Check out this promotional video I saw today on YouTube showing off a prototype of the PUMA, which stands for Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility, a joint venture between GM and Segway. Apparently, the small car runs on a lithium-ion battery and can drive 35 miles per charge. I read on FT.com that GM made a statement saying the small car,
“..could change the way we move about in cities. Not everybody in the world will be driving these things, but it certainly has applicability for cities, college campuses, and things of that ilk.” FT.com
This video certainly gave me some things to think about. As many of you know I am a big supporter of carsharing as a way of reducing vehicle ownership, use, and parking space. These little vehicles have the potential of bridging the gap between traditional transit services and home or work, the last (or first) leg of most journeys, which has historically been the portion that keeps many from using transit. I can envision many applications of it, including surburban settings.
“Six months from now,” [Vice-President] Biden said, “if the verdict on this effort is that we’ve wasted the money, we built things that were unnecessary, or we’ve done things that are legal but make no sense, then, folks, don’t look for any help from the federal government for a long while.”
Unfortunately, the stimulus funds that are being distributed for infrastructure are not all being spent on high-speed rail and state-of-the-art projects. Many of those dollars are being wasted on highway expansions, extensions, and “enhancements” that may create jobs, but do nothing to solve our serious infrastructure problems. In order to put people to work, the government has stipulated that the funds must be spent quickly and in many cases that translates into the funds being spent carelessly because the plans for ill-conceived projects, which were originally created years ago, are ready to go.
This article, Highways to Nowhere: The 7 Most Ridiculous Roads Being Built in America, by Yonah Freemark, posted on the website, The Infrastructurist: America Under Construction, highlights a few of the worst projects that your tax dollars are likely to be sunk into and then promptly paved over.
I found out upon arriving in Washington D.C. on my recent trip that I had unintentionally scheduled the visit with absolutely perfect timing. I discovered that the U.S. House of Representatives Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development Subcommittee (part of the Appropriations Committee) had scheduled a series of hearings entitled, “Livable Communities, Transit Oriented Development, and Incorporating Green Building Practices into Federal Housing and Transportation Policy” over two days. The first hearing hosted Ray LaHood and Shaun Donovan, the Secretary of Transportation and Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. The second hosted John Norquist, president and CEO of CNU and former mayor of Milwaukee, Robert Puentes, Senior Fellow of the Metropolitan Policy Program at the Brookings Institute, Grace Crunican, Director of the Department of Transportation in Seattle, Mary A. Leary, Senior Director of the Easter Seals Transportation Group.
It was a fascinating experience for me. I had never been to Washington D.C. before, let alone a subcommittee hearing. Apparently, this was the first time the secretaries of these two departments came before the Subcommittee in a very long time. It was clear that the Chairman, John W. Olver (MA), has been pressing for more cooperation between DOT and HUD to promote more sustainable communities for even longer. When asked how he felt about their appearance at the hearing he responded by saying, “I will admit that I am pleased” with a proud smirk, which recieved a roar of laughter from the crowd.