• The crisis of U.S. infrastructure, II

    The U.S. infrastructure is elaborate — 4 million miles of roads, 600,000 bridges, 26,000 miles of commercially navigable waterways, 11,000 miles of transit lines, 500 train stations, 300 ports, 19,000 airports, 55,000 community drinking water systems, and 30,000 wastewater plants; maintaining this infrastructure costs money

  • Rising sea level threatens U.K. coastal rail lines

    Andrew McNaughton, Network Rail’s chief engineer: “The effects of climate change, and in particular sea level rise, are likely to increase the severity of the wave, tidal and wind effects on coastal defenses”

  • China introduces new subway security measures

    As of yesterday, Beijing subway passengers face checks by scanners, police, dogs, and 3,000 specially trained security guards under a security clamp

  • Airless tires may be a lifesaver in military combat

    A Wisconsin company and Badgers researchers develop an airless tire that can withstand extreme punishment, even those meted out in military combat zones

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  • GM, Carnegie Mellon collaborate on autonomous driving

    General Motors and Carnegie Mellon University have collaborated on an autonomous vehicle which was entered in DARPA 2007 Urban Challenge competition; the now commit to expanding their collaboration with the aim of accelerating the emerging field of autonomous driving

  • New system analyzes urban traffic patterns

    What will happen to traffic patterns if a new office building, sports arena, or other major facility is built? New software helps urban planners analyze and predict such patterns

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  • Chicago Olympic official urges transportation improvements

    As Chicago readies its bid to the International Olympic Committee for the 2016 Olympic Games, the issue of transportation — and transportation security — are central consideration

  • Texas bolsters border security, enhances trade

    U.S. trade with Mexico has more than quadrupled in the past 15 years from $81 million in 1993 to nearly $350 billion in 2007; projected to reach at least 10 times that number by 2020, Mexico is the fastest-growing U.S. trade partner; nearly 80 percent of the trade between the United States and Mexico is transported via roads or rail; in Texas alone, that equates to 3.1 million inbound and 2.7 million outbound trucks each year; General Barry McCaffrey says it is possible to bolster security while accommodating growing trade

  • Canadian border agency modernizes border security

    The modernized program, to be introduced 20 June, will require members to adhere to stricter, better-defined, and more targeted security measures to strengthen border and supply chain security

  • Bluetooth-based traffic tracking system

    Bluetooth-based traffic tracking system would provide information on the speed of the morning commute — or the sluggishness of airport security lines

  • Trains to pass through X-ray at Turkey-Iran border gate

    Turkey is installing a radiography scanner system at its border with Iran; as trains approach the Kapıköy border point, they will undergo radiography scanning once they are traveling at a stable speed, generally 30 kilometers per hour, after security precautions have been taken to protect passengers and train personnel

  • Qinetiq in $400 million TALON robot contract

    There are more than 2,000 TALON robots deployed around the world, mostly in Iraq and Afghanistan; they have been used in more than 80,000 counter-IED missions to date; DoD wants more of this useful system

  • A dead end for free trade? I

    Tightening border security along the U.S.-Canada border is hampering trade, experts say; delays owing to security checks have cascading effects, as supplies and raw materials are late arriving at manufacturing plants

  • Experts to address IED threat

    Improvised explosive devices (IEDs) have proven deadly against ground transportation in Iraq and other theaters; experts believe the day is not far when terrorists would use them against rail and ground transportation in Europe and the United States

  • DHS awards $844 million to secure U.S. critical infrastructure

    DHS awards millions to bolster security fo rail, truck, and bus transportation; department says awards are strictly risk-based