Archive for June, 2009
June 30th, 2009
There’s a forwarded email going around suggesting that the Illinois Department of Transportation and the Illinois Tollway will start photo enforcement of speeding laws in construction zones tomorrow. It’s true, except for the timing - the program started in 2005. But since the Internet is all excited about it again, the highway agencies sent an update out this month. Here’s the key info:
The law states that first-time work zone speeders, including those caught on camera, will be hit with a fine of $375, with $125 of that sum going to pay off-duty State Troopers to provide added enforcement in construction or maintenance zones. Two-time offenders are subject to a $1,000 fine, including a $250 surcharge to hire Troopers, and the loss of their license for 90 days. Tickets received in a work zone require a mandatory court appearance
So don’t think you can speed through a construction zone just because you don’t see a cop. He could be sitting in a van taking your picture, and you won’t know until you get the ticket in the mail. There have been 8,000 issued statewide since 2005.
State officials say it’s one of the reasons construction zone accidents are down so much. “In 2003, there were 44 work zone traffic related fatalities with 5 workers killed. 2007 showed a consistent decrease resulting in 21 traffic related work zone fatalities with 2 workers killed.”
(Credit to the always helpful Snopes.com for being all over this)
EDIT: I started writing this last week and got sidetracked. In the interim, our wonderful editorial page did a better job clarifying the matter Monday. Sorry I missed it, Wally!)
June 30th, 2009
Slightly fewer people are this year, according to AAA Chicago. Even though gas prices are down nearly $1.50 a gallon, AAA projects travel being down 1.9 percent from last year and 12.3 percent from 2007. Basically, people are still struggling with the economy and thinking twice about discretionary spending - including travel.
I’m writing a story about this for tomorrow - and about what travelers should expect. Anyone going anywhere 50 miles or more for the weekend? Why or why not?
June 29th, 2009
Gas prices have now dropped 24 cents a gallon since June 9 in the Rockford region, and many places have it in the $2.60s. So much for the theory that it only goes up. This is a welcome break before July 4, but with $70 a barrel oil, I wonder if it will last.
Working on a story for the weekend about where prices seem to be headed. Any questions out there?
Here are the prices from this morning (courtesy of AAA’s fuelgaugereport.com):
Gasoline: Rockford dropped almost two cents to $2.69 a gallon today. We’re third in the state and 81st of the nation’s 280 metro areas. The Illinois average dropped slightly but stayed at $2.76 a gallon. The national average dropped slightly but stayed at $2.64 a gallon. Illinois has the eighth-highest gas prices in the nation, including the District of Columbia.
Diesel: Diesel prices had slipped ahead of gas prices over the weekend, but dropped back. Rockford dropped more than a cent to $2.68 a gallon. We have the third-highest diesel prices in the state. The state average stayed at $2.69. The national average remained at $2.63. Illinois has the 14th-highest diesel prices in the country, including the District of Columbia.
June 29th, 2009
According to a reader who had tickets to Myrtle Beach next month, flights on the Rockford route have been canceled from July 11 on. He got an email from Direct Air and talked to a representative who told him that Myrtle Beach flights will resume in November. That last part doesn’t make sense - Direct Air’s previous plan was to suspend Myrtle Beach flights this fall and restart in the spring. I can understand them stopping flights early, but I doubt we’ll see the route return until spring.
The airline’s Web site doesn’t indicate any flights to Myrtle Beach after July 11 at all.
Meanwhile, this apparently puts flights to Punta Gorda, Fla. - which piggybacked with Myrtle Beach -Â on hiatus. Direct Air isn’t selling seats there from mid-July to mid-September. The good news is that when flights return, they’ll apparently be nonstop (and yet, the online schedule has the flight times longer?).
More at BusinessRockford.com as I get it.
I’ll leave you with a question, since Direct Air has made a habit out of schedule changes like this. Do these kinds of changes - and the risk of having a flight canceled on you weeks from take off make you less likely to fly out of RFD? Allegiant Air tends to be much better on this front - they usually just don’t sell tickets at times they don’t want to fly - so it’s not like every airline does it here. But when it does happen, does it affect your view of the airport’s options?
(I say this as someone who has had two flights canceled on him, but would be willing to try again if the destination was right.)
June 25th, 2009
Gas prices dropped again today in the Rockford area, and are down 19 cents a gallon from June 9’s peak. I’m sure everyone would prefer sub-$2 gas, but this sure beats the $3 gas we were staring at earlier this month. Meanwhile, diesel prices stood still, which is a relative relief.
Here are the prices from this morning (courtesy of AAA’s fuelgaugereport.com):
Gasoline: Rockford dropped two cents to $2.74 a gallon today, an almost-10-cent drop in the past week. We’re third in the state and 71st of the nation’s 280 metro areas. The Illinois average dropped almost two cents to $2.79 a gallon. The national average dropped a cent to $2.67 a gallon. Illinois has the eighth-highest gas prices in the nation, including the District of Columbia
Diesel: Rockford stayed at $2.70 a gallon, an four-cent increase in the past week. We have the second-highest diesel prices in the state. The state average stayed at $2.69. The national average remained at $2.63. Illinois has the 13th-highest diesel prices in the country, including the District of Columbia.
June 24th, 2009
At a presentation by the Rockford Area Economic Development Council, where they’re talking about things like the trip to the Paris Air Show last week.
Eric Voyles, the group’s vice president of national business development, went and, according to a colleague, “didn’t even make it off the airport property” in Paris. In his time there, he made contact with 33 aerospace/aviation companies about Rockford, including seven “hot leads”. Those hot leads could lead to up to $100 million in development and 700 jobs from foreign companies. And, hopefully, a bonus eclair for Voyles.
The Rockford area has a burgeoining aerospace and aviation cluster, with more than 90 companies in those industries. The hope is to build on that to make Rockford a target for more companies.
June 24th, 2009
Just talked to Randall Brassell, spokesman for the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees - which represents track inspectors and others - about resident reports that the Canadian National Railway track through Rockford had washouts several times in recent years, including one that could have caused Friday’s derailment.
He said three in three years is not alarming. “It wouldn’t be uncommon to have washouts somewhere every time you have a major rainstorm.”
The question is what kind of precautions and inspections happened after the rain storms. And it’s too early to say that CN didn’t follow proper procedures, Brassell said: “I could see you having a big rainstorm and an inspector going out and riding the tracks and it looks fine and the water builds and washes out the tracks behind him.”
I’m going to talk to the union’s director of safety for a story this weekend, along with other sources. We’re trying to get corroborating data that there is a history of washouts on that track, and if there have been is there an unusual frequency.
Question for those who live in the area and/or are rail experts - are washouts there or in general fairly common? Anything unsusual about this situation? What do we need to know and ask in our reporting
June 24th, 2009
Chicago Rockford International Airport has a new ad campaign at the Belvidere tollway oasis. Here’s an appropriate sign next to the bathrooms:
June 24th, 2009
It’s played out as I predicted - Rockford region gas prices have dropped 17 cents since the peak on June 9, while the nation as a whole has gone up six cents since then. The supply problems in Chicagoland abated, sending our prices back down a bit. Nice to see a little balance in the markets.
Here are the prices from this morning (courtesy of AAA’s fuelgaugereport.com):
Gasoline: Rockford dropped almost two cents to $2.76 a gallon today, an eight-cent drop in the past week. We’re third in the state and 68th of the nation’s 280 metro areas, behind the entire states of California, Connecticut, Hawaii, New York, Oregon and Washington. The Illinois average dropped a cent to $2.81 a gallon, down just two cents in the past week. The national average dropped less than a cent to $2.68 a gallon, even with a week ago. Illinois has the eighth-highest gas prices in the nation, including the District of Columbia
Diesel: Bad news here, however. Rockford rose three cents to $2.70 a gallon, an four-cent increase in the past week and 43-cent hike in the past month. Diesel prices could pass gasoline prices this week. We have the second-highest diesel prices in the state. The state average stayed at $2.69. The national average remained at $2.63. Illinois has the 13th-highest diesel prices in the country, including the District of Columbia.
June 19th, 2009
Not much to report today - we’re still dropping some while the rest of the country rises. But our neighbors in Chicago have stopped falling, indicating a possible floor for us too. I guess we’ll see how the weekend plays out.D
Here are the prices from this morning (courtesy of AAA’s fuelgaugereport.com):
Gasoline: Rockford dropped three cents to $2.81 a gallon today, a seven-cent drop in the past week. We’re second in the state and 52nd of the nation’s 280 metro areas. Chicago remains ahead of us at $2.90. The Illinois average remained at $2.83 a gallon, down just a cent in the past week. The national average rose slightly but remained at $2.69 a gallon, up five cents in the past week. Illinois has the sixth-highest gas prices in the nation, including the District of Columbia
Diesel: Rockford rose three cents to $2.69 a gallon, an eight-cent increase in the past week and 46-cent hike in the past month. If this keeps up, diesel could pass gasoline again soon. We have the second-highest diesel prices in the state. The state average rose slightly but stayed at $2.67. The national average rose a cent to $2.62. Illinois has the 13th-highest diesel prices in the country, including the District of Columbia.
Previous Posts
