Daily News Briefs, January 13, 2025

Congestion Pricing Roundup: Shorter Tunnel Times, Electric Bus Investment “Unlocked”

Early data from the student-run Congestion Pricing Tracker shows travel time through the Holland and Lincoln tunnels was down by as much as half in the first week of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA’s) Manhattan congestion pricing scheme, New Jersey Monitor reports. Traffic inside the congestion zone, however, remained largely unchanged. The tracker also recorded some “spillover” effect on alternate routes, but those increases appeared to be out-measured by traffic reductions on affected routes. Official data from the George Washington Bridge and other crossings won’t be available till next month.

MTA Chairman Janno Lieber appeared at a press conference last week to showcase the agency’s first purchase “‘unlocked’” by congestion pricing revenues, NBC News New York reports. “Lieber revealed that 265 new electric buses had been purchased, part of the MTA’s promise to put all the buses in a new energy efficient depot and cut down on the pollution from the old diesel buses. The new 40-foot, zero-emission buses will operate on routes across the city.”

An MTA press release provides additional information about the agency’s fleet electrification, including construction of the new “green” bus depot and overhead pantograph charging systems.

CBS News offers a more general overview of congestion pricing’s early days.

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As The Hottest Year On Record, Natural Disaster Insurance Claims Also Continue To Rise

S&P Global reports, 2024 was the warmest year on record, according to US and European scientists. (Free registration on the S&P website may be required.) An El Niño weather pattern contributed to the high temperatures, but Gavin Schmidt, who directs the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, said the global mean temperature will not level off as long as greenhouse gas emissions continue. With the heat and record high water vapor levels, the planet also saw catastrophic heatwaves and rainfall in 2024.

“The 2024 temperature assessment came the day after insurance giant Munich Re said North America suffered $190 billion in losses from natural disasters during the year, more than any other region.” Globally, 2024 was the third costliest year for Munich Re, which cited the link between climate change and more violent storms.

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AV Executives Are Eager For A Second Trump Term

The Washington Post reports from the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) last week in Las Vegas that leaders in the autonomous vehicle (AV) industry are optimistic that president-elect Donald J. Trump’s second term in the White House will be even friendlier than his first. The thorough article summarizes industry hype, even as some leaders acknowledge that prior predictions of rapid adoption may have been overstated and public opinion polls continue to show deep skepticism. In the burgeoning industry where regulations have not yet caught up with technological developments, it’s widely thought that the new Republican administration will present a welcome fresh start at a critical juncture in its evolution.

“The Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association, a trade group, this week called for creating common standards, an effort to build public confidence by setting a baseline for safety. It also proposed eliminating safety rules that require steering wheels and pedals in self-driving cars.”

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The Smishing Scam Continues, Worldwide

Officials in Florence, South Carolina, are warning residents about scam text messages purporting to collect tolls for the Southern Connector Toll Road, WPDE reports.

Massachusetts DOT is warning the public of fraudulent text messages pretending to collect money for EZDriveMA, according to WCVB.

And The New Zealand Herald informs readers that phony messages impersonating the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi have been reported in the city Tauranga. One astute recipient said her suspicions were raised by the message’s incorrect grammar and the sender’s overseas phone number.

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