P.M. Executive Briefing - June 16
This Afternoon's Headlines:
ul>
U.S. Gasoline Producers Blame Washington for High Prices
Following a Thursday meeting of lawmakers and officials in Washington, D.C., about the problem of high gasoline prices in Chicago and Milwaukee, American Petroleum Institute senior manager Edward Murphy said Friday that the high prices are "a normal reaction to a market system."Murphy further said federal regulations requiring a cleaner-burning fuel, which went into effect at the beginning of the month, are at the heart of the price rise – gasoline prices in the cities are up to 40 cents a gallon more than elsewhere in the United States. The rise in prices after the regulations went into effect prompted Illinois Gov. George Ryan to call for the new rules to be suspended.
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) blamed the increase on "profit-taking by the oil companies"; House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) did not go that far, but he said he would find out more in a meeting next week between lawmakers and administration officials. The White House has also ordered a Transportation Department probe of whether the problem is caused in part by supply issues. CNN Online (06/16/00)
Public Overwhelmingly Wants Diesel Truck and Fuel Cleanup, According to New Survey
Close to 90% of people think the best emissions-control technology available should be mandatory in large diesel trucks and buses, says a survey conducted for the American Lung Association, Environmental Defense, and the Clean Air Trust. In addition, over 80% think it is reasonable to pay as much as four cents a gallon more for clean diesel, while close to 70% think tougher standards for diesel vehicles and diesel fuel should go into effect in the next ten years.These results are being released as the Environmental Protection Agency is beginning hearings on a diesel cleanup plan. Lake Snell Perry & Associates conducted the survey of 1,000 adults across the country between June 1 and June 4; there is a margin of error of plus or minus 3%. U.S. Newswire (06/16/00)
N.J. Turnpike Authority Tries to Cut Accidents on Curvy Interstate Ramp
Tanker Turn, as the interchange ramp from Interstate 95 to Interstate 80 in Bergen County, N.J., is known to locals, has been the site – and some say the cause – of 25 overturned tractor-trailers since 1996, with five of those occurring since February.Robert Dale, director of operations for the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, said the ramp can be safely traversed by motorists who slow down to the posted speed of 35 mph, but critics say the ramp suffers from key design flaws. Two of the big problems with the ramp is that it is not banked adequately in the direction the ramp turns – so vehicles are forced toward the outside lanes – and that there is not much sight distance to decide whether to use the express and local lanes of I-80. Compounding this problem for truckers is the fact that trucks cannot respond to jerky movements as well as smaller vehicles can, and such movements can cause load shift.
The Turnpike Authority has responded to the spate of accidents by putting up more warning signs, and re-striping, and it is planning to install flashing amber lights. A more drastic solution would be to tear down the existing ramp and build a redesigned one, with either a more gradual curve or a "jughandle" design incorporating a 270-degree rightward bend. But the agency does not own the land that would be needed for such a ramp, and there are residences on some of it.
According to Dale, the changes will be left in place for a year, to give them time to take effect, before the Turnpike Authority makes any decision about the necessity of further changes. Bergen (N.J.) Record Online (06/16/00); Lima, Paulo
BP Amoco Says New Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel Cuts Emissions by 90%
BP Amoco announced that its low-sulfur diesel cuts emissions by more than 90% if used with catalytic exhaust filters, according to initial tests. ARCO, which was recently taken over by BP Amoco, began yearlong Southern California tests of the EC Diesel product in commercial vehicles last year. AFX European Focus (06/16/00)Will Lifting Tolls on Oklahoma's Will Rogers Turnpike Ease Traffic?
Tolls will be removed from a 13-mile portion of the Will Rogers Turnpike (Interstate 44) from Catoosa to Claremore, Okla. – but the lifting of the tolls is meant to coincide with the building of a new interchange linking I-44, U.S. 412, and the new Creek Turnpike loop, so the removal of the toll might be five years in the future.An editorial in the Tulsa World says a more pressing issue for the western stretch of the turnpike is the dangerous congestion there, caused by the convergence of I-44, U.S. 412, and state route 66.
Transportation officials say the building of the new interchange is expected to remove some of the traffic from that part of the Will Rogers Turnpike, but the editorial says the transportation department should also study whether the intersection of the three highways there needs to be realigned further. Tulsa World (06/13/00)
Compiled by Transport Topics staff and INFORMATION, INC. © 2000
