#I85BridgeCollapse: What I have seen so far

On Thursday night (March 30) just before 7pm, a segment of the I-85 bridge in Atlanta near Buckhead collapsed due to a fire. Below is a recap of what I have seen. It will take several months for the bridge to be rebuilt.

I left work late on Thursday, going home using MARTA as usual. MARTA trains were not affected by the event. I did not see the fire, but I was able to catch evacuations on camera from the train.

#I85 evacuations under way after bridge collapsed north of @MidtownATL. Drive safe everyone. pic.twitter.com/aHGPDyZYCf

— Binh(Energy+Transit) (@bdenergytransit) March 31, 2017

On Friday, March 31, I decide to buy a monthly pass, which I loaded on one of my blue Breeze Cards. I used a separate card from the silver card I normally use because I knew I would start using the pass a few days later. Friday was the last day to reload blue Breeze Cards as MARTA is phasing them out. (You cannot reload or check balance on Blue cards anymore, and blue cards will not be accepted as of July 9, 2017.)

Last day today to reload your @MARTASERVICE blue... no, Sapphire Breeze card! @MarkToro pic.twitter.com/diPn7MOG1V

— Binh(Energy+Transit) (@bdenergytransit) March 31, 2017

I was able to catch on camera the emptiness of I-85 from the train on Friday morning. The sight was literally unreal, some friends referring to a 'Walking Dead' scene!

Unreal sight from #MARTA the morning after #i85collapse pic.twitter.com/7CztSSqZcH

— Binh(Energy+Transit) (@bdenergytransit) March 31, 2017

On Saturday, I traveled on Piedmont Rd near the I-85 bridge. Piedmont Rd was closed over the weekend for crews to clean the debris. Piedmont Rd is now partially reopen.

Piedmont Rd closed for cleanup. Buford hwy northbound is open (southbound is closed) #I85BridgeCollapse #i85collapse pic.twitter.com/7lvYq7xL4m

— Binh(Energy+Transit) (@bdenergytransit) April 3, 2017

On Monday and Tuesday during the rush hour, MARTA and MARTA Army deployed volunteers to handle the influx of new passengers. MARTA reported as much as 25% increase in ridership from the loss of the bridge. Around 40 volunteers were stationed throughout MARTA stations!

MARTA Army volunteers are helping first time users navigate the system throughout Metro Atlanta in the wake of #85Collapse pic.twitter.com/FNdVVWH4O5

— MARTA Army (@MARTAarmy) April 3, 2017

On Monday afternoon, MARTA Arts Center Station was noticeably more crowded. I worked remotely on Monday to avoid storms.

Noticeably larger crowds at #MARTA Arts Center #I85BridgeCollapse #i85collapse #LetsMoveAtl pic.twitter.com/09QIJeCscb

— Binh(Energy+Transit) (@bdenergytransit) April 3, 2017

What's next? Bridge reopening was announced for June 15. Meanwhile, commuters will have to do with delays, long detours, and low parking availability at MARTA stations and park-and-ride lots. Some hope that new transit users will find it worthwhile stick with it. What are your hopes?

2015 Transportation Camp Atlanta Announced

The 2015 Transportation Camp Atlanta has been announced! Tickets available on EventBrite.com.

Image www.transportationcamp.org

Transportation Camp will take place on Georgia Tech's campus. Transportation camp is an "un-conference," where topics are submitted and selected by participants on the day of the event.  In the past, there have been topics around transit policies, transit data and apps, and citizen-led initiatives. Looking forward to this year's event.

Fw: California plans to end the auto industry as we know it?

Via Bloomberg.com

Read more here on how California regulators are pushing for the end of gas-powered engines.

Fw: Can you trust vehicles’ miles-per-gallon ratings?

Via elliott.org

Looks like I am by far not the only one consistently reporting a fuel economy that is more than advertised. Are EPA mileage ratings conservative?

Fw: Your commute is costing you more than you realize

Via Reuters, Time/MSN News

Talk about $50,000 over ten years or $2600 per year. Primarily gas, but also car insurance and maintenance. Mileage for business trips accounts for these additional costs. Then there are the countless hours (200 avg) spent in traffic or in transit. Read at the source links to find out more!

Fw: Oil price rise: is the world running short of oil?

Oil price rise: is the world running short of oil?

Read more: http://www.theweek.co.uk/oil-price/60838/oil-price-falls-on-sluggish-us-growth#ixzz3bLJA8Yq1

Fw: How well do you know your urban future?

Via EnergyBiz Insider

This EnergyBiz newsletter hits right in the spot: the MIT City Science Lab started as a transportation research lab, and expanded to the fields of energy (you need energy storage to operate an electric vehicle), urbanism (adequate planning to reduce travel) and even connected homes (appliances that work with each other according to owner's schedule).

Of interesting note, the MIT folks stopped using the term Smart Cities for their research, the same way as a number of utility vendors stopped using the term Smart Grid. Both terms don't carry much meaning anymore because the possibilities are so vast.

At the end of the newsletter, you will find a download link to this month's issue of Intelligent Utility magazine. Enjoy reading!

Atlanta Transit Updates

A few milestones that keep March 2015 busy for transit in Atlanta.

• Atlanta Regional Commission continues growth survey

The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) continues surveying the needs of its population and the future. There are a few days left to take the latest survey about preparing for rapid change, and innovation, including anticipating future transportation and energy needs. The first survey sent in Summer 2014 was about capturing the preferences of future Atlanta population.

• MARTA starts service to Clayton County

In its first jurisdictional expansion since it started operating over 35 years ago, MARTA just began bus service in Clayton County on March 21. An inaugural celebration took place on March 14.
A group led by Friends of Clayton Transit rode the first bus out to Clayton on March 21 at 6:15am. (I didn't participate in that group.) Congratulations to Clayton County for returning on the Atlanta transit map!

• Renew Atlanta Bond Referendum passes, project list to be finalized

Atlanta residents passed a $250 million bond proposal to modernize infrastructure: roads, bridges, and possible improvements for bikes and pedestrians. Details about what is involved in this post.

• Atlanta Streetcar to begin paid fare soon

The Atlanta Streetcar started operations on December 30, 2014. MARTA operates it on behalf of City of Atlanta, so the streetcar is not really part of the branded MARTA system. The three-month free ride period is now almost over, and a one-way ride will cost $1 with no transfers (see all fares here). (The date when fares take effect has not been announced yet - I will write a separate post when that happens).

• Georgia Legislature considering transportation bill

There is a transportation bill, HB106, being considered by the Georgia Legislature. It is being written and rewritten with several ground-breaking provisions that, if passed with the intended spirit:

• Would repeal the 50/50 MARTA budget restriction
• Would eliminate the $5000 electric vehicle tax credit
• Would institute a user-fee (aka tax?) for motor vehicle registration, with perhaps a higher fee for electric motor vehicles
• Would allow counties to team up and hold joint referendums to raise sales taxes for "regional" transportation projects

My Snowpocalypse story, one year late(r)

There is a Winter Storm Watch for Monday, Feb. 16, 2015 in Georgia, calling for a snow forecast! Speaking of snow, I never got a chance to write about my experience during 'Snowpocalypse' in January 2014. So here is my story, one year late(r). The media announced heavy snowfall for Tuesday afternoon, Jan 28, 2014. Like everyone else, I went to work that morning; however, knowing that snow would cause significant delays in the afternoon, I decided to leave my car home and take the bus to work. CCT's express reverse commute took me comfortably to the office in Cobb County, in the Wildwood complex. From the late morning to afternoon, here is the rough sequence of events as I can recall: Snow was already falling by 11am. Some managers advised employees they could leave early. By noon, traffic on Powers Ferry Road was already completely stopped. At 2pm, I started watching traffic conditions for getting home. Already, one bus remained in the Kennessaw area for two hours. A few colleagues sent email updates over their phones saying traffic around the office was paralyzed. By 3pm, it became obvious that there would be no afternoon reverse commute service. I focused on two options: Spending one night (or three in hindsight) at the office, with limited supplies, etc. Walking to the Cumberland Mall Transfer Center and try to catch a bus from there.  At 4pm, I left the office and started walking in the snow to Cumberland Mall. At 5pm, I arrived at Cumberland Mall. Left Cumberland Mall by 5:30pm at reduced speed. Arrive to Midtown around 6:45pm. Many cars were stuck on local and arterial roads when I left office. Show was fresh and soft, but that was enough to cause stalls even on the slightest incline. Snowpocalypse shot I took on Windy Ridge Parkway. It is a 45 min walk to the mall, but walking was definitely faster than driving. When I arrived on Cobb Parkway, I thought I would stop for coffee and warmth, and surprise... both Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts were closed! I figured managers let their employees leave early as well, so I proceeded to the mall.  I saw people checking in at the Sheraton Hotel adjacent to Cumberland Mall, possibly due to the weather. I hoped the mall would be still open, but when I arrived, employees were directing people out and closing the mall. I thus proceeded to Cumberland Transfer Center, which is also adjacent to the mall but opposite the hotel. A few dozen people were waiting there, some for three hours already. No CCT buses were to be seen, however. Shot I took at Cumberland Transfer Center - Stay close to stay warm! After waiting a few minutes, I wanted to check on the bus situation online and decide whether to wait or to walk home (a 7-mile walk). I went to a nearby Barnes and Noble store to attempt to connect to WiFi. On my way to the bookstore, hope returns! A MARTA bus #12 approaches. You could hear people cheering their relief as the bus approached to take everybody back to Midtown Atlanta. We proceeded to board the bus. The driver waived all fares given the unusual conditions. The bus soon left at slow speed. Thank you MARTA! There is hope! Shot I took boarding the bus to Midtown. The bus driver made an unusual turn and took the freeway instead of the local roads. Freeway conditions were only slightly better. Traffic was mostly clear to Midtown, and completely stopped to the suburbs. Many cars were stalled or abandoned on the shoulder or across multiple lanes. For us on the bus, the most perilous part of the journey was the freeway ascent to From West Paces Ferry to Moores Mill. Fortunately, the bus cleared the ascent without encountering too much ice. The rest of the trip was relatively smooth, and we arrived in Midtown safely.  I was lucky I made it home in less than three hours. Other people were less fortunate and slept in their cars, at their office, or at grocery stores. Quite a few others walked several miles home, in the snow, including those living near stops that were skipped by the bus. Tons of gas were lost in stalled cars and stopped traffic, and many more work hours not worked the following days. I was really lucky I made it home! Traffic Map Tuesday night (GDOT) Traffic Map Wednesday morning (GDOT) The positive news is that people walking on the street the following days were cheering the snow and the quietness of the inner Atlanta city. Following up "Snowpocalypse" were two events I know of that held debate on city readiness to snow storms: Congress for New Urbanism (CNU) Atlanta Magazine With Monday's sleet mix in the forecast, let's see how much progress was made since last year.

Fw: Government warns US could fall behind in transportation tech

Via Engadget, USDOT

Video source: USDOT.

Today, Engadget revealed a USDOT case study that points out the lack of investments in transportation technology in the U.S., and that concerns all modes of transportation: automobile, rail, transit, and air travel. Find more at the links above and check out the DOT videos!

Stories on oil prices crash

(Photo: John Massie/Flickr - License)

For more than a month now, we have seen quite a few stories about the fall of oil prices. Here are a few catching headlines.And of course, you can monitor prices from my Fuel Economy page on this blog.

• Oil prices at $50: Why a barrel of crude costs less than your shoes (Christian Science Monitor) - Catchy headline that compares the price of oil with the price of an everyday item. See also this comparison with Frappuccino and other foods (ABC News).
• Market experts are wondering how low oil price could fall, and that shows on Bloomberg and CNBC. $45? $40? Or $35? Any better?
• For consumers, $2 per gallon prices (Car Connection) looks good. It's is apparently equivalent to $60M in tax credits (CNN).
• For the economy, in the short term it may improve (NYT), however in he long term, opinions are mitigated... is economic demand falling?
• For overall car fuel economy, large car sales seem to pick up (NPR), however car fuel economy progress may slow for a little while (Minnesota Public Radio).
• Airlines who started adding fuel surcharges starting 2007-2008 are not removing them anytime soon (USA Today) (except Alaska Air, for a limited time?)

Truly Alternative Fuel Buses

I recently came across two kinds of buses that truly use alternative energy sources.

(Photo: fta.dot.gov)

The first one was tipped to me by a friend who administers transit programs. CALSTART will soon roll out the first fuel-cell, full-size transit bus in the U.S., in partnership with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), bus manufacturer New Flyer, and several other vendors. Officials refer to this accomplishment as a 'major milestone.' Typical bus usage may exceed 500 miles a day. CALSTART promotes and commercializes clean transportation technologies.

(Photo: Wessex Water)

The second kind of buses was relayed by Engadget. This bus built in the U.K. converts the energy contained in human waste into mechanical energy, by means of 'anaerobic digestion' that produces methane. The bus can travel up to 180 miles/300 km. The bus is built by Scania and get its biomethane from a biowaste plant near Bristol. Engadget also has a video that explains how this bus works.

In conclusion, there are always sparks of innovation in the energy and transit industries. Let's see how soon we may get to enjoy them!

MPG Tracker is back and Fuel Drop

Announcing the return of my MPG tracker on the side pane of this page!! My old website featured an MPG tracker showing my car's MPG along with the price I paid for gas. I left it out when I switched to Blogger. It is back and up to date now with three years of consumption.

Not as dramatic, you can also see the price of fuel sharply declining in recent weeks - from $3.70/gal to $2.99/gal and less (read more about it here for example).

Fw: Atlanta leapfrogs Seattle to become No. 2 U.S. city for electric cars

(Via LinkedIn, Atlanta Business Chronicle, and WSJ)

Atlanta has become a surprise success for electric car makers and the reasons-state subsidies and unfettered access to carpool lanes-offer a telling lesson in what it takes to lift demand for the vehicles.

It is only half surprising. At the office, we have a solar carport with 4 chargers and 8 parking spots. As of six months ago, I have a dozen colleagues sharing the carport and optimizing the time to charge their vehicles. All employees lease electric vehicles from Nissan, Chevrolet, and Ford, taking advantage of federal and state tax credits, and cheap or free electricity.

Read the original WSJ article here (subscription required).

Read the editorial from Atlanta Business Chronicle here.

From the White House: Harnessing the Power of Data for a Clean, Secure, and Reliable Energy Future

(Via Jess C. and LinkedIn)



The Obama administration has been working on a law opening up government data for individuals and businesses to leverage. The fact sheet at the link below only reinforces the commitment of the administration to encourage the community to step up and find the value behind energy data, including grid operations, energy sources, and home/commercial energy usage.

"President Obama’s all-of-the-above energy strategy recognizes that we need to
deploy American assets, innovation, and technology in order to safely and
responsibly develop more energy here at home and be a leader in the global
energy economy. This means tapping into every ounce of America’s creativity and
ingenuity to catalyze innovations that provide consumers with choices to reduce
costs, save energy, and protect the environment.

This approach calls for all hands on deck—including
private-sector entrepreneurs, technologists, and innovators who are critical to
building the tools, services, and infrastructure needed to support a clean
energy economy. Both the public and private sectors have an important role to
play in continuing our progress to develop and deploy renewable energy sources,
strengthen the electric grid, drive more advanced and fuel-efficient vehicles,
and cut energy waste in homes and businesses."

Read more: FACT SHEET: Harnessing the Power of Data for a Clean, Secure, and Reliable Energy Future | The White House

Fw: Forget saving the planet, driving an electric car will save your life

Via Yahoo/The Atlantic

[...] There is one argument for taking action against global warming that has resonated: health. When the Koch brothers and two Texas oil companies bankrolled a California ballot initiative in 2010 to gut the state’s landmark global warming law, billionaire activists activist Tom Steyer and his allies defeated the measure in part by arguing not that it would lead to climate catastrophe but would harm Californians’ health by allowing petroleum giants to pollute while keeping smog-creating cars on the road. A study released this week by the Environmental Defense Fund and the California chapter of the American Lung Association analyzed the impact of California’s cap-and-trade emissions program—which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020—as well as the state’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS), which mandates a 10 percent reduction in the carbon intensity of transportation fuels by 2020.

Continue reading here.

Fw: Advanced Concrete Means Little Maintenance For A Century

(Via LinkedIn and GE)

This article from Txnologist describes a new material for road pavements that requires less maintenance and provides increased rolling performance. The concept and writing is nice. Beware, the comments that follow are pretty retarded.

Fw: Electric Bus Breaks World Record by Traveling 700 Miles in One Day

Via Inhabitat.com and Engadget

Electric buses might get closer to becoming reality in small urban areas. Small cities tend to run fewer bus routes and fewer vehicles, so it would be easier to deploy a small fleet of electric buses and charging stations there.  Benefits are significant in terms of pollution and through a modern image of mass transit systems.

Read more at this link and dream of a future with all electric transit buses. Also, the source Engadget article has a few other topics on climate change, railroad planning, electric bikes and forests.

French Press: Truths about Diesel Fuel, Cycling Revives Cities

From Liberation on April 7, 2014, touching on fuels, pollution, and alternatives to restore mobility and livability in cities:

• Truths about Diesel Fuel
• Bicycles to revive cities

(photo credit  Laurent TROUDE, liberation.fr)

April 28-May 2: Air Quality Awareness Week in Georgia!

In southern U.S., Georgia Commute Options celebrates Air Quality Week from April 28 to May 2.
Check this newsletter for details. Also, enter this Facebook contest for the best 'Me Time' story by telling your best enjoyable activity you would do if you were not spending time commuting.

(image credit gacommuteoptions.com)