• Moving freight is five times more efficient using a train rather than a tractor trailer.
• Four miles of new railroad line can be built for the price of one mile of road.
• Electrically powered trains can use domestic fuel sources. A century ago, York had an extensive electric trolley/inter-urban system. York's street railway is a dream of tomorrow. (greenmesh 8/06)

Innovative minds looking for new revenue streams killed the railroads.

Consider all the jobs, wealth and competition that was created by our car centered, personal transport society. Cars, dealerships, parts, the insurance industry. Thousands of truck drivers, shipping companies and owner operators traversing the roads using diesel and services. All of this a major feed for the oil industry.

And it all worked as long as oil was cheap.

The once cheap oil that brought us a uniquely American car centered transportation culture is now strangling our economy and future success competing in a world market.

Pennsylvania is fortunate to have many short-line rail corridors still intact like the one along the Heritage Rail Trail and the Stewartstown Railroad waiting for innovative minds and clean technology to move large volumes of freight and people more efficiently.

Posted in All posts from the start Diesel Electric MPG Oil Machine/politics Public Transportation video

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Interesting thing about riding alone on a motorcycle trip is that you are never really alone. There is a bond formed by two-wheeled travelers. Perhaps it is the shared risk or the shared responsibility for each other. It's symbolized by "the wave", a synchronized passing of open palms in opposing lanes.

I decided to take the long way down to my destination on the coastal border of North and South Carolina. The Outer Banks of North Carolina connects back to the mainland with a system of ferries.

Motorcycles are strange creatures on small ferries. Ferries bounce and roll and riders are usually advised to stay with their bike.

With the first ferry, I shot past a line of 50 cars because there is always room for a bike.

With the second ferry, I was first in line with a Harley rider named Mike. We were tucked between the lines of cars in the center of the bow.

Two hours standing guard over land loving machines on choppy water. Two hours of shared conversation spanning a lifetime

Posted in All posts from the start MPG Motorcycles

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My fascination with two-wheeled journeys began freshman year in high school.

Three buddies told their parents that they were staying over each other's houses; we hit the road and bicycled through the night. The exhaustion, the moments of fear, the laughing made it memorable. I don't even remember if there was a destination. We were just going far.

It was a world shared by no one. All those people trapped in their cars going somewhere or sleeping the night away were getting nowhere. We were kings ruling our adventure kingdom.

Motorcycle trips are usually framed by weather reports and last week was scheduled to fall apart right in the middle. It really doesn't matter if the weather changes because that often creates an place to stop and you might just meet someone you wouldn't have met otherwise.

There is an unwritten law about not leaving on a trip in the rain. That's just miserable. This week turned out perfect with windows of clear riding and a rain stop just as planned in the middle.

Posted in All posts from the start Environment MPG Motorcycles

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In the 1980's and 90's, I used to slam the vacation road in a VW diesel Golf.

My concept of vacation planning was to head west and make a right at North Dakota... or wander southwest until... I needed three days to get home.

Once I was having such a good time in Pitkin, Colorado after taking on a new identity for two weeks, that I left there on a Friday evening and had to be back at work Sunday morning in York.

For the past six years, my vacation has been motivated by a motorcycle. Sure there is something wonderful about driving a few hundred miles and filling up with $10 of fuel, but with simple frugality comes a richness of experience.

Smells are richer, those you come in contact seem kinder because of your vulnerability. Fellow riders strike up a conversation without pause.

Once you loose two wheels and let the air pour though your clothes, it's hard to hide in a car during a vacation again.

Cars are for work. Cars are filled with fast food wrappers and stress.

My bike is freedom.

Next: 1259 miles of adventure in five days.

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It wasn't drilling or a windfall profit tax that has made the price of gasoline go down almost 30 cents in the past few weeks. U.S. fuel consumption was down 2.4 percent over the past four week a U.S. Energy Department report showed and during the heart of Summer driving season.

Sell, Sell, Sell ! I want to spark some fear in oil speculators.

The quickest way for someone who gets 15 mpg to cut the cost of their gas in half is to dump that vehicle and drive one that gets 30 mpg.

Posted in All posts from the start MPG Oil Machine/politics

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So Chuck has been using his scooter to commute to work since June 9. His Chevy truck has been sitting in the drive collecting dirt rings around the tires for two weeks straight now.

He has logged 320 miles. Had he driven the truck for those miles it would have cost him $126 in gasoline. After burning through a free tank of gas from the dealership, the scooter has cost about $12 in fuel.

Chuck admits that he is driving the scooter more than he would had he only had the truck adding that after getting back into the truck 6 liter truck after two weeks that it felt sluggish compared to the scooter.

Scooter shopping day 1
Scooter shopping day 2
Scooter shopping day 3

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Global oil demand on the rise

The Chinese government's recent reduction in gasoline subsidies (increasing price 17%) may squash an appetite for gas guzzlers in the world's rapidly growing second-largest auto market.

Rising affluence has boosted sales of SUVs and larger cars, while also causing a plunge in demand for cheaper, more fuel efficient autos. Sales of low-cost compacts, powered by engines of less than 1 liter, fell 31 percent last year, even as industrywide passenger-car sales jumped 22 percent. Sales of Great Wall Motor Co. Hovers and other SUVs leapt 50 percent last year, twice the pace of the overall auto market. (bloomberg.com)

Multiply that by 1,321,851,888 (July 2007 est.) people with expanding incomes and and you have alot of oil consumed.

Drastic conservation is the quickest and most consumer accessible way to lower gasoline prices.

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The U.S. Internal Revenue Service increased the mileage deduction today for the rest of the year by 16 percent to 58.5 cents a mile from the previous rate of 50.5 cents because of the rising price of gasoline. The change takes effect July 1.

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The return of the Ford F-100

DETROIT (AP) -- General Motors Corp. is indefinitely halting a major overhaul of its full-size pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles as it deals with a drastic drop in sales of those products.

GM spokesman Tom Wilkinson said Thursday the automaker instead will work on more modest updates and enhancements as it shifts resources toward higher-mileage vehicles.

Ford's next big pickup development doesn't come for a couple years, when it hopes to launch a smaller, lighter and more fuel-efficient pickup dubbed the F-100.

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Have you recently traded in your SUV or pickup for a smaller vehicle?

Yes, I had to because of gas prices
--- 11.57 %
No, because I was already driving a smaller car
--- 46.05 %
No, and they've have to pry my cold, dead hands from my SUV's steering wheel
--- 42.36 % %

York Daily Record/Sunday News daily survey yesterday.
Total Votes = 380

Thanks to the 11.57% who have downsized their vehicle and reduced consumption. You have put in motion the machine that will reduce the price of gasoline for the rest of us.

You have reduced the flow of oil from a few countries that don't like us very much reducing their power over us and reduced the flow of imports over exports. A few oil companies won't make as much extraordinary profit from you and you can breath easier knowing that the smaller engine you are driving is pushing out fewer pollutants.

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