sysco is their biggest business. Neither would be positively impacted by the draconian toll hike proposed by the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA). Mayor Morrison then introduced his predecessor as mayor – Del. Mike McDermott (R-38B).

McDermott whipped the crowd into a near frenzy. He pointed out that the Bay Bridge was the “Cash Cow of Maryland”. Yet, the MDTA has refused, or been unable, to produce current financial data for the Bay Bridge. (Ironically, before moving forward with the toll hike proposal the MDTA merged all accounting for the state’s bridges, tunnels, and toll roads.) McDermott argued that it didn’t matter whether the MDTA wanted to raise tolls $50 or 50 cents, they needed to be able to justify it.

McDermott noted that the Bridge had been paid for multiple times. “We don’t want to pay more for something that already takes in more than it spends.”

The crowd had groaned when McDermott explained that their tolls would go up while the tolls for the ICC would not. They reacted similarly when told that their toll dollars would go to fund infrastructure improvement in the Baltimore – DC corridor.

House Appropriations Chairman, Del. Norm Conway (D-38B) received a cool reception that turned quite rude. Conway tried to thread the needle between being supportive of the O’Malley administration and standing up for his constituents’ opposition to a toll hike.

“I want the Bay Bridge to be as strong as it can be; but listen to what the people across the state are saying.” However, Conway then offered a compromise: “Maybe these people would be willing to pay $5.”

At that point the crowd, predominately from Worcester County, began to shout “NO!” and boo Conway.

Maryland Senator Jim Mathias (D-38) was unable to attend because of his wife’s illness. He sent a spokesman to read a prepared statement . While Mathias’s statement basically acknowledged the proposed increase to be a foregone conclusion (and calling for deeper EZ Pass and commuter discounts), the crowd kept stone silent out of respect for Mrs. Mathias.

Del. Jay Jacobs (R-36) emphasized the unintended impacts on Maryland’s economy that will emerge from a toll hike. “In my district, more and more people are going to Delaware to spend their money. They raised the sales tax. More people started shopping in Delaware. They’ve just raised the alcohol tax. More people are going to Delaware to spend their money. Now they want to raise the tolls. I can promise you that where I live people will think long and hard before crossing those bridges.”

Nick Loffer of the AFP was the first person to speak who was not an elected official. Loffer noted all of the elected officials who had signed the AFP petition against the toll hikes. Notably absent were Conway and Mathias. At that point Loffer asked Conway if he wanted to sign the petition. Conway said no and the booing commenced again.

The themes behind opposition to the toll hike have changed little since the first Eastern Shore hearing on Kent Island. A massive toll hike will negatively impact tourism. It will cause many Marylanders to shop in Delaware. It will cause many Eastern Shore residents to stop shopping in Annapolis and Baltimore. It will cause the cost of our food and other consumables to rise. None of these is positive.

However, maybe a toll hike could be justified. There’s just one problem – the state can’t provide the data to do so without cooking the books.

TRAFFIC ALERT - Bridge Painting Will Require the Closure of Front Street

The Department of Transportation (DelDOT) has scheduled painting of the bridge over the Nanticoke River along Front Street in Seaford. The bridge will be closed beginning on Monday, July 18 and ending on Thursday, August 25.

The project includes the removal of the existing paint material and priming/recoating with a lead-free paint on the steel bridge. The contractor for these improvements is Marinis Brothers, Inc. of New Castle, Delaware.

The detour route will be clearly posted for motorists and pedestrians.

Motorists should drive with caution, slow down in work zones, and never enter a roadway that has been blocked with barriers or cones.

Closure of Edwardsville Road Near Harrington

The Department of Transportation's (DelDOT) Maintenance crews will close Edwardsville Road between Courtland Dill Road and Spectrum Farms Road near Harrington for the replacement of a crossroad pipe.

The closure is expected to take place at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, July 11. The road will reopen on or before 5 p.m. on Friday, July 22, pending weather. The rain dates will be July 18 through July 29.

Traffic will be detoured as follows:

Northbound: Traffic from Edwardsville Road will travel west onto Courtland Dill Road and turn north on Cedar Grove Church Road, turn east on Spectrum Farms Road and back to Edwardsville Road.

Southbound: Traffic from Edwardsville Road will travel west onto Spectrum Farms Road, turn south on Cedar Grove Church Road and turn east onto Courtland Dill Road and return back to Edwardsville Road.

Access to local residents, emergency response vehicles, and postal delivery (where possible) will be provided at all times.

Delaware Disqualified from Leftover Federal Highway Dollars

Federal transportation officials have barred Delaware from sharing in this year's annual distribution of leftover highway aid, saying the state failed to spend more than 25 percent, or $87.9 million, of targets set under provisions of the national economic stimulus program.

Gov. Jack Markell received word of the disqualification Thursday. DelDOT Secretary Shailen Bhatt said his agency would likely have requested as much as $7.7 million in additional highway aid under the annual August lottery for unspent aid. Forty-four other states will be eligible to apply for $1 billion in leftover money.

Bhatt said agency planners were aware of the pending sanction and assumed the money would be unavailable during development of the recently approved state capital budget.

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Closure of Edwardsville Road Near Harrington

The Department of Transportation's (DelDOT) Maintenance crews will close Edwardsville Road between Courtland Dill Road and Spectrum Farms Road near Harrington for the replacement of a crossroad pipe.

The closure is expected to take place at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, July 11. The road will reopen on or before 5 p.m. on Friday, July 22, pending weather. The rain dates will be July 18 through July 29.

Traffic will be detoured as follows:

Northbound: Traffic from Edwardsville Road will travel west onto Courtland Dill Road and turn north on Cedar Grove Church Road, turn east on Spectrum Farms Road and back to Edwardsville Road.

Southbound: Traffic from Edwardsville Road will travel west onto Spectrum Farms Road, turn south on Cedar Grove Church Road and turn east onto Courtland Dill Road and return back to Edwardsville Road.

Access to local residents, emergency response vehicles, and postal delivery (where possible) will be provided at all times.

O’Malley Addresses Critical Highway Audit

Gov. Martin O'Malley said Wednesday his administration will move quickly to discipline personnel who commit serious ethical lapses in the state procurement process in the aftermath of a highly critical audit of the Maryland State Highway Administration.

O'Malley, who spoke to reporters about the audit after a Board of Public Works meeting, said the administration continues to work with auditors, and he pointed out that two employees cited in the audit no longer work for the state.

"A lot of these matters are still under review and fall short of what we would expect from people that work within this administration," O'Malley said. "There appears to have been certainly ethical lapses, and there seems to have been, how can I say it, there may well have been some corners cut in the procurement process that are unacceptable and that need to be addressed and that we need to tighten up."

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DE Route 1 Cleared

An accident that closed all southbound lanes of Del. 1 at Old State Road south of Odessa has been cleared, the Delaware Department of Transportation said.

Motorists should expect lingering delays in the area.

from the Wilmington News-Journal