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FEBRUARY 2010 NEWS

Sundry stories - Michigan - "Great Lakes Bay Region state lawmakers cautious about toll roads in Michigan"   Michigan - "Toll roads aren't foreign to Great Lakes states"   "Pennsylvania really needs federal government to approve tolls for I-80"   Maine - "All-electronic tolling debated in York"   Massachusetts / New Hampshire - "Column: Keep the pressure on to defeat toll proposal"   Connecticut - "Bring Tolls Back To State's Highways".

AGW

James Delingpole in Telegraph - "The real reason for AGW: Post Normal Science ".


Saturday 27 February 2010

USA Roundup

Sundry stories - Texas - "Toll agency approves plan for Highway 161"   Wyoming - "No tolls for Interstate 80" letter   "Washington state may try toll lanes on I-405" lot of comments   Connecticut - "Candidates for Conn. governor debate tolls".

Jakarta still pleading for tolls

Jakarta Globe - "Jakarta Still Backs Toll Plan".


Friday 26 February 2010

USA Roundup

Sundry stories - "Connecticut Governor candidates debate implementation of tolls"   Texas - "NTTA decides today whether to take on State Highway 161"   North Carolina - "Garden Parkway is a go-go-go"   Pennsylvania - "A congressional act? Washington shouldn't steer away I-80 tolls"   New Jersey / Pennsylvania - "PA doing away with cash tolls on crossings to Jersey".

Pennsylvania - "Toll lane screwup could cost you $35"   New Jersey - "Poll: N.J. residents split on gas tax, transportation projects"   New York / Jersey - "The End of the Toll Collector, Rude or Otherwise"   New Jersey / Pennsylvania - "Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission adopts toll-violations fees"   New Hmapshire - "Elected officials strengthen opposition to I-93 toll ".

More AGW

"The hottest January the world has ever seen" - ABC News - "World Warming Unhindered by Cold Spells: Scientists".
There is also further proof of the terrible climate havoc caused by Global Warming - CNN - "Snowstorm cuts power in parts of Northeast".

Looks as if Montreal will opt for higher gas tax and not tolls

Montreal Gazette - "It's good news for us: Laval mayor - Less chance of bridge tolls".

More on the Manifesto On The Reform Of Parking And Traffic Enforcement

Telegraph - "Who is going to speak up for the exploited motorist?".

Manchester may try a different tack

Manchester Evening News - "Forget congestion charges, signs will beat gridlock".

Further sign of toll pushing

Scotsman - "SNP's toll toil".

AGW

Meanwhile the BBC gives us more spin. This time they seem to be trying to deal with the odd idea that people have that it is colder, so the scientists now say that the warming has caused ice to melt in the Antarctic, which will make the continents around the North Atlantic colder - BBC - "Vast iceberg 'may disrupt ocean currents'".


Thursday 25 February 2010

Lib Dems again say that they will toll motorways and "dual carriageways"

Road Transport - "Lib Dems 'open to persuasion' on road transport policies".

Big Blue selling tolls to the Dutch

EE Times - "NXP, IBM praise Dutch road-pricing trial".
This is more of the misleading "information" proved by those with vested interests in tolls. The so called trial, was not of ordinary drivers, but employees of Big Blue and NXP Semiconductors - Connekt Studiereis Nederland - "Eindhoven Road Pricing Triall" pdf. In any case it is increasingly unlikely that the Dutch politicians will be foolish enough to go ahead with a road pricing scheme.

Cost of tolls

The Australian - "NSW commuters 'to pay $65,000 each'".
The argument seems to be that if the Goverment built lots of rail lines, then commuters would not have to pay road tolls. In the real world it is more likely that drivers would be robbed even more, to pay for the cost of building the lines and then running them at a loss.

AGW

The Government are still pushing flooding as part of their AGW bedtime story - BBC - "Environment Agency calls for flood protection products".
Meanwhile there have been complaints about the ads - The Register - "Ofcom probes TV climate porn - But too late to save Drowning Dog".

The Trolls creep into the light

The Scottish Chambers of Commerce back the return of tolls - Edinburgh Evening News - "Tolls back on agenda to help pay for new bridge".
This would be criminal lunacy. There are major doubts as to whether a new bridge is neeed, particularly as they plan that with two bridges there will be no more lanes for general traffic than there is now with one bridge.
If a bridge is to be built then the quoted prices seem to assume that the builders will be paid about five times the rate for building a bridge elsewhere in the world. And if it is built, and they do overpay for it, then the tolls would do little more than cover the cost of collection, with the other 99% being fleeced from the taxpayer.

More money wasted at the DfT

FT - "Electric car buyers to receive subsidy"   NDS - "Pioneering motorists will receive up to £5,000 to buy an ultra-low carbon car, and the roll-out of supporting infrastructure will begin in selected regions, the Government announced today.".
No doubt that the people who will benefit from Lord Adonis's largesse will be the green bankers.

Transport Trends

The DfT have published - "Transport Trends - 2009 Edition" (pdf) which is an "overview and analysis of trends in transport and travel in Great Britain over the past 25 years".
The figures show that the amount of time spent travelling and the distance has fallen in recent years, though the time is slightly higher than 15 years ago. The ONS have recently been bumping up the figures, so the real situation is probably that there is no increase. The number of people in Britain is rapidly increasing, so even though each person is not travelling more, there will be more people on the road.


Wednesday 24 February 2010

The Manifesto On The Reform Of Parking And Traffic Enforcement

Telegraph - "'Unfair' parking fines system should be overhauled - campaigners"   Manifesto (pdf).

Peak Oil Report

Peak Oil Task Force - "The Oil Crunch - A wake-up call for the UK economy" pdf.
The Billionaires club see nothing strange with warning us of the perils of "climate change" and that the fuel will run out. They do not mention tolls directly but instead refer to "policies to incentivise behavioural change and modal shift from the car".

USA Roundup

Sundry stories - New Jersey - "Motorists complain about NJ toll collectors"   Washington State - "Lawmakers looking at adding I-405 toll lanes"   Pennsylvania - "-80 toll: We all would benefit in Pennsylvania".

New Hampshire - "Toll hikes eyed to fund Little Bay Bridges project"   Maine - "Selectman says town improperly hired tolling consultant"   Massachusetts / New Hampshire - "I-93 tolls: Denials and doubt"   "Oklahoma bills authorize new toll road, shift tolling authority"   Washington State - "Senate bill would alter how, who collects tolls"   Washington State - "Loan deferment could mean a price freeze on bridge tolls"   California - "Express Lane project may be delayed".

Bit more on a Queensland Con tax

The Australian - "Jam tax out: Anna Bligh"   Brisbane Times - "Brisbane congestion tax ruled out".

Bit more on M6 tolls increase

Road Transport - "M6 toll prices to rise next month".

Manchester's Power Plan

Part of the Manchester Con plan was that a body called "AGMA" would have the power to overrule districts, it seems that this may also be dead - Manchester Evening News - "Council power-sharing deal on brink of collapse".

Bit more on possible way of evading road pricing

BBC - "Sat-nav systems under increasing threat from 'jammers'".

AGW

On the 18th we had a link to Part 1 of a Pajamas Media video, here is Part 2 - "Climategate 2.0 - The NASA Files: Don’t Bet The Economy On Weird Science".


Tuesday 23 February 2010

The Governor speaks to Committee

BofE - "Treasury Committee Opening Statement - Tuesday 23 February 2010 - Mervyn King, Governor of the Bank of England".
This statement must have been written on the basis that the Governor knows that the Committee does not have a clue. He says "to maintain levels of economic activity around the world high-saving countries must expand their domestic demand while low-savings countries are reducing their net borrowing from abroad", but fails to mention that in debt ridden Britain there is no intention of belt tightening and instead the bank's policies will lead to asset inflation.

USA Roundup

Same problem, different answers - Washington State - "Washington's roads may see tolls if gas tax decline persists"   Alabama - "A transit solution: Raise the gas tax".

"Private" road without tolls

Emirates Business 24-7 - "Abu Dhabi to tap debt market for road project".

Bit more on Whitchurch toll increase

Newbury Today - "Hike in charges for toll bridge".

Things to come

Market Watch - "Hit the brakes, Ben - Prices are rising fast, even if the CPI isn't".

AGW

"Skeptical Science" (which is actually an anti sceptic site run by an Australian physicist who says that he has "no affiliations with any organisation") suggests that sceptics are too ignorant to even know that they are ignorant - "The Dunning-Kruger effect and the climate debate"   (Wikipedia - "Dunning–Kruger effect" ).


Monday 22 February 2010

Two wheels are better than four (or none)

DfT press release on cycling.
Will the 20 mph limits also apply to cyclists as they go through red lights and along the pavements?

Possible way of evading road pricing

Guardian - "Car thieves using GPS 'jammers'".

USA Roundup

Sundry stories - Massachusetts / New Hampshire - "NH, MA lawmakers oppose I-93 border tolls"   Pennsylvania - "With no I-80 tolls, a $450 million gap looms"   Rhode Island - "OUR VIEW: Tolls bad for business"   "New Hampshire transportation chief wants I-93 tolls" comments   New Hampshire - "Airport no-toll road insult to Merrimack"   California - "Editorial: It's time to reconsider free ride for carpools"   Pennsylvania - "Kanjorski's clout can help halt plan"   Massachusetts - "Answers sought for future of Pike tolls"   Massachusetts / New Hampshire - "DOT commissioner committed to I-93 toll" lot of comments.

"Motorway Man"

Thanks to Brian for pointing out this story in last Thursday's Independent - "Meet Motorway Man, the decisive voter in Election 2010".
The only problem is that "Motorway Man" has almost no one to vote for. The Lib Dems plan to toll motorways and some other main roads. The Tories are likely to sell off the motorways to trolls. And Labour might well introduce a cut down version of their road pricing scheme. Many of the smaller parties, such as UKIP, oppose tolls, but they stand little chance of taking any seats from the three established parties.

Toll "discount"

Henley Standard - "Discount on offer as bridge tolls increase". Just over a year ago the cash toll was 20 pence and the discounted toll was 12.5 pence. At the old discounted rate, a vehicle would have to make over 864 round trips a year before they made any saving with the new "discount".

Australians consider road pricing for trucks by the kilogram kilometre -

Logistics - "CRRP consults trucking industry about road pricing".

AGW

The sceptical Science & Public Policy Institure recently issued this paper which debunks the suggestion that the seas are turning to vinegar due to CO2 - "Acid Seas - Back To Basic" pdf.

Tories use old con

BBC - "Tories propose 'people's bank bonus' in cheap shares". The "people" are all of us, not just those who might buy shares. And as almost all of the previous privatisations resulted in losses for the "Sids" buying shares, who would be brave enough to buy anything that any politician was offering?


Friday 19 February 2010

The Lord of Transport would keep western con extension

Evening Standard - "Lord Adonis attacks Boris Johnson over rising cost of Tube upgrades".

South African tolls increase

IAfrica - "Road tolls go up". (Judging by the picture, the tolls are very successful in reducing congestion.)

USA Roundup

Sundry stories - Wyoming - "Senate passes I-80 toll study"   Pennsylvania - "Tolling decision expected soon"   Washington State - "Tempers flair over bridge toll scenarios"   Washington State - "Editorial: Community has great showing at toll meeting"   Alabama - "U.S. 280 elevated lanes could have tolls of $0.25 per mile"   Pennsylvania - "Rendell has no I-80 toll Plan B; others should".

AGW

NASA's role in AGW promotion - Washington Times - "Turning NASA into a Global Alarmism and Scares Administration".


Thursday 18 February 2010

More on York Con proposal

The Press - "York transport chief, Coun Steve Galloway, launches attack on congestion charges".

More red ink for Government and country

After December's blip, money supply is back up in January - BofE - "Provisional estimates of broad money (M4) and credit (M4 lending): January 2010".

USA Roundup

Sundry stories - Connecticut - "Toll is a four-letter word in Greenwich"   Pennsylvania - "LaHood still mum on I-80 tolls"   "Wyoming Senate panel advances I-80 toll plan"   Connecticut - "Tolls Unfair To Commuters" letter   "Oregon, Washington governors call for no delay on I-5 bridge project"   Washington State - "Senate adds projects for 520 toll money".

Bit more on Queensland congestion toll proposal

Brisbane Times - "Newman to Henry: Let's talk".

Bit more on tolls increase

FTA - "M6 toll hike: bad for business, the environment and all road users".

Bit more on Reading Con submission

Reading Post - "Council boss urges quick decision on £58 million TIF cash bid".

Ho Chi Minh City still planning congestion tolls

Thanhnien Newst - "Experts say HCMC traffic jams at ‘critical’ stage".

Australian Troll prospects

Sydney Morning Herald - "Toll operator delivers, but rough roads lie ahead".

AGW

As an antitode to all our scepticism, here is a site that proves that all AGW sceptics are misguided fools - Skeptical Science.

Minutes of the "print loadsamoney" committee

BofE - "Minutes Of The Monetary Policy Committee Meeting 3 and 4 February 2010" pdf.


Wednesday 17 February 2010

More AGW

From the man who spread the word - BBC - "Time to think small on climate change".
Sir David has also recently been taking an interest in "Peak Food" which is the idea that due to various reasons including "climate change" there will soon be a shortage of food. Just as well that we don't all have four children!

USA Roundup

Sundry stories - Washington State - "Senate eases bridge fines"   Pennsylvania - "Thompson expects ‘good news’ on Interstate 80 tolls"   Pennsylvania - "Rendell budget assumes I-80 will be tolled"   Washington State - "Relax, it's just the bill for your Highway 520 toll"   Massachusetts - "Bill would halt plans for Sakonnet River Bridge toll".

Minister to visit Humber bridge

Scunthorpe Telegraph - "Transport minister to visit Humber Bridge".

Wien City-maut Volksbefragung

Last week (11 to 13 Feb) Vienna voted in a referendum; there were five questions on different issues, one on which was whether to have a congestion charge - "In Wien konnte durch die Verkehrspolitik (Ausbau öffentlicher Verkehr, Parkraumbewirtschaftung, Wohnsammelgaragen, Ausbau Radwegenetz) in den letzten Jahren der Autoverkehr in der Stadt deutlich reduziert werden. Soll in Wien eine City maut eingeführt werden?". Google translates this as - "Some cities (eg London, Stockholm, Sweden) have introduced to tackle the urban transport an entrance fee for the city center (City maut). In Vienna, was expanding network of cycle paths) in recent years, car traffic has declined considerably in the city by the Transport (expansion of public transport, parking, residential multi-car garages. In Vienna should be a city tolls introduced?".
There was a very low turnout for the referendum, with the vote on the Con being for 6,204 and against 18,679.

AGW

A suggestion that one of the foundations of AGW - that CO2 molecules vibrate and irradiate heat back to the Earth - is not confirmed by the results of satellite data - American Thinker - "The AGW Smoking Gun".
Unfortunately many of these doubts come from people who are not climate change scientists. We reported a similar claim on 18 March 2009 under "Is Greenhouse effect, only hot air?" - "Falsification Of The Atmospheric CO2 Greenhouse Effects Within The Frame Of Physics" pdf.
There is also this site - "I love My Carbon Dioxide" which is run by a chemist who suggests that the atmosphere merely redistributes heat and pours cold water on the whole of the greenhouse theory.


Tuesday 16 February 2010

Whitchurch bridge toll increase

BBC - "Charges increased for Whitchurch Toll Bridge".

Inflation boost for borrowers and bankers

BBC - "Inflation accelerates to 3.5% in the UK"   BofE - "Dear Chancellor" pdf   BofE - "Dear Mervyn" pdf.

USA Roundup

Sundry stories - Connecticut - "State Legislature To Consider Bills Proposing Tolls"   Massachusetts - "Deval Patrick seeks toll czar for Pike upgrade"   Georgia - "Rental Car Customer Mistakenly Fined For Toll Violations"   DC / Virginia - "Va. House passes bill to catch toll dodgers"   California - "Swerve to miss higher state highway taxes".

GONE!

Big Pond - "Motorists say goodbye to M4 tolls "   ABC - "Traffic smooth as M4 goes toll-free"   Sydney Morning Herald - "Motorists get free ride on M4"   Sydney Morning Herald - "Travel flows 'steadily' on toll-free M4".
There are temporary speed restrictions in place as toll booths are removed and lanes reconfigured, but the official spokesman says that "when the toll was in place that section of the M4 was usually slow and he did not expect commuters to notice any significant change".

Reading Con

Reading Chronicle - "Transport bid could save millions".

More on Ghana's new tolls

Accident - Modern Ghana - "Joe Gidisu consoles bereaved family of toll booth accident victim".

An older toll

All Africa - "Check Police Extortion On College Road".

AGW

More Climate whimsy - BBC - "Fog decline threatens US redwoods ".


Monday 15 February 2010

USA Roundup

Sundry stories - Pennsylvania - "Tolls for I-80 still key to transit funding, Rendell says"   California - "Much-delayed Bay Bridge retrofit feels growing pains"   Washington State - "Back Off on Bridge Tolls"   Massachussets / New Hampshire - "Toll proposal could hurt airport, opponents say"   W. Virginia - "Toll revenue up, but bridge traffic is down"   California - "Car toll proposal for Golden Gate Bridge goes forward".

Indian truckers' many taxes

Economic Times - "Tolls still make transporters' ride bumpy".

Tolls pushing in B.C.

Vancouver Sun - "Ex-councillor offers some starting points for easing our traffic woes".

York Con Question

The Press - "Should we pay to drive in York?" comments   Yorkshire Post - "Congestion charge considered as gridlock threatens historic city".

Congestion at the new tolls has gone - and so has the traffic

Inside Costa Rica - "Few Cars On The San José - Caldera Highway This Weekend".

Singapore's future -

Even more overcrowded and people herded onto public transport - The Star - "Big brother to drive away cars".

Proposed public transport splurge, partrly paid for by a Con charge

Sydney Morning Herald - "European transport model to cost $71b".

AGW

Weather Action's news release on 12th Feb - "UK Minister Hilary Benn challenged to Apply Solar-based weather forecasts to cut misery & save lives".


Sunday 14 February 2010

AGW

Another nail in coffin for IPCC report - Telegraph - "African crops yield another catastrophe for the IPCC".


Saturday 13 February 2010

AGW

A bit more on the recent happenings - Big Journalism - "Climategate, UK Edition: Following the Money, All €4 Trillion of It"   NY Times - "Climate-Change Debate Is Heating Up in Deep Freeze ".


Friday 12 February 2010

USA Roundup

Sundry stories - Oklahoma - "Ambulance turnpike toll would end under Oklahoma bill"   California - "Car pool bridge toll makes headway"   California - "Toll hike on Golden Gate Bridge moves forward"   California - "PD Editorial: Spin cycle"   Alabama - "Highway 280 tolls add up"   Washington State - "State Senate OKs Bill That Could Keep Narrows Toll Rates Down"   Florida - "Outer Beltway around Cecil Commerce Center will not be tolled"   New Jersey / Pennsylvania - "Scudder Falls Bridge or ‘Golden Plate Bridge’".

Essential links

Telegraph Journal - "A tale of two bridges".

No change to Humber tolls

Scunthorpe Telegraph - "Bridge tolls frozen for another year".

AGW

The US is still experiencing cool conditions - CNN - "Deep South braces for rare, deep snow"   ABC News - "Official: Snowstorms Cancel Most Flights Since 9/11".
According to various reliable news and expert sources, the snow is only "weather" and is in any caused by global warming which has put more moisture in the air. Those who have suggested that the record snow casts doubt on AGW are described as "dummies" and unpatriotic. It has also been pointed out that the records prove that the last decade was the warmest ever, and that the trend within those ten years is up. Though one unpatriotic US source has scandalously spread a little doubt on the records - Fox News - "The Next Climate-gate?".


Thursday 11 February 2010

New anti toll group

A group in in Kerala is fighting a planned new toll road that will displace 1.5 million people - No Toll on Roads.

"Government" funding

DfT - "£620 Million government funding for councils to improve street lighting".
More nonsense from the politicians. This is a PFI scheme, which means that the spending will not appear in the Government's public expenditure figures. At one stage it was thought that because of new accounting rules, the Government would have to include PFI in public expenditure; this would have eliminated the whole point of the scam, but the Government found a loophole, so PFI lives on.

More AGW

D.C. snow is caused by AGW - Yahoo / Time - "D.C. Snowstorm: How Global Warming Makes Blizzards Worse".

USA Roundup

Sundry stories - New York - "Car Ban Hits Times Square, Herald Square Tomorrow"   Massachusetts / New Hampshire - "NH rep. says toll move could increase revenue"   Virginia - "Bill to Slow Down HOT-Lanes Project Killed in House of Delegates"   Alabama - "20-25 cents a mile eyed for U.S. 280 toll"   Wisconsin - "Toll roads in WI could be beneficial"   "Indiana Plans New Tolls, Tax"   Massachusetts / New Hampshire - "Bedford tolls may be moved just a bit south"   Indiana / Kentucky - "Bi-state bridges authority looks for funding answers".

"Florida wants input on increases and ‘toll by plate’ proposal"   Washington State - "Strong opposition to toll increases"   "Alabama Transportation chief: Expect U.S. 280 express lane tolls of 20 to 25 cents a mile" lot of comments   Indiana / Kentucky - "Finance plan for bridge possible in six months"   Washington State - "Bridge users, committee reject treasurer’s tolls recommendation"   Utah - "Commission OKs I-15 express-toll rates".

Private toll bridge owner uncooperative

Freep - "The trouble with Moroun's monopoly".

"Silence of the Trams"

Edinburgh's tram fiasco, which was originally to be financed by a "congestion charge", continues - Edinburgh Evening News - "Star-billing for posters sticking it to tram works". This scheme will go down as a folly greater than any monument on Calton Hill. The latest laugh is that the city council has just announced that a new consultation will start on 22 February, as changes to streets "are necessary to prevent the city's road network from future congestion" - Edinburgh Evening News letters (second one down).

Tagging to come to South Africa

IOL - "Gauteng's tolls set to go hi-tech".

Montreal may opt for extra gas tax rather than tolls

CTV - "Tremblay wants two-cent gas tax".

India's congestion tax

Though it seems that India may introduce a tolls system on inter urban roads using identity card technology, the introduction of a congestion tax within urban areas may be difficult as business districts are widely dispersed - Times of India - "Business centres all over, imposing tax poses hurdle".

AGW

The US Senate has postponed its "Global Warming" hearing due to "inclement weather" Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works - "EPW Hearings Postponed Due To Weather". Here is a taste of the "inclement weather" - ABC News - "Blizzard Pounds East Coast With Record Snowfalls"   CNN - "Snow creates gov't. ghost town" video.


Wednesday 10 February 2010

USA Roundup

Sundry stories - Virginia - "EDITORIAL: A toll too far: If Hampton Roads legislators don't want a toll on the tunnel, they need another idea"   Rhode Island - "Lawmakers condemn bridge toll idea"   Washington State - "Don’t raise tolls, crowd says"   Washington State - "Advisory Committee Sticks to Its Recommendation for Narrows Bridge Tolls"   Virginia - "Tolls for Hampton Roads bridge-tunnels stall for now, but lawmakers will study it."   Virginia - "Tunnel tolls proposal dropped in General Assembly"   Washington State - "Citizen Group to Hold Meeting on Narrows Bridge Tolls Tonight".

Bit more on India's Identity Card expert to advise on new tolls technology

The Hindu - "Nilekani urged to head panel on highway toll". Interesting that the aim is "to do away with the leakages".

Bit more on new tolls

"Certain strong and masculine men have been positioned at certain toll booths in the capital with the instruction to beat up anyone who refuses to pay the new tolls" Peace FM - "Blows Over Toll Charges".

More AGW

James Delingpole in Telegraph - "Great news: the people responsible for Amazongate, Glaciergate, and Africagate trousered £3 million of your tax money".

A Little banter

South Wales News - "Hain compares Wales with Rwanda".
The Government Minister claims that it would cost "billions of pounds to subsidise the Severn crossings". This of course is NOT true, but if it had been, then the money is nothing compared with what the Government take from drivers.
Another MP was going ecstactic over the prospect of paying tolls using credit cards - News Wales - "Card tolls coming for Severn Btidge".

Bit more on reduction in congestion

Manchester Evening News - "Traffic jams dropped since congestion charge rejected". For full details of the DfT stats, see "Latest stats - traffic down a bit, speeds up a bit" on 4th Feb.

Report from the Bank of Inflation

BBC - "Bank of England warns inflation will exceed 3%" &npsp; BofE - "Inflation Report - February 2010".

More bellyaching

BBC - "Embassies C-charge evasion up 40%"   Mayor Watch - "London LibDems: C-charge dodging Embassies owe every Londoner £5".
If TfL really beieves that they have a legal claim, then why don't they go to court?

Defending new tolls

All the Ghana news sources are full of statements from Government Ministers trying to justify the 1,000 % increase in toll rates despite "leakages at the toll stations". They give no explanation as to why the efficient and non "leaky" fuel duty will remain at only 5 cents (about 3 US cents or 2 British pennies) a litre. We are not repeating any of that propaganda, but here is a piece of tolls pushing from a non Government source. Some of the arguments used seem to come from America such as "The fuel levy’s dominance exposes the Road Fund to immense risks, particularly rendering it vulnerable to the slightest dynamics in the petroleum sector." - Joy - "Feature: Road toll increases and its impact on road maintenance".

AGW

A bit more on the snow, it is interesting to read some of the comments such as "Global warming/climate change means the hot places get hotter and the cold places get colder." - ABC News - "Mother Nature Strikes Again"   CNS - "Sen. Inhofe’s Family Builds Igloo for Global Warming Spokesman Al Gore in Snow-laden D.C.".
Snow does not of course prove that AGW isn't true, it just makes it a bit harder for the AGW lobby to convince people that claims such as "we have just been through the warmest ever decade" are not based on manipulated data.

Tuesday 9 February 2010

More AGW

As Washington suffers from a little snow - CNN - "No relief for snowed-under Washington"   ABC News - "Another Major Storm Headed to Snowy Mid-Atlantic", the "White" House has "proposed a new agency to study and report on the changing climate. Also known as global warming, climate change has drawn widespread concern in recent years as temperatures around the world rise, threatening to harm crops, spread disease, increase sea levels, change storm and drought patterns and cause polar melting." - ABC News - "New Federal Climate Change Agency Forming".
Some idea of the new agency's position can be seen from the "featured" article on its brand new website - Climate Watch - "Short-term Cooling on a Warming Planet". With the AGW lobby even more firmly in control of the "data" that proves their assertions, it is likely that the carbon traders will get even richer.

USA Roundup

Sundry stories - Washington State - "TOLLS: Surprise fine sours tourist on state"   Massachusetts - "State explores toll collection options".

Possible sale of Border bridge

Windsor Star - "Feds to ponder purchase of Ambassador Bridge".

Bit more on congestion at new tolls

Tico Times - "Bottlenecking on new Caldera highway prompts rethink".

Bit more on the new tolls

Ghana Web - "Nunoo Mensah Exposed" - "I got to the toll .. may be some miles away from the toll and I was on the road for at least 45 minutes, there is huge queue and I waited and I fell asleep in my car .. I was actually frying myself in the car only to go and pay 5 peswas.". Joy - "Yank them off, Mr. Joe Gidisu" - "electronic gates were introduced to eliminate fraud at the cash point and immediately, traffic conditions worsened".

AGW

BBC are the lackeys of the carbon traders - Climate Research News - "BBC Pension Funds Linked to Climate Policy". The financial connections are most unlikely to have influenced the BBC, as they are so politically correct and dominated by gullible greens who are easily led by those who gain from AGW business interests.


Monday 8 February 2010

USA Roundup

Sundry stories - Pennsylvania - "Officials hopeful I-80 remains toll free"   Pennsylvania - "Tolling of Interstate 80 has its share of detrators"   Massachusetts - "Mileage Tax Could Be New Way To Pay For MA Roads"   Indiana - "Miles may count in future gas tax".

Border toll trouble

Sault Star - "'We are proven friends' -- Watson — First Nations and district residents talk about toll fees".

Bit more on the new tolls

Modern Ghana - "GPRTU Boss Fights Gov't"   Ghana News Agency - "Police must check exploitation by drivers- Commuters".

Armageddon predicted when Government honours its "remove tolls" promise

ABC - "M4 gridlock foreshadowed: business chamber".

Tories to back the parking tax

Nottingham Evening Post - "Tories won't oppose workplace parking levy".

New tolls may increase due to congestion

Inside Costa Rica - "How To Avoid Congestion On New San José - Caldera Highway? Increase The Tolls".
The congestion on a toll road is usually at the toll booths, so the simplest way to increase road capacity is to remove the tolls.

VAT trick

On Friday we reported that the Irish Government were going to impose VAT on all tolls (under EU law, VAT has only to be charged on privately owned tolls). It is now revealed that when the Government took over from private operators they did not reduce tolls for the VAT that should have no longer been payable - Irish Times - "Upgraded section of M50 opens".

Malta unhappy with new Euro Trolls

Malta Independent - "Malta resists proposed EU bid to charge trucks for pollution". (For details of the EU plan, see "More from the Euro Trolls" on 26 Jan news.)

Big blues

Fleet News - "Congestion charge apology for fleets" (google translation).

Bit more on tolls increase

BBC - "M6 Toll owners Midland Expressway defend price rise".


Saturday 6 February 2010

Government seems to be honouring "remove tolls" promise

Sydney Morning Herald - "Sydney's M4 to become toll-free".

USA Roundup

Sundry stories - New Jersey - "Parkway targets toll cheats, shuts lanes"   Texas - "KBH: LBJ toll project 'meets the test'"   Texas - "NTTA tweaks toll collections policy, adds internal review step".

Bit more on unrest over new tolls

Ghana News Agency - "Economist hails increase in road and bridge tolls"   Ghana News Agency - "Transport Unions in Ho accept new tolls with reservations"   Ghana News Agency - "Drivers call on President Mills to Reduce Road Tolls"   Ghana News Agency - "MCE cautions against arbitrary transport fare increase".

AGW

AGW advocates say that the sun has no discernible impact on the Earth. Some AGW sceptics, including Piers Corbyn from "Weather Action", believe that it does. We are now slowly moving out of one of the deepest solar minimums for a century. That may make things a bit warmer for a while (though the new solar maximum is likely to be lower than recent decades). But there is a sting in the tail, in that increased activity also means more solar winds which disturb the upper atmosphere and may have the effect of moving things round. A major wind is expected to hit Earth on Wednesday and it might move Arctic conditions south for a short time.
Various solar graphs from a radio ham site - Solar Cycle 24 (links to trend charts are at top right).


Friday 5 February 2010

More AGW

Not amazingly,it is also being reported on the BBC that January 2010 "was the warmest January and one of the biggest spike in global atmospheric temperatures since satellite-based data records began 32 years ago". This claim comes from "UAH" (University of Alabama in Huntsville) who process satellite information from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The satellite data used to show that there had been no increase in temperature, but in recent years the raw data has been "corrected". Puzzingly the "corrected" satellite data over the 32 year period apparently shows that almost all of the warming is concentrated at the north pole.

USA Roundup

Sundry stories - Texas - "Toll roads gaining traction after first three years"   Oregon / Washington State - "Clark commissioner: Oregon should give tax credit for I-5 bridge toll"   Wisconsin - "Toll roads inevitable, says former transportation secretary".

Liverpool tolls frozen - for now

Liverpool Daily Post - "Mersey Tunnel tolls remain frozen for another year". Note that Liverpoool is one of only two places (the other is the Severn Crossings) where the tolls can be raised each year without Government approval.

No tolls on election day

Inside Costa Rica - "MOPT Suspends Tolls For Sunday".

Reading Con denial

Wokingham Times - "Congestion charging 'not part of transport bid'".
It is a condition of TIF that there have to be tolls, otherwise the grant has to be repaid. So if this submission is agreed by the Government then it means that ultimately there WILL be tolls.

Bit more on Lib Dem toll plans

Road pricing is on page 16 - Campaign for Better Transport - "‘Cutting The Carbon’" speech by Norman Baker on 26 Jan.

Viennese Con

Vienna is having a poll (from the 11th to 13th) on various issues including on whether to introduce a "congestion charge" - Wien Konkret - "General Information: Congestion charge for Vienna?" (google translation).
The proposal seems to only be supported by "Die Grünen – Die Grüne Alternative" who have only 15% of the seats in the Viennese assembly. On their website the Greens have material apparently supplied by Transport for London which includes the usual incorrect claims such as - "Congestion reduced by 30%", and "Air quality has improved".

Tax on tax

The Trolls, aka Irish Government, have announced new taxes including the imposition of VAT on tolls - Independent - "Lenihan accused of raising tax by stealth and 'flunking' on jobs ".
In Britain only one significant toll, the Severn bridges, includes VAT.

AGW

Britain's next head of state and church says in Manchester that AGW is a fact - PA - "Charles slams climate scepticism"   Manchester Evening News - "Charles wades into climate change row".
The Prince also says that "around the globe sea levels are more than six inches higher than they were 100 years ago. This isn't an opinion - it is a fact."
This "fact" is like much of AGW data, false, and is based on a very small number of tidal guages that give the answer that the IPCC want, while other guages and data are ignored.
This is the "opinion" from 2007 of one leading expert - Climate Change Facts - "Claim That Sea Level Is Rising Is a Total Fraud" pdf. It is lucky for the Professor that he is Swedish and can't be sent to the Tower of London.


Thursday 4 February 2010

A lot of gas

On Tuesday the Department of Energy and Climate change issued - "UK Climate Change Sustainable Development Indicator: 2008 Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Final Figures" pdf and these data tables (xls file).
As is usual the Government claim that "greenhouse gases" are lower than the year before with "emissions" from the transport sector down 2.9%, though they also say that the 2008 "road transport" emissions figure is up 7 per cent on 1990.
If you look at the detailed figures you will see that the figure for cars for 2008 is in fact slightly down on 1990, as is the figure for HGVs; the increase is mainly from "light duty vehicles". The transport figures are almost worthless for comparing different forms of transport, as the figure for trains assumes that electric powered engines are emissions free, and the figure for aviation is domestic flights only.

Bit more on unrest over new tolls

Ghana News Agency - "GPRTU calls for road toll review".

Money pump switched off, but real interest rates to remain negative

BBC - "Bank of England's time-out for quantitative easing plan"   BofE - "News Release - Bank of England Maintains Bank Rate at 0.5% and Maintains the Size of the Asset Purchase Programme at £200 Billion".

USA Roundup

Sundry stories - New Jersey / Pennsylvania - "Ball to ask Christie to keep Scudder Falls Bridge toll-free"   Pennsylvania - "U.S. lawmaker seeks probe of Pa. Turnpike aide's firing"   Massachusetts - "State sues Wakefield limo company alleging it evaded tolls"   Rhode Island - "Carcieri proposed $4 Sakonnet River Bridge toll"   Rhode Island - "Bridge authority comments on Sakonnet toll proposal" video.

Bit more on toll dispute

Telegraph Journal (N.B.) - "Politicians can't duck bridge responsibility".

Bit more on no tolls trial

Japan Times - "Greater foresight needed on road to eliminating expressway tolls".

Tories repeat road tolls threat

Independent - "Clarke calls for Gordon Brown to raise taxes".

Latest stats - traffic down a bit, speeds up a bit

DfT - "Road Traffic and Congestion in Great Britain: Quarter 4 2009" links to data at top right.


Wednesday 3 February 2010

More AGW

More of the usual propaganda from the Beeb - BBC - "Climate change causes wolverine decline across Canada".
At Yellowstone Park in the US where this research started, the temperature yesterday in part of the park was minus one degree - fahreneit. And as for the rare wolverines, according to wikipedia - "the requirement for large territories brings wolverines into conflict with human development, and hunting and trapping further reduce their numbers, causing them to disappear from large parts of their former range", though no doubt this entry will soon be rewritten.

More on unrest over new tolls

Joy Online - "Drivers in Sunyani demand reduction in new road tolls"   Modern Ghana - "Brouhaha over new road tolls"   Joy Online - "The change in our pockets is too much".

USA Roundup

Sundry stories - South Carolina - "Greenville toll road can't refinance"   Indiana / Kentucky - "Members named to bridges board, funding questions dominate first meeting"   New Jersey / Pennsylvania - "N.J. Gov. Chris Christie vetoes Delaware River and Bay Authority budget"   Maryland - "Viewpoints on ICC tolls" letters   New Jersey / Pennsylvania - "New Delaware River bridge may not include walkway"   New Jersey - "195 (free) reasons I’m loving Christie"   W Virginia - "W.Va. gov proposes refocusing toll road agency"   Rhode Island - "Tolls proposed for new Sakonnet River Bridge" some comments   Pennsylvania - "Commissioners Continue Opposition to I-80 Tolling, ask Citizens to Contact Legislators".

Bit more on Sydney "congestion" tolls have no effect

Manly Daily - "Peak toll branded ‘highway robbery’".

The spy that is already with us

Register - "Police have more than 10,000 ANPR cameras - ACPO data centre processing up to 14 million images per day".

Toll dispute

Telegraph Journal (N.B.) - "MP won't back down on pledge to remove tolls".

Bit more on pleasant surprise

Japan Times - "Tolls to be lifted on 1,626 km of highways".

Tolls up, traffic down

The traffic figures recently published for the last quarter of 2009 show another small decline, with the annual average of daily traffic reaching a new low of 38,519. More details - our M6 toll traffic page.

AGW

The Guardian v the Climate scientist - BBC - "UEA e-mails leak climate scientist defends his work"   Guardian - "Climate scientist at centre of email row defends his research"   Guardian - "Climate change emails between scientists reveal flaws in peer review".


Tuesday 2 February 2010

Reading Con

Reading Chronicle - "Tif bid gets Wokingham backing".

Google points traffic to tolled routes

Australian Personal Computer - "You take the toll road, says Google Maps Australia".

USA Roundup

Sundry stories - Texas - "Federal budget briefs: Proposals would cut Hutchison's Texas toll road moratorium"   Bond Buyer - "Texas Officials Seek a New Path To Private Transportation Funding"   Oregon / Washington State - "Vancouver mayor, council spar over span".

Oregon / Washington State - "Vancouver City Council gives Mayor Leavitt earful on I-5 bridge replacement dealings" video   W Virginia - "Concerns raised over Parkways bill"   W Virginia - "35 Years Of 35 Cents" video   W Virginia - "Bill for more toll roads introduced in Senate"   "Texas toll roads: Obama sides against Hutchison in spat with Perry".

Bit more on Tory proposal for a new toll bridge

Thurrock Gazette - "People of Thurrock do not want second river crossing".

More on unrest over new tolls

Ghanaian Chronicle - "Protests herald new road tolls"   Ghana News Agency - "New road tolls cause anger among motorists"   Joy Online - "Confusion rocks new road tolls"   Peace FM - "Road Tolls Stand-Off".

  Canadian pensioners want to buy Australian troll

Business Spectator - "Transurban's quiet Canadians".

One way solution to congestion?

RT - "Moscow Traffic: a one way street?".

Gordon Brown supports Lib Dems

BBC - "PM launch electoral reform referendum proposals".
The Single transferable vote is worse than the first past the post system as people may be deemed to support someone who is really their second or even third choice. The main party to benefit would be the Lib Dems, though if you search their site for "proportional representation" all you will find is something about the Serbian Lib Dems. The only national elections using Gordon's system are those in Australia, the Irish republic and Malta. If the present system has to be changed, then why does Gordon Brown not want the better version of PR that Labour implemented for his own country - Scotland.


Monday 1 February 2010

Tolls unrest

CitiFM - "New toll rate: Drivers threaten demonstration".

New tolls too popular

Inside Costa Rica - "San José - Caldera Completely Collapsed On Sunday".

More AGW

From yesterday's Mail - "Controversial climate change boss uses car AND driver to travel one mile to office... (but he says YOU should use public transport)".

USA Roundup

Sundry stories - New Jersey / Pennsylvania - "Simple gestures can alleviate inconvenience"   Maine - "People power is back as York fights toll booth"   New Jersey / Pennsylvania - "Ewing mayor against toll plan for Scudder Falls Bridge"   Texas - "House candidate says he can get Texas 360 done as freeway"   Pennsylvania - "Five Alternatives to Tolling I-80"   Virginia - "Tolls are hardship" letter   Pennsylvania - "Push lawmakers: Repeal I-80 tolls" letter   Virginia - "Toll proposal is a rough start".

Bit more on Tories propose a new toll bridge

Your Thanet News - "Ambitious vision of 21st Century Kent is unveiled".

Pleasant surprise

Though the new Japanese Government had bowed to vested interests and reneged on its election promise, it is now reported that some tolls will be removed - Mainichi News - "Regional expressway sections to become free from June".

Licence to print money

Independent - "Private firm to reap €1.15bn bonanza from M50 toll deal".

Tolls are good for you

The body that runs the tolled river crossings in Liverpool has commissioned a report which claims that removing tolls would mean the end of the world - Liverpool Daily Post - "Traffic crush fears if Mersey Tunnel tolls are removed".

India's Identity Card expert to advise on new tolls technology

Economic Times - "Nilekani may head panel for choosing toll technology".

AGW