Switchbacks on the Beartooth Highway that crisscrosses Montana and Wyoming to the Northeast entrance to Yellowstone National park (photo courtesy of Travel Montana)

(Billings, MT – YPR) – The Memorial Day weekend marks the opening of one of Montana’s most scenic mountain highways and the gateway to the Northeast entrance to Yellowstone National Park.  But that opening was delayed Friday as Beartooth Pass was closed due to snow and ice.

Montana Department of Transportation and National Park Service crews have been clearing away snow from the Beartooth Highway, a 68-mile road that winds through three National Forests across the Beartooth Mountain range. At its highest elevation, the road climbs to  10,947 feet.

Yellowstone National Park is open for the summer season, but park officials warn visitors some roads may be closed due to weather or road construction.

Approaching Beartooth Pass from the west along the Beartooth Highway (photo by Phil Armitage via wikimedia commons)

For more pictures of the Beartooth Highway, check out flickr.

East River ferry (photo by synergii1 via Flickr)

New York’s East River ferry service boats will more than double in size on weekends, to accommodate 399 passengers as opposed to the current 149.   The bigger boats will operate on summer weekends.

The boats will operate every 45 minutes from 9:35 am until 9:30 am on the weekends, making stops in Governor’s Island.

On weekdays, the vessels will operate from 6:45 AM until 8:45 PM. in both directions. During morning and evening peak hours, there will be three boats running every twenty minutes. During weekday off-peak hours, there will be two boats running on a thirty-minute schedule.

According to the city, “Ferry service was launched on June 13, 2011, as part of a 3-year pilot program to provide year-round ferry service between East 34th Street and Pier 11 in Manhattan, Long Island City in Queens, Greenpoint, North Williamsburg, South Williamsburg, and DUMBO in Brooklyn, and seasonally to Governor’s Island.”

“The service costs riders $4 for a one-way ticket, $12 for an unlimited all-day pass, and $140 for an unlimited monthly pass. Ferries accommodate bikes on board for an additional dollar. Ticketing machines are available at all commuter locations along with staffed ticket agents at some stops.”

Photo: Alex Goldmark

Melanie Miller of New York is heading to Washington D-C to visit her mother. She chose Amtrak because 10 years ago she made a promise to herself never to drive on Memorial Day Weekend again.  “I’ve sat in traffic and I also don’t think it’s good for the environment. So I’ll take the train. I’ll do something else. Or I’ll stay home, but I won’t drive.”

Amtrak says it’s had heavy bookings this weekend, and that some trains on the NY-Boston route are sold out.

Photo: Alex Goldmark/Transportation Nation

Planners envision the construction of cross-jurisdictional networks to connect people to their jobs in the metropolitan Washington area, and to employment and tourist locations within northern Virginia and neighboring states. The goal is to help commuters avoid the region’s notorious traffic congestion.

“It’s really looking at the major travel patterns of people throughout this region and trying to understand where they are and where they want to go,” says Amy Inman, the manager of public transportation planning at the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation, a post she has held for four years. Inman is the head planner for Super NoVa.

With the growing realization that only paving more highways would not satisfy the demands of region’s population and job growth projections, Inman says localities 50 or 75 miles away from Washington need more public transportation options. The study will evaluate the needs of future population and employment centers.

The unofficial border of northern Virginia as outlined on a map today contains several counties including Fairfax, Alexandria, Arlington, and Loudoun, among others. Under Super NoVa, northern Virginia would extend as far south as Caroline County and as far west as Culpeper and Frederick counties.

“We are envisioning mobility beyond boundaries,” Inman  says. “As we all know, there isn’t just one mode of transportation that’s going to be the solution, but we want to be able to provide people with travel options.”

Inman says planners are focusing on maximizing the capacity of existing infrastructure in current corridors; for instance, transforming part of a major roadway into a bus rapid transit corridor instead of building a new road.

Super NoVa is gathering information from people traveling to Virginia from Maryland, West Virginia and Washington. A second round of public hearings has been held this month; officials held their first round of hearings in February. The public will get another chance to weigh in after September when the first recommendations are released. The study is expected to be completed by the end of the year. Inman says the public feedback has been useful.

“We have learned that the growth of this region is very great,” she says. “In the future, the areas of Fauquier, Culpeper, and Winchester will have a developing demand for different types of public transportation, so we’re learning from the localities what kinds of solutions will be necessary to address their particular transportation issues.”

In some places, bus rapid transit may work. In others, light rail or increased car-pooling may be the answer. Super NoVa is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Planners are trying to ascertain which modes of transport are supportable in a given location.

“Even beyond Culpeper County there are folks who are traveling 100 miles or greater into D.C.,” she says. “It’s phenomenal the distance people will travel to get to their employment. We also know that we’re reaching or exceeding the capacity of many of our transportation transit systems today.”

Inman says Virginia’s political leaders, including Gov. Bob McDonnell, have been supportive of the plan.

“Everyone understands we have to think of multiple solutions to address the transportation issues, especially in the Super Nova region, an economic engine for the commonwealth and neighboring states,” she says.

Although Super NoVa is not planning new highways, Inman says the group’s recommendations will square with the plans of the Virginia Department of Transportation for new roadways.

“VDOT has plans in place that we are building upon,” she says, referring to VDOT’s proposal to increase roadway capacity along the I-95 corridor.

Detroit's Eastern Market (photo by Roche Photo via Flickr)

NJ Governor Christie wants to take $260 million from the NJ Turnpike Authority to balance the state budget — then borrow to fund transportation projects. (NJ Spotlight)

SpaceX’s Dragon capsule is on track to dock at the International Space Station this morning, and @NASA and @SpaceX are live tweeting updates.

When NYC announces a new transit project, expect delays. (New York Times)

As Detroit shrinks, city officials are trying to nudge remaining residents into a smaller living space by eliminating streetlights in “distressed” areas. (Bloomberg)

Portland’s bicycling boom has spawned some interesting business models, including a bar where “people can turn their valuable beer calories into electricity.” (Bloomberg)

Despite vociferous objections and legal threats, Los Angeles County transportation officials approved a plan to tunnel beneath Beverly Hills High School as part of its Westside subway extension. (Los Angeles Times)

The Bronx could become home to the first median bus lanes and bus stops in the city. (New York Daily News)

Russia has signed a deal with Exxon to tap the country’s vast oil reserves in the Arctic. (NPR)

The honor system (or proof of payment, depending on your take) is ending on Los Angeles’s subway system, as officials voted to begin locking gates at Red Line and Purple Line stations this summer. (AP via San Francisco Chronicle)

Long Island Rail Road is putting its taxi stands up for bid, expects to make 75% more revenue. (Newsday; subscription)

A bill requiring the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to hold 10 or more public hearings at least 30 days before future toll or fare hikes is now on Governor Christie’s desk. But to have any effect, identical legislation would have to be approved in New York. (The Record)

Ford’s non-car market — Hot Wheels, T-shirts, video games — earns the company $1.5 billion a year. (Marketplace)

Police in Oakland, California, uncovered a cache of 100+ stolen bicycles. (SFist)

This year’s International Contemporary Furniture Fair features a bike rack parking bench. (PSFK)

One woman’s video portrait of an East Village intersection recently premiered at the 14th Street Y’s LABA festival.

Traffic started backing up on Thursday afternoon along the blocks approaching the entrance to the Holland Tunnel in Manhattan. (Photo by Kate Hinds.)

The American Automobile Association projects 34.8 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home during the four-day Memorial Day holiday weekend, an increase of 1.2 percent – or 500,000 travelers – from the 34.3 million people who traveled one year ago.  That’s despite relatively high gas prices (though they’re a bit lower than they were last year at this time.)

In the New York-NJ-PA region, some 3.7 million Americans are expected to drive to their Memorial Day weekend destinations, the AAA says.

NY-NJ Port Authority spokesman Steve Coleman says that bi-state authority is “expecting about 5 million people to travel either by air or car thru our facilities, either the crossings over the Hudson River, or through any of our major airports.” He said that’s about a three percent increase over 2011 numbers.

Travelers will no doubt be fleeing New York by every mechanized means possible. If you live in the New York region, below is a handy guide for planning your escape.

If you’re driving, the NYC DOT will show you just how agonizing your trip will be via its live traffic cams.

(While we’re at, California readers can check here. )

The NY MTA will be adding extra trains for the Memorial Day weekend. For details, go here.  You can also subscribe to the authority’s free email or text message alerts, or use Tripplanner+ (see top right hand column) to plan your ride ahead of time.

New York City Subway

Subway customers are reminded to use the A, C, D or Q instead of the B. They should also take the J instead of the Z.   Passengers can bring bikes on the subway, 24-7.

Metro-North Railroad

Beginning at noon on Friday, Metro-North will offer extra early afternoon departures from Grand Central Terminal on all three lines – Hudson, Harlem and New Haven.  No bikes on trains scheduled to depart Grand Central Terminal between 12 Noon and 8:30 PM on the Friday before Memorial Day weekend.

MTA Bridges and Tunnels

MTA Bridges and Tunnels will suspend all routine maintenance work beginning 1 p.m. on Friday through the end of the morning rush on Tuesday. Reminder: speed up your trip by using E-ZPass.

Long Island Rail Road

The LIRR will be adding extra trains on Friday.  No bikes on many LIRR trains this weekend (regulations here.)  Monday’s train operate on a Sunday schedule.

Staten Island Railway

MTA Staten Island Railway will add extra trains on Friday beginning at 2:30 p.m. from the St. George Ferry Terminal. There will be one express train and one local train awaiting every boat until 7:50 p.m.

Port Authority of New York and New Jersey will be suspending all routine maintenance work on its bridges and tunnels, and all of its toll booths will be at “full staff.” Go here to sign up for travel alerts about traffic conditions at Port Authority crossings.

The agency’s airports are expected to carry 1.53 million passengers. New customer service representatives will be deployed at airports to help passengers navigate terminals and find things like rest rooms, bus stops and taxi stands.

Sign up here for Airport Alerts that send info about weather delays, parking lot capacity, and AirTrain service delays. 

The PATH train will run extra trains as necessary on Friday. On Monday, trains will run on a Sunday schedule. Travelers can also text their origin and destination on the PATH system to 266266, and receive up-to-date service information.

New Jersey Transit will suspend all construction on state highways from 6 a.m. Friday until noon Tuesday.

Texting and driving simulation vehicle in front of Houston City Hall. Photo by Gail Delaughter/KUHF

(Houston, TX — Gail Delaughter, KUHF)   The texting and driving simulators are like the ones used to simulate drunk driving, except in this one you’re constantly glancing between the computer-generated roadway on your simulation goggles, and the phone keypad you’re clasping under the steering wheel.

Like in any video game, a loud crash signals you’ve messed up. Come to find out, I was on the wrong side of the road the entire exercise.

My simulation was conducted by Dylan Richardson with Peers Awareness, a firm that puts on simulation exercises for young drivers.  He says no one gets it right.   “All people have some type of infraction, or they will crash.”

A local TV station brought along two sisters who drive race cars. Even they couldn’t do it.

The event in front of Houston City Hall was sponsored by AT&T to mark the 100 deadliest days for teens to be on the road, the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day.   AT&T Regional Vice-President Alice Aanstoos says a new driver with a smart phone is a dangerous combination, considering it takes about five seconds to look at a text.  She says the simulator ride proves to be a rude awakening for teens who think they’re experts at multi-tasking behind the wheel.

“Because they realize that, again, just one split second from looking away from the road can cause troubles. We haven’t seen a single person actually pass this simulator test without either some sort of accident, a wreck, or some kind of infraction.”

Aanstoos says it’s not just teens who text while driving. She says adults do it too, and often they’re texting their own kids while sitting at a red light.

“I hear a lot of them say it’s okay to just check their phone and read a text at a red light or something because they’re obviously not moving, so it’s okay, right?  But that’s dangerous too.”

You can listen to the KUHF story here.

Hobby Airport in Houston (photo by Gail Delaughter/KUHF)

(Houston, TX — Gail Delaughter, KUHF)  On the eve of a Houston City Council vote to decide whether Southwest Airlines can build a new international terminal at Hobby Airport, Mayor Annise Parker is formally throwing her support behind the proposal — and a majority of city council members are also behind the plans.

The city council is set to vote next week on whether to allow Southwest to build a new $100 million facility at the smaller of Houston’s two commercial airports. Southwest wants to build five gates and a customs facility to accommodate flights to Mexico and the Caribbean, but the proposal has faced a huge protest from United Airlines, the main tenant at Houston’s hub airport, Bush Intercontinental.

United launched a huge lobbying and PR campaign against the move, predicting dire consequences for the local economy if international traffic is split between the two airports. United’s own economic study forecasted a $300 million economic hit if the plan goes forward.  But according to another study from the Houston Airport System, international service at Hobby would translate into a $1.6 billion economic gain.

At a Hobby Airport news conference,  Parker announced that Southwest has agreed to cover the entire cost of the terminal’s construction and the city will incur no debt.  She also stressed that  Southwest is required to abide by the city’s minority and small business contracting requirements.

“That helps guarantee our local workers get a chance at the construction jobs,” she said. “From the beginning I have said that my decision would be based not what is best for one or another airline, but rather on what is best for the city, the local business community, and the traveling public.”

The Houston City Council is set to vote May 30 on whether to allow Southwest to begin construction. Seven council members appeared with Parker at her news conference and an eighth council member has also expressed support. That indicates a vote in Southwest’s favor. If the plan wins approval, Southwest hopes to start construction on the terminal next spring.

United issued a statement after Parker’s announcement, saying it’s not backing off on its position that a split international airline hub would cost the city jobs and hurt its competitive advantage.

Bush Intercontinental carries the bulk of Houston’s airline traffic, with about 40 million travelers passing through its gates in 2011. Hobby handled just under 10 million.

(photo courtesy of downtownfrombehind.tumblr.com)

More drivers run red lights on Memorial Day Weekend than any other time of year, says a new study. (USA Today)

Highway and bridge tolls are higher for out-of-towners than locals — even those using EZPass. (AP via Boston Globe)

And: with Congress unwilling to contemplate an increase in the federal gas tax, many states and communities are raising tolls to pay for infrastructure projects. (AP via Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

What will NYC’s bike share mean for rider safety? “There may be some relative safety in numbers.” (Atlantic Cities)

Land use rules and “NIMBY thinking” are preventing Silicon Valley’s growth. (Slate)

NJ Governor Christie said if his $1.6 billion transportation capital plan isn’t passed within 40 days, transportation projects will grind to a halt. (Star Ledger)

SpaceX has flown by the International Space Station. (Los Angeles Times)

The lobbying group for auto dealers is complaining that new emissions standards will lower car sales. (The Hill)

A Boston transit rider used the MBTA’s new “See Say” app to snap a picture of a sleeping transit officer. (BostInno; h/t Transit Wire)

Subway workers went on strike in Sao Paolo, Brazil, but ended it five hours later after halting a system used daily by more than 4 million people and snarling the city’s already difficult traffic. (AP)

Go ahead, kids, text and drive: Minnesota police set up a driving course on a go-cart racetrack where they encourage teens to text behind the wheel so they can experience distracted driving. (KSAX)

64 high school seniors in Michigan were suspended for biking to school (Grist) — but unhappy parents convinced the school board to reverse that decision. (WTVB)

One Australian photographer has made a name for herself by shooting people on bicycles — mostly from the rear. (Global Mail; video below)

(photo by Lori Greig via flickr)

150,000 Americans will die from excessive heat by the end of this century if carbon pollution continues unabated.

That’s according to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), which released a report (pdf) Wednesday projecting future heat-related mortality in the U.S.’s 40 largest cities.

“We think, if anything, (those estimates) are low,” said the NRDC’s Dan Lashof, explaining during a conference call with reporters that researchers didn’t adjust for expected increases in population. But, he said, these stark numbers show “climate change has real life and death consequences — one of which is that carbon pollution, which is continuing to increase our atmosphere, is going to continue to make climate change worse and increase the number of dangerously hot days each summer.”

Thirty seven of the 40 cities studied would see increases in deaths. Larry Kalkstein, a professor of geography and regional studies at the University of Miami and co-author of the research, said they found a “regional coherence” in the heatwave effect. And perhaps counterintuitively, cities in the South appear to be spared the worst.

According to the NRDC, the three cities with the highest number of total estimated heat-related deaths through 2099 are Louisville, Kentucky (19,000 deaths); Detroit (17,900); and Cleveland (16,600).

“The Midwest is particularly hard hit,” Kalkstein said, explaining that cities that experience sharp temperature fluctuations are more at risk than those cities with more constant temperatures, even if they’re hot.

“Take a typical day in Washington or Philadelphia or New York, where most of the summer days are in the eighties,” he said. “And then all of a sudden you get a hot streak, where the temperature goes up to a hundred degrees plus for a week — and that is what causes the problem. The fact that people are not used to this high variable climate, that all of a sudden you have a 20-degree rise in maximum temperature…for this reason, many less people die of the heat in cities in the deep South.”

But just pinning down how many heat-related deaths there are each year is more of an art than a science. “People tend to understate the threat of heat, and the medical examiners tend to under-report the number of people that die from heat,” said Kalkstein.

The NRDC praised cities like Chicago, New York, and Philadelphia, which it said have upped their game in responding to heat-related emergencies and have adopted strategies like cooling centers, “heatlines“, and organized programs where neighbors look in on local at-risk residents. Some cities also won’t cut off power to residents who have failed to pay an electric bill during a heat-related emergency.

Case in point: New York City, with its eight million residents, sees an average of 184 heat-related deaths each summer. But just across the Hudson River in Newark, New Jersey — population 280,000 — that number is 56.  “New York has one of the most aggressive local health departments in the country,” Kalkstein said. “They’re one of the few cities in the country where the Health Department calls the heat emergency, rather than the National Weather Service…they are doubling down on every effort to deal with heat.”