Transporation Daily News May 13

Air travel:

 

*SFO 'worst case scenario' for Sikhs, report states -- San Francisco International Airport too routinely pulls turbaned Sikhs out of line for a second screening, an act of profiling that does little to combat terrorism, a national civil rights organization says. he Sikh Coalition describes SFO as a "worst case scenario" for Sikh travelers. The coalition says that it found SFO generated 35 percent of all reports of ill treatment of Sikhs from Dec. 1, 2007, to March 31, 2008. Some Bay Area Sikhs are opting to fly in and out of Oakland and San Jose as a result. CC Times 5/12/08

 

*Airlines protest cost, timing of Sacramento airport expansion plan -- Sacramento officials, under pressure to launch a major airport overhaul this summer, have run into a last-minute snag – a mass airline protest over the size and cost of the expansion. At least 11 airlines, including Southwest, the dominant carrier in Sacramento, have sent letters since Friday expressing concerns about the $1.27 billion project. The county is considering doubling airline fees over the next four years to help finance a new terminal and other facilities. Sacramento Bee 5/13/08

 

Public transport:

 

BART to run slower for six to eight weeks -- BART must slow trains between south Hayward and Union City stations for six to eight weeks, in the wake of two electrical fires Saturday that caused millions of dollars in damage to power and train control equipment, transit officials said Monday. The cause of the two electrical fires at a power substation near South Hayward remains under investigation. CC Times 5/12/08

 

Shipping:

 

Lawsuit seeks ruling on bay spill pilot's legal bills -- The insurance company that's paid some of the legal bills for the pilot of a ship that spilled 53,000 gallons of fuel into San Francisco Bay has asked a federal court to decide whether it must continue to do so, now that the case has turned into a criminal matter. SJ Mercury 5/12/08

 

Emissions:

 

*State air board takes aim at diesel pollution -- State air pollution regulators Monday proposed rules that would require the owners of some 300,000 trucks to install soot filters or replace dirty engines. The rules would cost the trucking industry billions of dollars but save thousands of lives, the California Air Resources Board says. A trucking industry representative said she fears the proposal will force many truckers out of business. PE 5/13/08

 

State air chief debates auto engineers on emissions -- The state's chief enforcer of stringent emissions controls defended those rules Monday before a tough crowd of several hundred automotive engineers and industry leaders. Mary Nichols, head of the Air Resources Board, gave a data-laden presentation designed to "dispel some myths" about California's tailpipe standards, which are designed to cut greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles by 30 percent within eight years. Santa Cruz Sentinel 5/12/08

 

Safety:

 

*Study: Hands-free calling law for drivers could save hundreds of lives -- California's new hands-free cell phone law could save 300 lives a year, a new study indicates. Similar laws in other states already have saved lives, the Public Policy Institute of California reported Monday night. In particular, those laws have helped reduce the number of deaths from accidents that occurred in bad weather, on wet roads or during rush-hour. SJ Mercury 5/13/08

 

Japanese auto parts maker officially opens Central Valley plant -- A $73 million auto parts plant was officially opened in Stockton Monday by Kyoho Manufacturing California. The plant is expected to employ about 250 workers when it is in full operation. Central Valley Business Times 5/13/08