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http://www.curbed.com/2017/2/6/14521102/highway-the-ray-solar-power-transportation From the article:
Highways have never been the sexiest infrastructure projects, but Allie Kelly, the executive director of The Ray, believes that preconception will shift dramatically over the next few years due to rapid technological shifts. With politicians in Washington discussing the administration's ambitious infrastructure plans, now is the time to make investments in our transportation system. As far as Kelly is concerned, that vision should focus on achieving zero deaths, zero carbon, and zero waste. She hopes The Ray can serve as the laboratory where new ideas and revenue models are tried, tested, and proven possible.
"We're at a tipping point in transportation," says Kelly. "In five to ten years, we won't remember a time when we invested a dime in infrastructure spending for a road that only did one thing."
[...] Initially, the vision for The Ray was to add a solar installation in the median, along with a wildflower garden, to remind drivers about the environmental costs of the transportation system. But the results of the study suggested a more dramatic plan was needed. Since then, The Ray, in concert with the Georgia Department of Transportation, has slowly rolled out a number of new initiatives to improve both safety and sustainability. In 2015, a new electric charging station powered in part by photovoltaic panels, a joint project with funding from Kia Motors, became the first in the state.
This past year, the Ray added a strip of Wattway solar panels to an entrance ramp, and installed a WheelWright tire pressure sensor at a rest stop right next to the Alabama state line. The new British device helps drivers quickly test and maintain proper tire pressure, a leading cause of crashes.
Over the next year, the foundation plans to add more new tests that will help build out a more holistic roadway. A one megawatt solar installation will be installed in a right-of-way as part of a joint effort with Georgia Power to turn the highway into a place for power generation, and a series of bioswales—landscaped drainage ditches that naturally filter pollution—will turn the areas adjacent to the highway into more clean, sustainable, and natural landscapes.
"We're pushing the idea that these kind of installations can become widespread energy generation system for state departments of transportation," says Kelly. "Highways can eventually make money, and even serve as a power grid for the future."
Previous stories on solar roads and pathways:
Solar Generating Roads
SolaRoad Cycle Path Electricity Yield Exceeds Expectations
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Tuesday February 07 2017, @02:59PM
"The new British device helps drivers quickly test and maintain proper tire pressure, a leading cause of crashes."
WTF does that even come from? There's drunk driving, driving high, distracted driving, driving to fast for conditions, reckless driving, racing, and so much more. Crashing because of poor tire pressure? Uhhh - yeah, kinda, sorta. Tires do blow out sometimes. Or, tires can get poor traction due to underinflation, especially on rain slick roads. But, leading cause of crashes?
After a moronic statement like that, I'm not even inclined to RTFA.
(Score: 2) by Sulla on Tuesday February 07 2017, @03:19PM
Maybe they under report drunk driving like they do murder and rape. Tyre pressure seems a weird cause.
Ceterum censeo Sinae esse delendam
(Score: 2) by GreatAuntAnesthesia on Tuesday February 07 2017, @03:51PM
Or maybe the US has more of a drink driving culture. It would make sense, given that most people there have to drive to get to their nearest bar, while most Brits can just walk five or ten minutes to their local.
Quick bit of googling suggests that drink driving is a factor[1] in twice as many US road deaths as the UK, proportional to population size. I could be wrong though, I'd appreciate anyone chipping in with better stats:
UK - Around 15 per cent of all deaths in reported road traffic accidents [www.gov.uk]
involved at least one driver over the limit.
US - In 2014, 9,967 people were killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes, accounting for nearly one-third (31%) of all traffic-related deaths in the United States. [cdc.gov]
FWIW the legal limit in both countries seems to be the same (0.08) but I wouldn't be surprised if it varied state by state over there.
[1] And yes, these seem to be stats for "driver is drunk" not "driver was sober but there was a drunk passenger so we're counting it as a drunk-driving anyway in order to make the figures fit some agenda" which, apparently, is a thing over there.
(Score: 2) by Thexalon on Tuesday February 07 2017, @04:15PM
It does indeed vary state-by-state: Many states are 0.08, but some go for 0.10.
It is definitely true that distance is part of the reason for higher drunk-driving numbers in the US, but it's also because Americans are unusually unwilling to walk places. So even if the local pub is 10 minutes walk, well within stumbling distance, they'll still drive there under the mistaken impression that they're safer due to being in a car.
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday February 07 2017, @05:54PM
Thats not necessarily true.
The last place I lived I did not walk. Nothing was convenient, and even when someone tried to open a new store or bar the neighbors would complain and the permit would get denied. The public transport was a joke. I checked one time into taking the bus to work to save on driving. It would have turned my 30-45 minuets of driving every day into 4 to 5 hours taking multiple buses and transfers. In fact the route I would have to take went in the opposite way to where I wanted to go just to transfer at the one transfer station down town. I looked into riding a bike, but even though we had some decent bike trails the most dangerous part of the trip I would have had to ride down a highway that was known to be dangerous for bikers.
I was transferred to a new city. I live 5 minutes walk from a grocery store, handful of restaurants, barber shop, liquor store, bar. If I am willing to walk another 10 minutes I have a super target, a lowes, two different health food stores, a toys r us, about 20 places to eat. To top it all off I can ride my bike to work on bike lanes in about 20 minutes, at no time having to merge with vehicle traffic. At this point I walk somewhere at least a couple times a week depending on weather. During the nicer months its more then that.
We need to start ignoring the very vocal minority nimbyists. Dur I dont want the traffic, dur I dont want the noise, dur my kids will have to cross a busier street, dur we shouldnt have bars in neighborhoods and need standoffs of a quarter mile to make sure no one sells booze near my home. Then on top of it, dur we shouldn't have to pay taxes that support public transportation. Dur what do you mean it would only cost the average citizen a total of $8 dollars a year in taxes.
It isnt all lazy aholes, its whiny aholes in at least equal proportion.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Thexalon on Tuesday February 07 2017, @10:10PM
A lot of the anti-public transit sentiment, at least near where I live, is about keeping those people away from the neighborhood. The thinking is, basically, that if you prevent a bus route from going somewhere, then you prevent a certain segment of the population from going somewhere, which contains the threat to places they're allowed to go.
(I'm not saying I agree with any of this, but it's definitely part of the thinking.)
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
(Score: 1) by slap on Tuesday February 07 2017, @04:18PM
Americans drive about twice as many miles per year as Europeans. The US is spread out more than most of Europe, and the public transportation isn't as good as in Europe. And alcohol is relatively cheap in the US.
(Score: 2) by NewNic on Tuesday February 07 2017, @08:18PM
How about Americans are crap drivers?
Even if you take the difference in miles driven per year into account, the accident rate in the USA is much higher [citylab.com], and, as you point out, the USA is spread out further, which should lead to lower average congestion of roads. Note this table. [citylab.com]
It's much easier to get and keep a driver['s] license in the USA than in most large European countries, perhaps that has something to do with the differences?
lib·er·tar·i·an·ism ˌlibərˈterēənizəm/ noun: Magical thinking that useful idiots mistake for serious political theory
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Tuesday February 07 2017, @04:42PM
We just had an election, which you know a lot about already. I voted, along with the majority, to allow the sale of alcohol in our county. Believe it or not, there are still "dry counties" in this country, where the sale of alcohol is prohibited, and possession of more than a single case is considered "bootlegging".
Dry counties have been demonstrated to be a cause of drunk driving. Joe Sixpack and his buddies decide to drive to a wet county, it's a half hour or more drive over there. They buy their favorite poison, already chilled, and head home. That tantalizingly cold beer just sits beside, or behind, the driver, calling him to indulge. Eventually, he can't stand it, and pops a top.
That first one goes down quickly, so he grabs another - and runs headon into Granny Hudson while he reaches.
At last, our county is wet, and the local alcies need only drive five minutes into town for their beer. Very few can't resist for five minutes until they get home.
Maybe next year, we can get a real bar. Still no on-premise licenses available, we've only authorized off-premise sales so far. But, at least we've come out of the stone age, into the bronze age!!
(Score: 2) by GreatAuntAnesthesia on Tuesday February 07 2017, @05:19PM
I'm guessing the "dry county" legislation would also prohibit someone across the border from setting up a delivery service..?
I can imagine some enterprising individual across the border setting up a website to offer home delivery of some completely legal, harmless and uncontrolled commodity (say, tinned tomatoes or ammunition or landmines or something) but with an option to discretely add to the order a couple six-packs of Tea, or perhaps a nice bottle of 5-year old, charcoal-filtered Coca Cola.
(Score: 2) by Sulla on Tuesday February 07 2017, @05:45PM
I am unfamiliar with where Runway lives but I know how this works in Alaska. In Alaska a lot of the bush is dry. This means no alcohol, at all. Taking alcohol across a municipal/tribal boundry from wet to dry is a major crime. Jail time, thousands in fines, etc. Such a service would work but would not be legal. A small plane with a shipment of liquor will sell in bush Alaska for 20k more than its cost to buy.
And to my previous post, the US likes to inflate charges, European countries seem to like to deflate. Politics here drives to "see how many we caught, isnt that great?" while across the pond seems to be "see how many we didn't catch, look how great our society is!". Both have severe faults.
Ceterum censeo Sinae esse delendam
(Score: 2) by NewNic on Tuesday February 07 2017, @08:30PM
Probably North Texas, based on this comment:
lib·er·tar·i·an·ism ˌlibərˈterēənizəm/ noun: Magical thinking that useful idiots mistake for serious political theory
(Score: 1) by butthurt on Tuesday February 07 2017, @08:43PM
Thanks, I didn't know that was illegal in Alaska.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Sulla on Tuesday February 07 2017, @10:18PM
Only banned in parts of the state. The major cities of course have legal alcohol, but it is prohibited in much of the bush. Alaskan Natives have a lower tolerance to alcohol because of its recent introduction to them, causing all sorts of issues. The boroughs in many cases decided to ban it to try and lessen the problems. Tribal governments have been known to exile family members who have been caught drinking rather than risk more people in the tribe getting into it.
Smugglers really do a lot of harm in Alaska. But on the other side of the coin people should be free to do what they want. Very sad situation.
Ceterum censeo Sinae esse delendam
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Tuesday February 07 2017, @05:49PM
Most certainly - that falls under "bootlegging". Crossing the county line with a truckload of alcoholic beverages would probably land you in state prison for a very long time. No matter how many tomatoes, how many pounds of butter, or tins of shoe polish might accompany the alcohol, the cops would only see the alcohol.
To be honest, I'm not sure what the legal limit was, but it was certainly less than five cases of beer.
The macho people who prove how manly they are by consuming vast quantities of beer often came back from Oklahoma with two 30-packs, so I guess that was about the legal limit. Those same macho men had to consume their thirty-packs before sundown, I think, or they would turn into Cinderfella, or something like that.
(Score: 3, Informative) by EvilSS on Tuesday February 07 2017, @03:36PM
Critical reasons attributed to vehicles
The information about critical reasons related to the vehicles is important in evaluating on-board systems that warn the driver about the condition of critical vehicle systems such as tires and brakes. Table 9(b) presents the related statistics, based on the crashes in which the critical reason was attributed to the vehicle. The term crash in this subsection will refer to a crash in which the critical reason was attributed to the vehicle. The most frequently occurring vehicle-related critical reason was tire failure or degradation/wheel failure, which was assigned in about 43 percent of the crashes, followed by brake failure/degradation that was assigned to 25 percent of the vehicles. Steering/suspension/transmission/engine failure as a critical reason was assigned in 10.5 percent of the crashes, while various other vehicle failures/deficiencies were assigned for about 21 percent of the crashes. Various types of tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) and other dashboard-warning systems are already in use. These systems provide information on the condition of critical vehicle elements such as brake-system hydraulics, tire pressure and condition, etc. The information about the vehicle-related critical reasons can be used in evaluating these systems.
National Motor Vehicle Crash Causation Survey (pg 25) [dot.gov]
It's the leading cause of accidents where the critical factor in the accident is attributed to the vehicle itself, not the roadway or a driver.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Tuesday February 07 2017, @04:35PM
Now, THAT makes sense. "Of vehicle caused crashes, half of all crashes were attributed to tires." That makes perfect sense. And, brakes second. Again, that makes perfect sense. Most other stuff that breaks on a car won't actually cause a crash very often.