To:
Jackson, Ryan[jackson.ryan@epa.gov]
From: Morning Transportation
Sent: Thur 7/6/2017 2:04:15 PM
Subject: POLITICO'S Morning Transportation, presented by Delta Air Lines: Two more set free from
laptop ban -- DOT skips Gateway event -- Volvo to stop making gasoline-only cars
By Tanya Snyder | 07/06/2017 10:00 AM EDT
With help from Lauren Gardner
TWO MORE SET FREE FROM LAPTOP BAN: People traveling to the United States from Ataturk Airport in Istanbul and Dubai International Airport will once again get to bring large electronic devices on their Turkish Airlines and Emirates flights, TSA confirmed Wednesday. DHS has repeatedly said that airports can avoid the ban if the heighten security in certain ways. The ban contributed to one of Emirates' "most challenging years to date," with profits down 82 percent and flights to the United States reduced by a fifth due to weaker demand, according to the Financial Times. Etihad Airways service from Abu Dhabi International Airport has already been restored; Qatar Airways is in the process of having new measures evaluated.
Take your shoes off - again: Information is scarce about the precise procedures the airports are putting in place to comply with U.S. demands, but FT reports that U.S.-bound passengers from Ataturk will now be checked four times, with two checks at the boarding area. The BBC reports that the use of bomb-sniffer dogs will be expanded to 105 countries and that Ataturk Airport is now using sophisticated tomography imaging devices for X-ray and ultrasound screening.
IT'S THURSDAY: Thanks for tuning in to POLITICO'S Morning Transportation, your daily tipsheet on all things trains, planes, automobiles and ports. It's a slow news week, folks - send us your tips and we'll be your best friend. Feedback and lyrics also welcome as usual, at lgardner@politico.com or @GardnerJLM and tsiiyder@politico.com or @TSnyderDC.
"He's leaving / On that midnight train to Georgia, yeah / Said he's going back. / To a simpler place and time, oh yes he is / I'll be with him on that midnight train to Georgia."
Want to keep up with MT's song picks? Our Spotify playlist has over 100 followers - you can get listening, too!
EXIT GATEWAY: DOT is expected this morning to release a draft environmental impact statement on the Gateway project's rail tunnel under the Hudson River, one of the most massive and urgent - infrastructure projects in the pipeline. But while DOT played a major role in developing and publishing the document, which is integral to the effort, the agency is skipping the press conference at Penn Station, reports Dana Rubinstein. The no-show follows reports that last week the agency withdrew its participation in the Gateway Program Development Corporation, the entity charged with building the tunnel.
SOP, or is it?: DOT said its withdrawal is "standard practice" when it comes to local transportation projects seeking federal funding, but Jeff Davis, the Eno Center for Transportation's senior fellow, noted that that's "not quite true," since DOT has representation
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on, among other things, the Moynihan Station Redevelopment Corporation, which is seeking substantial federal funding.
Moynihands are tied: A DOT spokeswoman disputed Davis' take, saying the agency's role serving on the Moynihan board is by statute, ordered up by TEA-21 (remember that?). She also pushed back against suggestions that DOT not attending the press conference is a slap in the face, saying the agency decided that "while we could not attend in person, [we decided] our release of the draft EIS to them in advance, as well as advancing our statement... would suffice and would also serve to demonstrate the expedited work that the FRA achieved" - that is, finishing the draft EIS in 22 months, instead of what otherwise would have taken 48 months.
LOOK MA, NO ADS: The FHWA last month confirmed its decision not to allow advertising on highway signs. According to a document obtained by POLITICO, FHWA rejected a request from a top official at Texas DOT to try displaying commercial logos on electronic message signs, thanking him for his interest in "exploring innovative concepts" but saying it conflicts with "applicable statutes and regulations." (Rep. Ted Poe (R-Texas) also opposed this idea and let U.S. DOT know about it.) FHWA's decision upholds a its ruling from a few months earlier, when a concerned citizen from Bensalem, Pa., wrote to DOT suggesting the agency raise money for infrastructure by leasing the space on the back of overhead highway signs. "Im thinking LED signs that last 30 years and could be programed on a desktop to eliminate the need for people to change the advertising on the highway," said the enterprising letter-writer (all typos his). However, FHWA responded that commercial advertising wasn't allowed and that such signs could contribute to driver distraction.
MAKING A LIST, CHECKING IT TWICE: The deadline for railroads to implement positive train control is still 18 months away, but Congress is worried that some railroads and transit systems aren't working fast enough to meet it. DOT's inspector general announced Wednesday the launch of a probe into how railroads are using federal PTC implementation funds. The audit was requested by Senate Commerce Chairman John Thune (R-S.D.), reports our Brianna Gurciullo. The IG will study how FTA and FRA are overseeing the expenditure of the $915 million in grants paid to railroads and transit systems so far for PTC rollout. PTC is up and running on just 23 percent of route miles for passenger rail and 27 percent for freight rail.
TSA: MORE THAN 5 MILLION SERVED: TSA announced Wednesday that its PreCheck program had "reached a milestone," having enrolled more than 5 million travelers since opening its first application center in December 2013. It now has more than 390 application centers nationwide, including locations at 44 airports. Acting Administrator Huban Gowadia said in a statement that the program strengthens security "by growing the trusted traveler population" so that officers are free to focus on potential threats. PreCheck participants can keep their shoes and belts on and their laptops and liquids in their bags.
** A message from Delta Air Lines: Delta partners with CLEAR to offer SkyMiles Members exclusive rates on CLEAR membership to enjoy a faster way through security at airports nationwide. CLEAR's biometric technology platform gets travelers through security with just the touch of a finger or blink of an eye. Enroll today at clearme.com/delta. **
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HOW TO USE YOUR VW WINDFALL: States are set to receive $2.9 billion, earmarked for "environmental mitigation," from the Volkswagen settlement and the U.S. PIRG Education Fund has an idea for how to use it. In a new report, U.S. PIRG suggests states use the proceeds from VW's emissions test cheating to install electric vehicle charging stations on highways and to replace old diesel buses with electric ones. U.S. PIRG estimates that states could supply between 4,350 and 8,700 additional fast charging stations and more than 3,000 all-electric, zero-emissions buses for the money.
IT'S ELECTRIC: Volvo will soon make a wholesale switch to electric cars, "marking the historic end of cars that only have an internal combustion engine and placing electrification at the core of its future business," according to a statement from the automaker Wednesday. From 2019 onward, every Volvo will have an electric motor, though hybrid cars will be included in the company's portfolio. Volvo officials said the move - which they say marks the opening of "a new chapter in automotive history" - is in response to customer demands. The company says it plans to launch five fully electric cars between 2019 and 2021, including two which will be branded Polestar, Volvo Cars' performance car arm. The company plans to sell a total of a million electric cars by 2025.
SHIFTING GEARS: Tom Murta will join the Short Line Safety Institute on Monday as its executive director. He was most recently assistant vice president of safety and operations compliance at CSX.
DEPARTMENT OF THINGS WE DIDN'T KNOW: There exists a "MicaPlex." (Yes, that Mica - the gentleman from Winter Park, Florida.) MT is willing to bet the MicaPlex's hamburgers are delicious.
THE AUTOBAHN:
- "U.S. on track for most miles traveled with 2017 driving season underway." Oil and Gas 360.
- "United accidentally gave a toddler's seat away - and made his mom hold him for a 3-hour flight." The Washington Post.
- "Trump plan to overhaul air traffic control has key opponent: Mario Diaz-Balart." The Miami Herald.
- "Oregon House passes landmark transportation bill." Northwest Public Radio.
- "Sen. Franken announces bill to prevent children from becoming trapped in hot cars." K DI I News.
- "Lawmakers look to boost local control over drone regulation." Morning Consult.
- "Low-cost Norwegian Air to begin O'Hare to London service." Chicago Tribune.
- DOT announces $537.1 million loan for New York City's Moynihan Train Hall redevelopment
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project. DOT.
- "Airbus sells 140 planes to China for $23 billion." Fortune.
- "China faces tough road ahead as it vies to become leader in autonomous driving." The Globe and Mail.
THE COUNTDOWN: DOT appropriations run out in 87 days. The FAA reauthorization expires in 87 days. Highway and transit policy is up for renewal in 1,183 days.
** A message from Delta Air Lines: Committed to bettering the travel experience, Delta has partnered with CLEAR, the biometric identity platform. CLEAR allows SkyMiles Members to use fingerprint and iris I.D. technology to speed through airport security by offering them exclusive Member-only rates on CLEAR membership. CLEAR is trusted by over one million travelers and by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. CLEAR's three-step enrollment process takes less than five minutes - CLEAR digitally authenticates your driver's license or passport, confirms your identity, and then creates your biometric account. After enrollment, members can begin using the CLEAR Lanes immediately. Enroll today at clearme.com/delta. **
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