Department of Transportation

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Transportation Secretary Is an Accidental Hipster

Ray LaHood isn't sure what 'hipster' means, but he likes urban bikers

(Newser) - Transportation chief Ray LaHood tells the Huffington Post that he'll push for more protections for bicyclists in US cities and likes the idea of more dedicated bike lanes. “I’m concerned that people that are driving cars have a level of respect for bikers, and that’s the...

DoT: Oops, We Can't Ban Peanuts on Planes

Allergy sufferers are out of luck

(Newser) - The Department of Transportation has been publicly considering banning or restricting the distribution of peanuts on airplanes, in deference to those with severe allergies. But when it issued its latest airline rules yesterday, it revealed that it literally couldn’t do anything—thanks to a 12-year-old law specifically preventing them...

And the Airline With the Most Complaints Is...

...Delta. Overall, complaints about US airlines rocketed 28% last year

(Newser) - If you think flying has gotten worse lately, you're not alone. Airline complaints soared an astounding 28% last year. Oddly, though, actual data reveals that planes improved their performance in a number of areas, with fewer lost bags and bumped passengers, and more on-time arrivals. A co-author of the Transportation...

Maureen Dowd: Ford's Now Building Smartphones on Wheels
 Ford's Now Building 
 Smartphones on Wheels 
MAUREEN DOWD
Feb 27, 2011 1:45 PM CST

Ford's Now Building Smartphones on Wheels

'In-car connectivity' is a plethora of distractions

(Newser) - Ford's got a slick new whiz-bang simulator, and Maureen Dowd kicked the tires—and almost ran smack "into a huge green truck," she writes for the New York Times. The problem is Ford's new "in-car connectivity"—a "cornucopia of diversions on your dashboard," Dowd...

US: Toyota Was Right About Acceleration

NASA report finds no electronic cause for runaway cars

(Newser) - Maybe it was the floor mats after all? A government investigation has concluded that Toyota was right: there was no electronic glitch causing its cars to accelerate uncontrollably. “The jury is back, the verdict is in,” Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood declared. “There is no electronic-based cause for...

GOP Slams $53B High-Speed Rail Plan

Huge rail boost likely to meet stiff House opposition

(Newser) - Joe Biden announced an ambitious $53 billion plan to expand America's high-speed rail program yesterday, drawing immediate fire from Republicans. "This is like giving Bernie Madoff another chance at handling your investment portfolio," said House Transportation Committee chairman John Mica, pointing to previous rail failures and labeling Amtrak...

Toyota Slapped With Max Fine Over Recalls

Company to pay $32.4M in addition to $16.4M already paid

(Newser) - Toyota has agreed to pay $32.4 million in fines for dragging its feet in recalling millions of defective vehicles, the maximum fine allowable by law. Together with the $16.4 million paid earlier this year, the fines amount to roughly $30 for every car the company sold in the...

Ohio, Wisconsin Spurn $1.2B to Build Train Lines

Stimulus funds will go to other states

(Newser) - The US is redistributing $1.2 billion in federal stimulus money that had been headed to Ohio and Wisconsin, after both states' Republican governors-elect called for an end to proposed train projects, arguing they were unnecessary and would cost millions to operate. “Wisconsin taxpayers were victorious today in defeating...

Feds: 17M Drive Drunk
 Feds: 17M Drive Drunk 
Aug 26, 2010 6:45 AM CDT

Feds: 17M Drive Drunk

Poll shows 8% admit they drive when they shouldn't

(Newser) - There are an uncomfortable number of drunk drivers out there, according to a new survey from the Department of Transportation. In the poll, 8% of respondents admitted to driving drunk—a number that, if representational, would equate to roughly 17 million Americans. And that’s just those willing to admit...

Obama Ups Fines to Bump Passengers Off Flights

Airlines bumping more passengers as they cut back on flights

(Newser) - The Obama administration has more good news for frustrated travelers. The Department of Transportation intends to increase the amount airlines have to pay you if they bump you involuntarily to a later flight. The regulation, one of several passenger-friendly moves from the White House, comes amid soaring bump rates, ABC...

Toyota to Pay $16.4M US Fine
 Toyota to Pay $16.4M US Fine 

Apr 19, 2010 1:19 AM CDT

Toyota to Pay $16.4M US Fine

But automaker won't admit hiding defects from feds

(Newser) - Toyota is expected to agree today to pay a record $16.4 million US fine after a 4-month delay in reporting the "sticky pedal" defect that led to a massive recall. Toyota has decided not to challenge the government penalty, but will not admit it knowingly hid evidence of...

Feds Fine Toyota $16.4M

 Feds Fine Toyota $16.4M 
Apr 5, 2010 4:18 PM CDT

Feds Fine Toyota $16.4M

Automaker has the right to appeal penalty

(Newser) - Toyota is still paying for its decision to wait 4 months before announcing a recall and notifying federal regulators of the "sticky pedal" defect—and the automaker will pay even more: a $16.4 million fine imposed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration this afternoon. Toyota has 2...

Obama Boosts Fuel Efficiency Standards

Transportation Department, EPA make new targets official

(Newser) - The Obama administration is setting tough gas mileage standards for new cars and trucks, spurring the next generation of fuel-sipping gas-electric hybrids, efficient engines, and electric cars. The heads of the Transportation Department and the Environmental Protection Agency will today sign final rules requiring 2016 model-year vehicles to meet fuel...

Airlines Beg for Break on 3-Hour Tarmac Rule

American joins JetBlue, Delta in petitioning DOT

(Newser) - Add American Airlines to the list of carriers that want out of the government's new rule that limits the time passengers can be held on the tarmac. American has joined JetBlue and Delta in filing for a temporary exemption with the Department of Transportation, saying delays caused by the closure...

US May Require Brake Override Systems

Obama administration 'looking at it,' LaHood says

(Newser) - The Obama administration is considering ordering automakers to install brake override systems in their new cars, Ray LaHood told the Senate Commerce Committee today. “We’re looking at it,” the transportation secretary said, in a hearing on the runaway Toyota problem. “We think it is a good...

Toyota Snowed Regulators to Save $100M

Congress to grill Toyoda over internal document

(Newser) - For Toyota's president the timing couldn't be worse. The day before Akio Toyoda prepares to testify before congress on his safety-riddled products, an internal memo has surfaced in which the firm touts its savings by getting regulators to agree to a cheap but ineffective recall. The 2009 document claims Toyota...

Feds Ban Texting by Truck, Bus Drivers

Under rules, effective immediately, fines run as high as $2,750

(Newser) - Drivers of trucks and buses who text behind the wheel will be subject to thousands of dollars in fines, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced today. The federal prohibition, which takes effect immediately, applies only to commercial vehicles. But distracted driving is one of LaHood's top issues, CNN reports. "This...

White House Sets 3-Hour Limit on Tarmac Waits

Passengers must be allowed to deplane under new regulation

(Newser) - The Transportation Department is ordering airlines to let passengers stuck in stranded airplanes to deplane after three hours. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced the new three-hour limit today, along with other new passenger protections long sought by consumer advocates. From January to June this year, 613 planes were delayed on...

Only Fines Will Get Drivers Off the Phone: Experts

Conference tells Transportation Department to get tough

(Newser) - If the Department of Transportation wants to curb distracted driving, it’ll have to do more than ask nicely, concluded experts at last week’s conference on the issue. Previous efforts to curb drunk driving and promote seat belt safety have proven that drivers don’t respond without the threat...

Distracted Drivers Killed 5,800 in '08

(Newser) - Accidents caused by distracted drivers killed at least 5,800 and injured another 515,000 last year, according to data pulled from police reports and presented today to Transportation Department conference on the issue. The actual figures may be significantly higher, say Transportation officials, since distraction is often hard to...

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