Air travel:
Airlines ponder how far they can push customers – Some worry that fares could rise so sharply that they will change the very nature of air travel. Herb Kelleher, the iconic co-founder of Southwest Airlines who stepped down as chairman Wednesday, said flying could become something that only business travelers or the affluent can afford, much as it was in the 1950s and '60s. Other airlines were studying American's new fee, leading some analysts to suggest it was a trial balloon that American might yank back if competitors don't go along. AP 5/23/08
United postpones SFO-Guangzhou route -- United Airlines blamed skyrocketing jet fuel prices for its decision Thursday to postpone plans to launch daily nonstop flights from San Francisco International Airport to Guangzhou, a major manufacturing center and port on China's Pearl River. SF Chronicle 5/23/08
Public transport:
City looks at feasibility of bringing eBART station off-road -- Plans are rolling along to bring an eBART station to Antioch as city leaders look into the possibility of building the transit hub off-road. eBART is a proposed BART extension into East Contra Costa County. Antioch could make the maximum use of property with an off-freeway station and create a transit-oriented development of high-density housing, retail and business, said Victor Carniglia, deputy director of advanced planning. CC Times 5/23/08
Infrastructure:
Railway Legislation Advances in House -- Legislation boosting funds for the nation's passenger rail system advanced in the House amid concerns over high oil prices, transportation gridlock and global warming. The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved a bill that would provide $14.4 billion over five years to bolster Amtrak's finances and encourage states to expand train service. If passed, the proposal would increase annual spending on Amtrak to about $2 billion a year from roughly $1.3 billion. Wall Street Journal 5/23/08
Bay Bridge quake retrofit awes engineers – A tour Thursday on the newly built lanes of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge capped a five-day earthquake engineering conference in Sacramento. They reviewed new research, checked out emerging equipment – such as earthquake simulators developed by researchers from the University of California, Davis – and went on field trips. Sacramento Bee 5/23/08
High-speed rail:
*Bill gives region a chance for high-speed rail -- A twice-delayed ballot measure to finance high-speed rail in California will finally be placed before the voters in November, but two recent developments could make that vote much more important for the Sacramento region. While the original plan made a rail link from Los Angeles to San Francisco the top priority and left Sacramento service for years later, a bill pending in the Legislature would open the door to competing proposals. Sacramento Business Journals 5/23/08
Ports:
*Port of Oakland looks to investors to upgrade terminals -- Oakland's port has a new strategy to improve its docks and boost revenue: Find deep-pocketed investors willing to foot the bill for what could be millions of dollars worth of upgrades to its shipping terminals. The main attraction for private investors is expectations that cargo shipments through Oakland are expected to increase more than 60 percent in the next nine years to 3.9 million containers, providing a steadily rising revenue stream. East Bay Business Times 5/23/08
Emissions:
Pollution danger higher than earlier estimated -- Microscopic air pollutants from trucks, cars, power plants and wood burning may pose greater health problems than previously believed, according to state researchers. The new estimates were released Thursday in response to a request from the California Air Resources Board, which was seeking up-to-date research on premature deaths associated with inhaling particles one-thirtieth the width of a strand of hair. SF Chronicle 5/22/08
California hands out cash to curb diesel emissions -- Diesel emissions in California could get a big reduction with $221 million new government funding to clean up particulate matter. The state's Air Resources Board approved the cash for projects that are estimated to cut nearly 30,000 tons of diesel pollution. Cleantech 5/23/08
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