State Rail Plans: The Integration of Freight and Passenger Rail Planning

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin Keller
Keyword(s):  
Implementation Strategies ◽  
The State ◽  
Rail Transportation ◽  
Department Of Transportation ◽  
The Public ◽  
Rail Network ◽  
Passenger Rail ◽  
The Us ◽  
Rail Service

The Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 (PRIIA) was created to reauthorize the National Railroad Passenger Corporation, better known as Amtrak, and strengthen the US passenger rail network by tasking Amtrak, the U.S. Department of Transportation (US DOT), Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), States, and other stakeholders in improving service, operations, and facilities. PRIIA also tasks States with establishing or designating a State rail transportation authority that will develop Statewide rail plans to set policy involving freight and passenger rail transportation within their boundaries, establish priorities and implementation strategies to enhance rail service in the public interest, and serve as the basis for Federal and State rail investments within the State. In order to comply with PRIIA, State rail plans are required to address a broad spectrum of issues, including an inventory of the existing rail transportation system, rail services and facilities within the State. They must also include an explanation of the State’s passenger rail service objectives, an analysis of rail’s transportation, economic, and environmental impacts in the State, and a long-range investment program for current and future freight and passenger infrastructure in the State. The plans are to be coordinated with other State transportation planning programs and clarify long-term service and investment needs and requirements. This paper and presentation will illustrate the steps required in preparing a State rail plan and the benefits of having a properly developed plan.

The Economics of Air Traffic Control

1980 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-29
Author(s):  
Angus Hislop
Keyword(s):  
Traffic Control ◽  
Air Traffic Control ◽  
Air Traffic ◽  
Air Transport ◽  
Civil Aviation ◽  
Department Of Transportation ◽  
Private Industry ◽  
The Us ◽  
The Uk

This paper is based mainly on a study carried out in 1976/7 for the UK Department of Industry into the long-term development of air traffic control systems in Europe by a team drawn from the Civil Aviation Authority, the Royal Signals and Radar Establishment and private industry, in which Coopers and Lybrand provided the economic expertise.Until the early 1970s, air traffic control was almost completely neglected by air transport economists. Economists contributed to the planning of airports and airline operations but not to the third facet of the air transport system. However, in 1970–1, in conjunction with a programme of expansion and improvement of the country's airports and airways, the US Department of Transportation launched a major study of the airport and airways system. This was designed to establish an equitable charging policy between the different categories of user but in the event its recommendations in this area have only recently begun to be followed.

scholarly journals Fiskalni multiplikatori i tranzicijske zemlje

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 83
Author(s):  
Željko Marić
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Bosnia And Herzegovina ◽  
Free Market ◽  
Public Spending ◽  
The State ◽  
Fiscal Multipliers ◽  
The Public ◽  
Main Driver ◽  
Keynesian Economic

Bosnia and Herzegovina is in a state of long-term recession. Under these conditions, the State would have to apply the Keynesian economic policy instead of the neoclassical free market policy. This means that the State should take on the role of the main driver of economic development by increasing public spending and the fiscal consolidation. In doing so, it is very important to understand and evaluate the fiscal multipliers, as the successful application of the Keynesian policy depends exclusively on them. The aim of this paper is, after conducting an analysis of determinants and limitations of the fiscal multipliers within the conditions present in transition countries, to provide guidance on how to conduct the public spending policy, together with the monetary policy and structural reforms which would reduce the possible limitations regarding the effect of fiscal multipliers, thus increasing their impact on economic development. The analysis will be conducted on the example of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Twenty-Five Years of Pavement Smoothness Specifications in Georgia

1996 ◽  
Vol 1545 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronald Collins ◽  
Wouter Gulden ◽  
Dan R. Brown
Keyword(s):  
South Dakota ◽  
Mix Design ◽  
Response Type ◽  
Department Of Transportation ◽  
The Public ◽  
Measurement Systems ◽  
Construction Specifications ◽  
Pavement Construction

The traveling public generally recognizes the smoothness of a pavement as a major indicator of quality. A newly constructed pavement can have excellent materials, mix design, compaction, and so forth, but if the public considers the ride rough, the quality is considered poor. While continually striving to improve the quality of paving materials in mix designs, the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) began an effort in 1968 to attain the ability to accurately measure the smoothness of a pavement so that this indicator of quality could be measured and specified during construction. GDOT has been using response-type smoothness-measurement systems in its construction specifications for acceptance of projects since 1972 and since 1979 for both rejection and acceptance. The evolution of the pavement smoothness-measuring program in Georgia, the program operating procedures, and the current smoothness specifications are described. The long-term benefits of smoothness specification for pavement construction are also discussed, as is GDOT's effort to replace the Mays Meter trailer systems currently used with South Dakota–type, laser-based road profilers.

scholarly journals Is the US Public Corporation in Trouble?

2017 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 67-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen M. Kahle ◽  
René M. Stulz
Keyword(s):  
Cash Holdings ◽  
Capital Expenditures ◽  
Public Firms ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Corporations ◽  
Current State ◽  
Public Company ◽  
The Us ◽  
Public Corporation

We examine the current state of the US public corporation and how it has evolved over the last 40 years. After falling by 50 percent since its peak in 1997, the number of public corporations is now smaller than 40 years ago. These corporations are now much larger and over the last twenty years have become much older; they invest differently, as the average firm invests more in R&D than it spends on capital expenditures; and compared to the 1990s, the ratio of investment to assets is lower, especially for large firms. Public firms have record high cash holdings and, in most recent years, the average firm has more cash than long-term debt. Measuring profitability by the ratio of earnings to assets, the average firm is less profitable, but that is driven by smaller firms. Earnings of public firms have become more concentrated—the top 200 firms in profits earn as much as all public firms combined. Firms' total payouts to shareholders as a percent of earnings are at record levels. Possible explanations for the current state of the public corporation include a decrease in the net benefits of being a public company, changes in financial intermediation, technological change, globalization, and consolidation through mergers.

Melbourne's Advanced Rail Transportation

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 24-36
Author(s):  
Koorosh Gharehbaghi ◽  
Ken Farnes ◽  
Matt Myers
Keyword(s):  
Transportation Systems ◽  
Operating Costs ◽  
Rail Transportation ◽  
Operational Flexibility ◽  
Rail Network ◽  
Optimal Decisions ◽  
Commuter Rail ◽  
Passenger Satisfaction ◽  
Selection Of

Melbourne's commuter rail transportation is ageing and outdated. As Melbourne's population is ever-increasing, its rail transportation infrastructure planning also needs to be developed, based on long-term technological advancements. Subsequently, Melbourne's rail network and its systems need to be continuously scrutinized. This study thus reviews Melbourne's advanced rail transportation systems, and determines its future perspectives. This research initially found that, for Melbourne, one of the important aspects of long-term technological innovation is the inclusion of the three specific automation measures of; moderate intrusion control systems; revamp signaling technologies; and new rail lines and systems. Further examination recommended that advanced rail transportation systems including enhanced communications systems, be carefully integrated. Such outcomes will in turn boost Melbourne's rail performance through, a) increase safety and passenger satisfaction; b) enhance system reliability; c) intensify train frequency and capacity; d) improve operational flexibility; and e) reduce the overall operating costs. It is expected that these findings will ultimately assist the relevant rail transportation planners, to make optimal decisions when deciding on the selection of the most advanced rail transportation strategies.

Preservation of Infrastructure by Using Weigh-in-Motion Coordinated Weight Enforcement

2003 ◽  
Vol 1855 (1) ◽  
pp. 143-150 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jerry Stephens ◽  
Jodi Carson ◽  
Dennis A. Hult ◽  
Dan Bisom
Keyword(s):  
Reporting System ◽  
Pilot Project ◽  
The State ◽  
Department Of Transportation ◽  
Weigh In Motion ◽  
Loading Patterns ◽  
Long Term Changes ◽  
Pavement Damage ◽  
Time Of Operation

The Montana Department of Transportation (DOT) has completed a pilot project in which data from a statewide network of weigh-in-motion (WIM) sensors were used to assist in scheduling weight-enforcement activities of patrol personnel. The purpose of the project was to determine if one of the division’s objectives—reducing infrastructure damage from overweight vehicles—could be better realized by using WIM data when dispatching officers. Data for the project were obtained from Montana’s state truck activities reporting system (STARS), which consists of WIM sites deployed around the state to collect information for a spectrum of Montana DOT activities. In this case, the STARS data were processed to determine the pavement damage caused by overweight vehicles each month during the baseline year. The trends identified from this analysis were used in the subsequent year to direct patrol efforts each month to the five sites that historically had experienced the greatest pavement damage from overweight vehicles. Officers were directed to the specific vehicle configurations historically responsible for the damage, as well as to their direction of travel and time of operation. During this year of WIM-directed enforcement, pavement damage from overweight vehicles decreased by 4.8 million equivalent single-axle load miles, and the percentage of vehicles operating over weight decreased by 20% across all STARS sites (both enforced and unenforced). While changes in loading patterns were observed during the enforcement activities (fewer overweight and more weight-compliant vehicles), the effectiveness of the focused enforcement in producing long-term changes in loading behaviors was uncertain.

scholarly journals The extent of debt financing within state-owned corporations in Kenya

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 895-905 ◽  
Author(s):  
Micah Odhiambo Nyamita ◽  
Nirmala Dorasamy ◽  
Hari Lall Garbharran
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Stock Market ◽  
Agency Theory ◽  
The State ◽  
Debt Financing ◽  
Descriptive Statistics ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Sector Reforms

The public sector reforms’ programme in Kenya, has witnessed five state-owned corporations being privatised, and several more, from hotels to banks, have been scheduled to be privatised. However, many of Kenya’s state-owned corporations are in considerable debt, which reduce their value in the process of privatisation. This study attempted to determine the extent and the theory suitable for explaining debt-financing within the state-owned corporations in Kenya from 2007 to 2011. The study applied both descriptive statistics and a hybrid of cross sectional and longitudinal quantitative surveys. The results observed some level of stability on the aggregate long-term debt ratios, with minimal use of stock market instruments, which implied the application of the agency theory.

scholarly journals Exposure to Discretionary Arrests Increases Support for Anti-Police Protests

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ted Hsuan Yun Chen ◽  
Paul McLachlan ◽  
Christopher Fariss
Keyword(s):  
The State ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
State Institutions ◽  
The Public ◽  
Perceptions Of Fairness ◽  
Police Records ◽  
Study Support ◽  
State Agents ◽  
Using Data

The legitimacy of the state rests on individuals' perceptions of fairness when interacting with state institutions and state agents. The police as an institution and as individual agents have wide latitude to detain and use force against individuals. We argue that encounters with state bureaucracy and civil servants, specifically the police, can generate individual-level grievances against the state, and that these grievances make it more likely an individual participates in protest against the state. We study support for and the legitimacy of policing in the context of the anti-police protests in Baltimore, MD following the death of Freddie Gray in April, 2015. Using data from police records and social media, we show that individuals with higher exposure to discretionary arrests --- arrests that are potentially viewed as illegitimate or arbitrary --- are more likely to support protests against the police. In contrast, we demonstrate that exposure to arrests for major crimes such as murder does not follow the same pattern. Thus, support for the police as an institution varies systematically with exposure to arbitrary and capricious encounters with police agents. As these grievance generating encounters become more widespread, we expect to see increased protests against the police and further erosion in support of the police as an institution. Alternatively, shifting institutional resources to focus on major crimes and limiting the discretionary authority of police agents when interacting with the public may help to repair the legitimacy of policing institutions over the long term.

scholarly journals Background for the formation and predictors for the implementation of state anti-corruption policy in Ukraine

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 27-37
Author(s):  
Т. А. Крушельницька
Keyword(s):  
The State ◽  
Institutional Constraints ◽  
Management Activity ◽  
Internal Factors ◽  
Building Relationships ◽  
The Public ◽  
Theoretical Substantiation ◽  
State Management ◽  
Common Purpose

Corruption in the public administration of Ukraine, which is a socio-economic phenomenon, is investigated as a plurality of actions of public service officials, which is arising in the process of realization of their authorities and building relationships and connecting with abuse of political or public authority for the sake of personal gain. An analysis of the preconditions for formation and theoretical substantiation of the predictors of the state anti-corruption policy implementation is conducted. Corruption is manifested through such institutional deformations as institutional constraints, legal burdens, distortions of moral and ethical standards of officials, and tolerance of corruption by society.The main preconditions for the formation of anticorruption policy are as follows: the set of external and internal factors of the mechanisms of public and managerial activity, which is burdened by the historical legacy of the administrative-command system of the Soviet era; formation of the outlook of a civil servant, in which the common purpose of occupying a post is a phenomenon like sinecure; a feature of professional state-management activity, which is determined by the state-power authorities of individuals, which are the exclusive privilege and responsibility of officials; the existence of legal preferences that imply inequality of citizens in the access to socially useful benefits that distort understanding of the legal equality of citizens and are the basis of corruption; the presence of effective foreign experience in the implementation of anticorruption policy, based on the cooperation of government institutions with the private sector and the public, is long-term and complex.The main predictors that will become qualitative and quantitative benchmarks for changing the trend in the implementation of anti-corruption policies are reducing the proportion of actions committed to attract corruption leverage, reducing the share of the shadow economy, raising the index of perceived corruption in Ukraine for five years at least to an average of 60-65, the creation of prerequisites for absolute rejection of corruption, complete lack of tolerance to any, even minimal, manifestations of corruption.

Exploring the Opinions of Passenger Rail Riders: Evidence From the Hoosier State Train

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Dimitra Pyrialakou ◽  
Konstantina “Nadia” Gkritza
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Mode Choice ◽  
Transportation Systems ◽  
Shared Vision ◽  
The State ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Fiscal Year ◽  
Rail Transportation ◽  
Perceived Ease Of Use ◽  
Passenger Rail

Ridership on Midwest passenger rail lines has been steadily increasing over the past two decades. Between 2005 and 2014, there has been a growth of more than 65 percent, much higher than the national average (approximately 30 percent for the same years). Nevertheless, a number of lines have discontinued their services or are in danger of discontinuance. For example, Kentucky Cardinal, operating between Chicago, Illinois and Louisville, Kentucky was discontinued in 2003, and the Three Rivers train, operating between Chicago, Illinois and New York, New York was discontinued in 2005. The Hoosier State train running between Indianapolis, Indiana and Chicago, Illinois would have faced the same fate recently, if not for the financial support that the state and communities have been providing since 2013. As of October 1, 2013, the State of Indiana, local communities, and Amtrak reached an agreement to support the Hoosier State line for the following fiscal year (2013–2014), and the agreement has continued ever since. In the meantime, the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) was the first nationally to announce a Request for Proposals to seek competing solutions from independent providers, as allowed by the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 (PRIIA), in order to obtain private-sector competitive bids for the operation of the Hoosier State train. Recently, after many unfruitful attempts and many obstacles, INDOT reached an agreement with Iowa Pacific Holdings. The company has been providing the locomotives for the line since August 2015, and collaborates with Amtrak to keep the train in service, with a shared vision to increase service frequency, improve speed and maintain a reliable schedule, and provide better on-board amenities. However, to ensure the financial viability of the system and support any improvement or expansion, an increase in ridership is necessary. To achieve this, it is essential that we understand the opinions of Indiana residents, passengers of the Hoosier State train, and advocates of the line towards passenger rail. This paper presents the results of a survey that was conducted on board the Hoosier State train to solicit information pertaining to the perceived ease of use and usefulness of the passenger rail services, riders’ opinions, and other factors that might affect behavior toward passenger rail transportation, as well as factors that affect an individual’s mode choice in general, such as habitual automobile behavior, or external impedance factors like schedule and route restrictions. The survey was endorsed by INDOT and approved by Amtrak and Iowa Pacific Holdings. In addition, this paper presents how opinions toward passenger rail differ among different groups based on socioeconomic and demographic characteristics, familiarity with passenger rail transportation in general and the Hoosier State train specifically, and usage. Furthermore, in order to prioritize service improvements that can foster an increase in the Hoosier State ridership, this paper explores mode choice decisions through the use of a multi-attribute attitude model. The results of this paper can guide policy and planning decision making that aims to foster an increase in passenger rail ridership through a mode shift from personal automobiles and competing mass transportation systems, such as airlines and intercity buses.

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