Monthly Archives: April 2011

Brazil To Hand Over Airports To Private Sector

“We want to combine the urgency of the works with public and private investments,” Mr. Palocci said.

via WSJ.com.

Remember one of the problems we’ve isolated, in government “politics trumps solutions.” When the government brings in the private sector to help expedite projects it is because it’s the only solution they can find to that problem.

Emirates Airlines Has Big Ambitions

“Emirates’ strategy is aggressive,” says Pierre-Henri Gourgeon, the chief executive of Air France, who complains that Emirates is siphoning off passengers from Europe’s traditional hubs. “Europe is at the center of the global aviation world. It’s the result of aviation history.”

via Emirates Airlines Has Big Ambitions – NYTimes.com.

Great article on the wild success and growth of Emirates Airlines.  The European carriers sound a little off their game… seeking their government’s involvement to help fight off Emirates.  If the market is telling you what airline they want to fly, and it isn’t yours, getting the government to intervene isn’t a very fair way to win back market share.  See what your competitors are doing right and do it better.  Serve the customer… the traveling public.

Photo



Matching pair of SD70ACe’s shot at Crawford Hill, Nebraska by Charles Biel.

Check out Charles’ site when you get a chance. He curates an impressive archive of ATSF, BN, and BNSF motive power images. My personal favorites come from his yearly “party favor” collection… images from this collection frequently adorn my desktop.

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My photo taken from the skybridge while boarding a flight to leave Beijing, China.

Problems vs. Symptoms

As an engineer, I want to fix the transportation system in the United States. Many people want to fix the US transportation system actually. However, many people mis-identify symptoms as problems.

For example, many would say that the lack of high-speed rail in the US is a problem. However, it is merely a symptom of much larger problems within the transportation system.

Here’s a list of problems in the US transportation system.

  1. Disparate Funding Structures
  2. True Costs are Hidden
  3. Politics Trumps Solutions

This will be a running list. I’ll add to it and repost as I identify additional problems. I’ll pick one of these problems from time-to-time and expound.

Flat Fee for Electric Cars?

How can lawmakers create a new system to maintain the transportation infrastructure that “makes more sense than what we have today?” Rep. Chris Reykdal asked.

via Wash. considers annual flat fee for electric cars.

Now here is a politician asking a smart question.  The question itself shows that this guy understands the unbalanced funding problem our transportation system has.  A flat fee for electric cars will only exacerbate that problem.

Photo

I’d like to features some transportation photos from time to time… trains, planes, OR autos. I’ll use photos of my own, reader submissions, and some favorites from some other folks (attribution will be given).
Also RS3, NYC #8255
During high school I worked on the Midland Railway and had the privilege of throttle time with the RS3 in the foreground. Of all the locomotives at Midland, this one really gave a sense of all the horsepower running under the long hood. My photo from a return visit in 2003 I believe.