Transporation Daily News 2/8

When all relevant factors are accounted for, biofuels produce more greenhouse gas emissions than fossil fuels. So conclude two studies published yesterday in Science, adding to a growing body of research suggesting that crop-based fuels, once hailed as a clean answer to oil, are not a magic green bullet. Previous studies didn't always account for the energy that would be needed to grow, harvest and refine the fuels. Most importantly, they didn't consider that greenhouse gas-gobbling vegetation would need to be cleared for fuel crops -- or, if these were planted on existing pastures, that new fields would be cleared to make space for displaced food crops. Wired 2/08/08

Clearing land to produce biofuels such as ethanol will do more to exacerbate global warming than using gasoline… Washington Post 2/08/08

 

The California High-Speed Rail Authority's debate over where a 200-mph-plus bullet train should enter the Bay Area resurfaced Wednesday when the board balked at creating a committee to study ways of improving commuter rail service through the Altamont Pass and Livermore Valley. Kopp said it appeared the group wanted the new committee to work on high-speed rail through Altamont, not the improved commuter service the authority wants to facilitate. CC Times 2/08/08

 

The end of an era is unfolding at Mineta San Jose International Airport as demolition crews Tuesday night began tearing down Terminal C, built in 1965, which for years was the airport's lone one-story building that served all travelers. CC Times 2/08/08

 

San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency chief Nathaniel Ford said Thursday that he wants to extend his control over transit and roadway improvements in the city - a move that would take away authority from the elected Board of Supervisors. Ford said a merger of the MTA and the Transportation Authority is necessary to assure more seamless management of San Francisco's transportation programs, making it easier to improve Muni and traffic congestion. Mayor Gavin Newsom, however, said later in the day that taking over the Transportation Authority was not his idea and is not something his office plans to pursue. SF Chronicle 2/08/08

 

U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., called today for the U.S. Coast Guard to implement stricter standards on oil spill response and preparedness. In a letter to Coast Guard Commandant Thad Allen, Feinstein called on the agency to implement a revised contingency plan for the San Francisco area, detailing existing oil spill response assets and prioritizing areas vulnerable to spills. SJ Mercury 2/08/08

 

More people are riding Caltrain in order to spare the air, according to the railroad's first major customer survey in five years. A quarter of the 4,200 passengers surveyed cited helping the environment as one of their top two reasons for riding. That's up from 10 percent in 2003. The survey found that the average Caltrain rider is "a 37-year-old college graduate who uses a monthly pass to commute to work at least four days a week, and earns more than $100,000 per year." Inside Bay Area 2/08/08