News Briefs - Dec. 16
The Latest Headlines:
- New York Port Officials Debut Inland Shipping Plan
- E-ZPass Causing Delays at Del. River Tollbooths
- Delphi to Invest More than $240 Million in Electronics
- Venezuela's Chavez Makes Threat to End Three-Week Strike
- E-ZPass Causing Delays at Del. River Tollbooths
New York Port Officials Debut Inland Shipping Plan
State officials in New York said Dec. 13 that under an agreement with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, freight cargo will start being diverted to inland ports in New York, New Jersey and several other states, the Associated Press reported.The Port of Albany, N.Y. will be the first of these satellite centers, designed to relieve congestion in the New York City area. Officials said that since 84% of all cargo coming into the Port of New York and New Jersey is unloaded directly into trucks, shifting some cargo north up the Hudson River can reduce truck traffic on already squeezed highways, AP said.
The plan to use the Port of Albany will cost the state $3.3 million, Gov. George E. Pataki told the AP.
E-ZPass Causing Delays at Del. River Tollbooths
Two weeks after installing E-ZPass, poor lane design on two major bridges crossings over the Delaware River has caused backups of nearly two-miles at times, The Morning Call of Allentown, Pa. reported Sunday.The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission said that after promising faster service at the bridges it cares for, but instead motorists now face long delays at the Interstate 78 bridge and Route 22, the paper said.
The commission was slated to meet Monday to discuss the problems with the new system and possible solutions, the Morning Call said.
Beginning Nov. 30, the toll commission significantly raised tolls for bridge users in order to pay for improvements to the seven bridges it manages. Transport Topics
Delphi to Invest More than $240 Million in Electronics
Vehicle parts maker Delphi Corp. said Monday that it would invest $243.5 million in the electronics product lines of its subsidiary Delco Electronics.Among the products the investment will go to produce at the company’s Kokomo, Ind. factory are engine control modules, pressure sensors and integrated circuits.
Over the last three years, the company has invested more than $1.2 billion a year, Delphi said. Transport Topics
(Click here for the full press release.)
Venezuela’s Chavez Makes Threat to End Three-Week Strike
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said that he would fire striking workers if they did not return to their jobs, Bloomberg reported, adding to pressure on the price on the price of crude oil.Crude oil can be distilled down to motor fuels like gasoline and diesel fuel. Venezuela is a major exporter of crude oil to the United States, and since the strike began, oil shipments have been disrupted.
Striking protesters in the South American country have paralyzed Venezuela’s oil infrastructure and force the cancellation of some shipments.
The prospect of prolonged disruptions pushed the price of crude oil up as much as 50 cents a barrel to $28.94 in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange Monday. Transport Topics
