Transporation Daily News 1/18

In another attempt to reduce its carbon footprint, Safeway Inc. announced it will operate its truck fleet with biodiesel fuel. The shift to biodiesel fuel will reduce Safeway's carbon emissions by 75 million pounds per year - the equivalent of taking 7,500 passenger vehicles off the road. Safeway's trucks will use a blend of biodiesel that is 20 percent vegetable based, in this case mostly from soy oil produced in the Midwest, and 80 percent petroleum diesel based. SJ Mercury 1/18/08

 

The project to build the new eastern span of the Bay Bridge was expected to reach another long-awaited milestone today with the completion of the bridge's last two marine foundations. The work is done 84 days ahead of schedule. Caltrans canceled the original $177 million contract when higher-than-expected costs of the suspension span ignited a dispute between state and local officials about whether it should be built as a cheaper, concrete viaduct. In the end, the graceful tower draped with cables won out and Caltrans restarted the contract with an added $81 million to cover costs incurred by the delay. CC Times 1/18/08

 

Engineers found no structural damage Thursday to the Black Point railroad drawbridge, which was struck Wednesday by a tug towing a sand barge on the Petaluma River near Novato. SJ Mercury 1/18/08

 

Mary Nichols, chairman of the California Air Resources Board, will give a free public talk at UC Davis on Wednesday, Jan. 23. Her topics will include the state's progress on its carbon emissions targets. UC Davis News 1/18/08

 

The Central Valley - including the San Joaquin and Sacramento valleys - is expected to get $250 million, less than half of the Los Angeles area, although more than San Diego or the Bay Area from the state Air Resources Board, which is about to divvy up $1 billion in voter-approved bond money among four regions. This represents a "total abandonment" of the San Joaquin Valley as it seeks to meet federal ozone standards, said Seyed Sadredin, executive director of the Valley air district.  Record Net 1/18/08

 

TransLink, a one-card fare system for participating Bay Area transit agencies, went systemwide on Alameda-Contra Costa and Golden Gate transit district buses in September, but glitches in software and testing have pushed back a soft launch of the card on Muni, Caltrain and BART from mid-December until the end of March this year and perhaps even further, according to transit officials. SF Examiner 1/18/08