"Wisdom begins in wonder" – Socrates
Category: Policy
The U.S Highway Trust Fund
12/16/22
“What funds federal highway and mass transit projects in the U.S.?”
The U.S. federal government funds highways and mass transit projects. But how exactly does it do this? Well, it leverages a tax on gasoline and diesel fuel to store into a fund called The U.S Highway Trust Fund. The highway trust fund is made up of two accounts, the highway account, and the mass transit account.
Council on Environmental Quality
12/15/22
“What entity coordinates federal environmental efforts in the U.S.?”
Ever since the passage of the U.S National Environmental Policy Act in 1970, every federal agency has to factor in environmental consequences for significant actions. Enforcement of this is granted to the Council on Environmental Quality, a division of the Executive Office of the President. Every year the Council on Environmental Quality produces a report on the state of the environment for the sitting President.
The U.S National Environmental Policy Act
12/14/22
“Why do U.S federal agencies have to evaluate environmental impacts for every major decision?”
Any major action humanity takes can have drastic environmental impacts. For this reason, The U.S National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA was passed by congress in 1970. NEPA binds all federal agencies to factor in environmental impacts during decision-making. Furthermore, federal agencies must warn the public about their actions. NEPA also established the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), a part of the Executive Office of the President to ensure NEPA is implemented in federal agencies.
Why Metro Systems Can Make Themselves More Resilient to Pandemics by Being Less Dependent on Rider Fees
12/13/22
“Why can metro systems make themselves more resilient to pandemics by being less dependent on rider fees?”
Charging rider fees is a common funding mechanism for metro systems. But being too reliant can cause lead to revenue shortfalls during pandemics. One way to increase resilience against these events is to shift the funding basis away from rider fees. This way transit companies are not beholden to the presence of riders. This is Why Metro Systems Can Make Themselves More Resilient to Pandemics by Being Less Dependent on Rider Fees.
Why Rider Fees-Dependent Metro Systems Suffered Greatly During the COVID Onset
12/12/22
“Why did rider fee-dependent metro systems suffer greatly during the COVID onset?”
Metro systems are funded through a variety of mechanisms. Charging riders a fee is one of these. If a system bases a sizable portion of its revenue on these fees, then a dip in ridership can cause significant financial harm. When the COVID pandemic started, people stopped using transit en masse. This made metro systems dependent on rider fees such as Bay Area Rapid Transport (BART) to lose revenue drastically. This is Why Rider Fees-Dependent Metro Systems Suffered Greatly During the COVID Onset.
New Metro Train Car Design
12/11/22
“How do metro organizations design new transit cars?”
Metro organizations work on updating their transit cars when the time comes for it. The entire phase begins with New Metro Train Car Design. New cars are designed for system needs and capacities, looking over variables such as speed, aerodynamics, cost, and rail system. The design phase will set the tone for the rest of the project.
New Metro Train Car Testing
12/10/22
“How do metro organizations test new transit cars?”
The state of the art of metro cars advances each year. To keep up, metro transit organizations new to bring new train cars into their fleets. However, they must be tested to ensure they work as intended. This process can include wind tunnel testing, HVAC system checks, propulsion calibration, and more. New Metro Train Car Testing is a vital part of making transit systems as safe and efficient as possible.
Why the U.S Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 Was Racist
10/09/22
“Why was the U.S Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 racist?”
In 1956, the United States Congress passed the Federal Highway Act. This act allocated 25 billion USD for the design and construction of 66,000 km (41,000 miles) of the interstate highway system with a timeframe of 10 years. Since highways cut off and pollute surrounding neighborhoods, these highways were routed through neighborhoods of color (especially Black majority ones) to keep the residents segregated and disenfranchised. The impacts can still be seen to this day, where wall-like highways surround Black and Brown neighborhoods such as West Oakland. This is Why the U.S Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 Was Racist.
The U.S Endangered Species Conservation Act of 1969
12/08/22
“Why does the U.S prohibit the importation of any endangered species for personal use?”
The Endangered Species Preservation Act of 1966 was a landmark piece of legislation that provided federal protection for endangered species. This was upgraded three years later with the passage of The Endangered Species Conservation Act of 1969. This legislation designated species deemed endangered worldwide to be critical and outlawed the importation of them for personal use.
Isaac's Science Blog 