innovation Tag

A Longer View on Longer Trains: Part 3 Climate Impact

08 May 2023, Posted by bdierker in All Posts, Analysis, Blog Posts

This is the third and final policy blog in the series investigating train length. The purpose is to survey the impacts and implications of longer trains to the U.S. economy, public safety, and the world. Because railroads are so central to the nation’s supply chain and transportation network, it is…

A Longer View on Longer Trains: Part 2 Costs

01 May 2023, Posted by bdierker in All Posts, Analysis, Blog Posts

In this blog series, we are tackling the question of what longer trains mean for the United States and the world. We are using three lenses to evaluate this policy issue: safety, costs, and climate impact. Be sure to read our first blog overviewing modern day freight rail and explaining…

A Longer View on Longer Trains: Part 1 Safety

22 Feb 2023, Posted by bdierker in All Posts, Analysis, Blog Posts

Longer trains can be a blessing or a curse, depending on where you sit. Certainly when stuck at a blocked crossing, one can only see the negatives. But what does a more wholistic assessment of longer trains reveal? Does the frustration outweigh the benefits, or are longer trains a key…

Decoding the Hydrogen Rainbow

31 Jan 2023, Posted by bdierker in All Posts, Blog Posts

Blue, Grey, Green – oh my! The road to the emerald city of the future seems to feature a number of alternative energy projects with varying levels of promise. Perhaps the most touted yet least utilized at scale is hydrogen. But there seem to be many variations of hydrogen comprising…

More Damage, Most Costs, Less Clarity

17 Jan 2023, Posted by bdierker in All Posts, Blog Posts

The Damage Information Reporting Tool (DIRT) Report from the Common Ground Alliance (CGA) is the definitive word on excavation damage to underground facilities. Stakeholders and policymakers alike go to this resource to understand the level of damage, estimate the costs imposed on society, and peer inside the root causes in…

Innovation is the Only Path to Solving Climate Change

16 Sep 2022, Posted by bdierker in All Posts, Blog Posts

If the threat is as dire as some believe, we cannot wait for policy changes to take effect. Realistically, tax and regulatory policy cannot bring about the type of innovation revolution needed. Taxes discourage growth and regulation restrictions action. While restriction may be worthwhile when it prevents and holds back…

5 Impacts of Suspending the Gas Tax

21 Jun 2022, Posted by bdierker in All Posts, Blog Posts

There is an energy crisis in the United States impacting families at the pump, diesel-powered supply chains, and the broader electricity grid. With gasoline and diesel prices skyrocketing in recent months – reaching all-time record highs – the Biden administration is considering temporarily suspending the federal excise tax on fuel…

It’s Time for Nationwide Adoption of Electronic White-Lining

24 May 2022, Posted by bdierker in All Posts, Blog Posts

Looking ahead to the year 2030, we hope to see technology integrated into virtually every activity we do. For damage prevention, this is not merely aspirational, it is a necessity. Fortunately, industry groups have already cast this vision, stating in the latest Common Ground Alliance (CGA) Technology Report that the…

New Strides in Public Transit with Hudson Tunnel Project

19 May 2022, Posted by John Cassibry in All Posts, Blog Posts

With gas prices on the rise and the population growth rapidly increasing every year, major cities are having to prioritize innovations in public transportation. One historic project that recently received a go-ahead will soon take travelers underneath the Hudson River– the Hudson Tunnel Project. On March 28, the U.S. Department…

Safer Digging Part 5: Investigating A Damage

17 May 2022, Posted by bdierker in All Posts, Blog Posts

Up to this point, we have explored a range of benefits that accrue from the use of technology in the damage prevention process. Not only is technology vital to avoiding damage, but it makes the process more efficient, reduces environmental hazards, enables cost savings, and more. One final benefit emerges…

Safer Digging Part 4: Saving Time Saving Money

12 May 2022, Posted by bdierker in All Posts, Blog Posts

There is a clear connection between effective damage prevention and cost saving – when you avoid a damage, you avoid all of the direct and indirect costs that come from it. But the use of innovative technology in the damage prevention process can also help stakeholders in saving time and…

Safer Digging Part 3: Keep it in Park

10 May 2022, Posted by bdierker in All Posts, Blog Posts

This blog series is laser-focused on innovative technology that can improve the damage prevention process. While this particular series only discusses one technology – Electronic white-lining (EWL)– we have covered its manifold benefits, including public safety, damage reduction, and communications value. Electronic white-lining has multiple advantages, but here we focus…

Self-Driving into the Future

19 Apr 2022, Posted by John Cassibry in All Posts, Blog Posts

While some recent conversations about transportation in the U.S. are relatively simple – like the supply and demand for oil – others are more nuanced and complex. America is a car-dependent country, with more than 90% of households estimated to have access to a vehicle. But with the changing climate…

Innovation Drives Direct Air Capture’s Growing Viability

07 Apr 2022, Posted by bdierker in All Posts, Blog Posts

Vacuuming your house to be rid of dust can be quite a chore. Dirt and dust seem to accumulate faster than you can keep up. Yet, ever since the first vacuum was invented in 1908, larger and more powerful vacuums have made cleaning household carpets and factory floors far easier….