transportation

The Department of Transportation shall implement a Traffic Engineering program. The US has 250 million passenger vehicles and consumes 142 trillion gallons of gasoline per year (EIA). Despite this, traffic management is left up to cities and states which lack expertise in traffic management. Queuing methods that achieved a 5% reduction would create a savings of over 7 trillion gallons of gasoline in one year, yet this simple program does not require sweeping revision to our infrastructure.

Transportation needs really innovative re-thinking in terms of time and energy efficiency, beyond hybrids. The system of delivery of energy to vehicles could use a paradigm shift, to minimize the energy storage capacity required in vehicles, for example. Vehicles used only on streets could receive energy from distributed electrical (converted to low VDC at delivery point) or mechanical techniques (power transfer from continuously circulating steel bands along streets and freeways.)

1. Make a declaration of peace. (The U.S. will now make world peace its top foreign policy priority.) 2. Ask Americans to listen to each other. (Heal the divide by listening to people you disagree with.) 3. Close the Guantanamo Bay prison 4. Ratify the Kyoto Protocol. 5. Revive and greatly expand the railways.

Build guarded parking lots at all major intersections on interstate highways and run busses down the highways on half-hourly schedules to take people to major cities connected with the interstates. Advertise the "park and ride" program widely.