Andy's Auto Sport

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Get a Game Plan for Super Bowl XLIII Travel: Call Florida's Free 511 Traffic Resource

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) offers advice to fans navigating Florida roadways on the way to the Super Bowl XLIII – call 511, Florida’s free traffic information system. FDOT’s 511 system allows callers to access real-time road conditions, congestion and construction updates. By dialing 511, fans can stay informed on the roadways, plan alternate routes and arrive early Feb. 1 to support their team at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla.

“Approximately 100,000 people will travel to Tampa Bay for Super Bowl XLIII,” said Reid Sigmon, Executive Director of the Tampa Bay Super Bowl Host Committee. “We encourage everyone to call 511 and follow directional signage while traveling around the Bay area and Raymond James Stadium.”

The free 511 system is available for all interstate highways and Florida’s Turnpike. Florida travelers can reach the 511 system on any cell phone or landline, regardless of area code or service provider while traveling. Callers can get detailed regional information on roads leading to the stadium, such as I-275, I-75 and I-4.

Travelers can also save time and money by planning trips ahead of time by registering for free personalized My511 e-mail alerts on the 511TampaBay.com Web site. Once an e-mail address is registered, users can customize their alerts to receive reports on desired roadways, choosing times of day, days of the week and types of incidents.

Road closures around Raymond James Stadium include:

Tampa Bay Boulevard between Dale Mabry Highway and Himes Avenue will be closed to all traffic beginning Jan. 7.
Dale Mabry Highway North between Columbus Avenue and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard will be closed to traffic beginning 12:01 a.m. Feb. 1.
Himes Avenue between Columbus Avenue and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard will be closed to traffic beginning 10 p.m. Jan. 31.

Other road closures in downtown Tampa include:

Franklin Street will be closed to one lane southbound from Old Water St (former St. Pete Times Forum Drive) to Harbor Island beginning at 7 p.m. Jan. 29.
Old Water St (former St. Pete Times Forum Drive) will be closed to one lane westbound from Channelside Drive to Florida Avenue beginning at 7 p.m. Jan. 29.
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Thursday, January 22, 2009

Meriweather County - State Rte 194

STATE ROUTE 194 (DURAND HIGHWAY) IN WARM SPRINGS DETOURED FOR RAIL LINE WORK

WHEN: Monday, January 26, 9 a.m. until 6 p.m.

WHERE: SR 194 (Durand Highway), both directions, at its intersection with CSX rail line

WHAT: Work by the CSX rail line will necessitate closing SR 194north of Warm Springs. Signed detour routes will be in place advising motorists to remain on US 27/SR 41 north to Harris City, then follow SR 18 south to SR 194 near the City of Durand. Motorists are advised to anticipate delays and to avoid travel on SR 194, if possible.

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Road Closure Set for East Broad Street, Newnan

Newnan Utilities is preparing to replace an existing water main and individual service lines as a part of the rehabilitation of East Broad Street. This work is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, January 20th, and will take about a week to complete, according to officials with Newnan Utilities. East Broad Street will be closed to traffic for the duration of this phase of utility work from the intersection of Pinson Street/ Farmer Street to Roberts Road. Local traffic will be accommodated as best as possible. Motorists are encouraged to plan ahead. Detours will be marked.

Friday, January 16, 2009

Chambliss, Murray Urge President-elect Obama to Continue Production of F-22 Raptor

U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss, R-GA, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and U.S. Senator Patty Murray, D-WA, a member of the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, sent a letter today urging President-elect Barack Obama to continue production of the F-22 Raptor.

“The F-22 is the best aircraft for achieving the air dominance necessary to protect our joint fighting forces and ensure our nation has the air superiority required to fight and win future wars,” said Senator Chambliss. “Permitting this production line to remain open will allow us to procure the appropriate number of F-22’s to ensure our nation can achieve air dominance and effectively execute our national military strategy. It will also protect high-paying, skilled jobs across the United States.”

“Continued F-22 production is critical to both the national security and economic interests of our country,” said Senator Murray. “At a time when we are looking to create jobs and stimulate the economy, eliminating the $12 billion in economic activity and thousands of American jobs tied to F-22 production simply doesn’t make sense. Supporting continued F-22 production will help defend against potential threats, preserve our manufacturing base, and protect family-wage jobs.”

The F-22 is a one-of-a-kind multi-mission fighter aircraft that combines stealth, supercruise, advanced maneuverability and integrated avionics to make it the world's most capable combat aircraft.

Forty-four other Senators have joined Chambliss and Murray in signing the letter.

The text of the letter:

January 16, 2009
The Honorable Barack H. Obama
President-Elect of the United States
The President's Transition Team
Washington, DC 20270

Dear President-elect Obama:

The fiscal year 2009 National Defense Authorization Act requires your certification on continued F-22 production by March 1, 2009. We urge your certification of continued production of the F-22 Raptor. The F-22 Raptor is the nation’s most capable fighter and the world’s only operational fifth generation fighter aircraft in full-rate production. The F-22 is a model production line and, since full-rate production began, the unit flyaway cost has decreased 35 percent.

The F-22 is optimized to achieve the air dominance necessary to protect our joint fighting forces in any future conflict. However, a fleet of 183 aircraft, the current program of record, is insufficient to meet potential threats. After accounting for test, training, and maintenance aircraft, only about 100 F-22s would be immediately available for combat at any given time. Even those who don’t support continued production of the F-22 agree that to sustain the currently planned level of combat-coded aircraft over the life of the program will require an additional lot of aircraft. In fact, 30+ air campaign studies completed over the last 15 years have validated a requirement for far more than 183 F-22 Raptors to replace the original force of 800 F-15 A-D Eagles. Some have suggested filling the remaining F-22 requirement with other aircraft, like the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. However, the F-35 is designed for multi-role strike missions and not optimized for the air dominance missions of the F-22.

Further, we must not overlook the fact that our potential adversaries are increasing their air combat capabilities both in terms of technology and numbers of aircraft. Several have announced that they are developing stealthy, twin-engine, high-altitude, fifth generation fighters that will reach production within the next five to ten years. Additionally, sophisticated and highly lethal air defense systems such as the SA-20, and S-300/400 are proliferating worldwide resulting in the possible requirement to achieve air dominance in multiple theaters simultaneously.

The F-22 program annually provides over $12 billion of economic activity to the national economy, it fulfills a validated Air Force requirement, and it helps to sustain our strong national defense industrial base. If this certification is not provided, layoffs will begin as this critical supplier base shuts down, and it will quickly become expensive or perhaps impossible to reconstitute in the event the Department of Defense chooses to procure additional F-22’s at a later date. Furthermore, certifying continued production by March 2009 will enable production to continue while the Department undertakes a more in-depth analysis of the F-22 requirement in the 2009 Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR).

Over 25,000 Americans work for the 1,000+ suppliers in 44 states that manufacture the F-22. Moreover, it is estimated that another 70,000 additional Americans indirectly owe their jobs to this program. As we face one of the most trying economic times in recent history it is critical to preserve existing high paying, specialized jobs that are critical to our nation’s defense.

With these things in mind, we urge you to expeditiously certify that continued production is in the economic and national interest of the United States of America.
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Coweta and Fulton - I-85 Closures, Between Exits 51 and 61

I-85 LANE CLOSURES BETWEEN EXITS 51 AND 61

COWETA County – The Georgia Department of Transportation announces daily lane closures on Interstate 85 between Exit 51 (State Route 154/McCollum-Sharpsburg Road) and Exit 61 (State Route 74/Senoia Road) beginning Saturday, January 17, through Friday, January 23. The closures are subject to change based on weather conditions.

Fulton County:

Interstate 85 Northbound Lane Closures
Tuesday, January 20, daily through Friday, January 23
Near mileposts 58-60
TIME: 8:30 a.m. – 5 a.m.
1 left lane closed; 2 lanes remain open to traffic
For work near Exit 56 (Collingsworth Road/CR 548)

Interstate 85 Southbound Lane Closures
Tuesday, January 20, daily through Friday, January 23
Near mileposts 59-58
TIME: 7 a.m. – 5 a.m.
1 left lane closed; 2 lanes remain open to traffic
For work near Exit 61 (SR 74/Senoia Road)

Coweta County:

Interstate 85 Northbound Lane Closures
Tuesday, January 20, daily through Friday, January 23
Near mileposts 47-50 and 56-57
TIME: 8:30 a.m. – 7 p.m.
1 left lane closed; 2 lanes remain open to traffic
For work beginning near Exit 47 (State Route 34) and Exit 56 (Collingsworth Road/CR 548)

Interstate 85 Southbound Lane Closures
Tuesday, January 20, daily through Friday, January 23
Near mileposts 57-56 and 51-49
TIME: 7 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
1 left lane closed; 2 lanes remain open to traffic
For work near Exit 56 (Collingsworth Road/CR 548) and Exit 51 (SR 154/McCollum-Sharpsburg Road)

The scheduled completion date for this project is December 31, 2009. Motorists should expect shoulder and lane closures on a continuing basis and are advised to use extra caution in construction work zones.

Coweta County - Weekend Lane Closures, I-85 Near Exit 51

WEEKEND LANE CLOSURES ON I-85 NEAR EXIT 51

The Georgia Department of Transportation announces lane closures on Interstate 85 near Exit 51 (SR 154/McCollum-Sharpsburg Road) beginning Saturday, January 17, daily through Sunday, January 18. These closures are subject to change based on weather conditions.

Double Lane Closure Interstate 85 Southbound
Saturday, January 17, daily through Sunday, January 18
Near mileposts 55 - 52
TIME: 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.
2 lanes closed; 1 remains open to traffic
For work near Exit 56 (Collingsworth Road/CR 548)

Single Lane Closure Interstate 85 Northbound
Saturday, January 17, daily through Sunday, January 18
Near mileposts 53 - 55
TIME: 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.
1 left lane closed; 2 remain open to traffic
For work near Exit 51 (SR 154/McCollum-Sharpsburg Road)

The scheduled completion date for this project is December 31, 2009. Motorists should expect shoulder and lane closures on a continuing basis and are advised to use extra caution in construction work zones.

Speed limits have been reduced and will be strictly enforced. Message boards, signs, barricades, barrels and cones will be utilized to alert and channel motorists through the area.

Coweta County

LANE CLOSURES ON STATE ROUTE 34 AT INTERSTATE 85

The Georgia Department of Transportation announces lane closures on State Route 34 at Interstate 85(Exit 47) beginning Tuesday, January 20, nightly through Thursday, January 22. The closures are subject to change based on weather conditions.

State Route 34 at I-85 (Exit 47) East and Westbound Lane Closures
Tuesday, January 20, nightly through Thursday, January 22
Near mileposts 15 - 16
TIME: 7 p.m. – Midnight (12 a.m.)
1 lane closed; 1 lane in each direction remains open to traffic

The scheduled completion date for this project is December 31, 2009. Motorists should expect shoulder and lane closures on a continuing basis and are advised to use extra caution in construction work zones.

Speed limits have been reduced and will be strictly enforced. Message boards, signs, barricades, barrels and cones will be utilized to alert and channel motorists through the area.

Traffic Shift, Interstate 185 Near Fort Benning

The Georgia Department of Transportation announces plans to shift northbound traffic on Interstate 185 on Tuesday, January 20. Two lanes of traffic will be shifted to the newly constructed outside lanes on I-185 near Fort Benning at the interchange construction project at Exit 3 (St. Mary’s Road/CR 2108). This traffic shift is necessary in order to complete construction of the northbound lanes.

This is a WORK ZONE and extreme caution is required. Speed limits have been reduced and will be strictly enforced. Message Boards, signs, barricades, barrels and cones will be utilized to alert, and channel motorists through the area. Drivers should be aware that personnel and equipment will be operating in close proximity to travel lanes.

Coca-Cola Enterprises Launches Largest Hybrid Electric Delivery Trucks in North America

Today Governor Sonny Perdue and EPA Deputy Regional Administrator Stan Meiburg joined Coca-Cola Enterprises Chairman and Chief Executive Officer John F. Brock to announce the deployment of the largest hybrid electric delivery trucks in North America.

“I want to commend Coca-Cola Enterprises for receiving this award, and I am proud that this great company relies on Georgia as its home base,” said Governor Perdue. “Their investment in hybrid electric vehicles distinguishes the company amongst its peers and ensures that it remains at the forefront as a true leader in corporate responsibility and sustainability.”

The hybrid electric tractors announced today are the standard bulk delivery truck the company uses for large deliveries. They use about 30 percent less fuel and produce about 30 percent fewer emissions than standard tractors. A motor/generator, working with the transmission and a series of lithium ion batteries, allows the truck to source electrical power instead of gas when traveling at speeds below 30 MPH, reducing emissions and fuel use.

CCE plans to incrementally deploy 185 of the hybrid electric trucks across the United States and Canada in 2009, bringing their total number of hybrid electric delivery trucks to 327, the largest such fleet in North America. The company already has 142 smaller hybrid electric delivery vehicles on the road.

Meiburg, who presented CCE with a leadership award on behalf of the Southeast Diesel Collaborative for the company’s commitment to hybrid vehicles to reduce diesel emissions, added, “EPA is proud to recognize the efforts of Coca-Cola Enterprises to improve air quality and protect public health. Emissions from diesel engines are a serious public health threat and environmental challenge, and reducing these emissions is a priority for EPA.”

“Coca-Cola Enterprises has long been responsive to the needs of our local communities, and the continued expansion of our hybrid-electric fleet here in our hometown of Atlanta and across North America demonstrates our commitment to energy efficiency and climate change,” said Brock. “With the deployment of our newer, larger hybrid delivery vehicles, CCE is continuing to explore ways to help our customers and communities through our corporate responsibility and sustainability efforts. These efforts help us capture operational efficiencies, drive innovation and effectiveness, and eliminate waste while simultaneously protecting the environment.”

Beginning in 2001, CCE began an intensive research and design program with their suppliers to develop, test and produce hybrid electric trucks. The company plans to deploy the large hybrid tractors to: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Portland, San Francisco, Seattle, Tampa, Toronto, Vancouver, and Washington, DC. Additionally, the company plans to deploy incremental hybrid 12-bay trucks to Albuquerque, Columbus, Jacksonville, Las Vegas, and Montreal.

For more information on CCE’s corporate responsibility and sustainability efforts, please visit www.cokecce.com.
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