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ICYMI: Rail Safety Event

21 Sep 2015, Posted by staff in All Posts, Blog Posts

“…you can mitigate a problem, but if you prevent it in the first place, you don’t have to mitigate. And so it’s a matter of looking at track integrity. It’s a matter of looking at human factors, which those two are the biggest causes of derailments.” (David Friedman, Vice President, Regulatory…

Diverting Derailments: Working Together for Rail Safety

31 Aug 2015, Posted by staff in All Posts, Blog Posts

    The Alliance for Innovation and Infrastructure is hosting a rail safety event this Thursday at the George Town Club in Washington, D.C. The roundtable discussion will cover topics related to safety on the nation’s rails related to both passenger and commodity networks. The basis of the discussion is a…

New Technologies Mean Safer Rail Crossings

11 Aug 2015, Posted by staff in All Posts, Blog Posts

Higher standards and better safety technology have helped reduce the danger of railroad crossings over the half-century. Every safety improvement gets closer to an accident-free system, but track crossings remain inherently risky. With crossing related fatalities on the decline throughout the 21st century, the nine percent uptick in deaths in…

“Back on Track: Bringing Rail Safety into the 21st Century”

06 Aug 2015, Posted by staff in All Posts, Blog Posts

Click here to read the report   The nation’s bedrock infrastructure is aging, and railroads are no exception. Tracks and rail beds are not equipped to handle the demands of growing traffic. From the 4,400 percent growth of oil train shipments to the recent devastations in commuter rail incidents, the…

Can California’s Infrastructure Stand up to Natural Disasters?

28 Jul 2015, Posted by staff in All Posts, Blog Posts

California may be beautiful, but it is no secret that the state is subject to extreme conditions earthquake, drought, fire, and flood almost seem to replace winter, spring, summer, and fall. But despite the occasional shakedown, The Golden State has flourished as the seventh largest economy in the world. This…

Infrastructure Fix Looks to International Funding

20 Jul 2015, Posted by staff in All Posts, Blog Posts

Written by Breanne Kincaid Global wealth is increasing, and so too are the growing number of international elite looking to emigrate from their native country in search of their next opportunity. The U.S. EB-5 Visa Program offers a win-win solution for both wealthy foreign investors interested in living stateside, and…

Building New Sources of Funding for the Nation’s Infrastructure

13 Jul 2015, Posted by staff in All Posts, Blog Posts

It has been two years since The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) infamously slammed the quality of US infrastructure with a D+ grade. Transportation infrastructure – the highways, mass transit, aviation, water, and railways traversing the country – have traditionally received the majority of their funding from the public…

Energy as an Instrument of Foreign Policy

25 Jun 2015, Posted by staff in All Posts, Blog Posts

A Report Published by Aii Click here to read the report.  Energy is a common commodity required by every nation that influences every aspect of economy, civil society, and even foreign policy. With advancements in technology and renewable energy sources, countries throughout the world are re-focusing on their energy infrastructure to encourage…

Preventing Train Accidents in the 21st Century

24 Jun 2015, Posted by staff in All Posts, Blog Posts

Train accidents happen. It’s why so many independent bodies exist to drive the rail industry towards constant improvement. But even with the less than 16 accidents per million miles travelled in 2014 reported by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), every incident carries the possibility of loss of life, disruption of…

America Gets Smart on Energy Efficiency

18 Jun 2014, Posted by staff in All Posts, Press Releases

Water transportation requires an enormous amount of electricity, which only increases as water sources diminish throughout regions plagued with drought. The electric power transmission and distribution system (the grid) is a critical and extraordinarily complex part of our nation’s infrastructure. Reliable electricity service is essential to health, welfare, communication, and…