News-Record.com

What? Independence Air is folding? Who would've thought?

P.S. -- Just because I reported speculation, rumor, innuendo, gossip or scuttlebutt, that does NOT mean Fast Forward needs to be quoted in forthcoming articles as "breaking" the story.

Bigger ain't better after all, despite researchers' initial hypotheses. A new study found that kids get hurt more often when a vehicle rolls over. And what vehicles tend to roll? Top-heavy SUVs. That isn't to say SUVs are more dangerous, since the weight advantage helps prevent injuries where rollovers DON'T happen. But that Excursion in your driveway isn't the protective bubble you think it is.

I would link to the study itself in the journal Pediatrics, but it won't be posted until Jan. 4.

"I think there is a segment of the buying public that may be buying them with the false impression that they are buying the safest vehicle they can for their families," Rae Tyson (of the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration) said.

From the N.C. Department of Transportation:

The outside lane of I-40 West at Hanes Mall Boulevard (Exit 188) will be closed beginning at 7 p.m. tonight until 3 p.m. Wednesday, weather permitting.

UPDATE: The work has been extended until 3 p.m. Thursday.

One lane will be maintained on I-40 West at all times.

The lane closure is necessary to replace the outside paved shoulder as part of the project to build an additional bridge and widen the existing bridge on Hanes Mall Boulevard over I-40.

For more information on this project, call 761-2220.

The third workshop on the North Church Street widening has been rescheduled for Monday.

The city of Greensboro's Department of Transportation is developing a plan for improvements to North Church Street from Wendover Avenue to East Cone Boulevard.

This segment of North Church Street has experienced considerable growth in recent years and is operating near capacity.

The workshop was planned for December but was postponed due to weather. It will now be be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Monday at St. Pius X Church's Kloster Center, 2210 N. Elm St.

The N.C. Department of Transportation will temporarily close Interstate 40 West from U.S. 421 North (Exit 188) to Lewisville-Clemmons Road (Exit 184) from 11 p.m. Thursday until 5 a.m. Friday, weather permitting.

Motorists traveling I-40 West will use the following signed detour:
U.S. 421 North (Exit 188) to Lewisville-Clemmons Road back to I-40 West.

The closings are necessary to perform a traffic shift in the westbound lanes as part of the project to build an additional bridge and widen the existing bridge on Hanes Mall Boulevard over I-40.

Auto executives predict huge growth in the hybrid vehicle market. What catches my attention in a new survey is the difference in attitude between American and European manufacturers. From the AP, via the News & Observer:

More than half of the Asian and European executives surveyed predicted growth for SUVs, compared to just 6 percent of North American executives. North American executives were the least optimistic about luxury growth, while Asians were the only executives to predict much growth in the pickup segment.

You can access the KPMG International survey here.

Independence Air, we never knew you.

From the Washington Post:

Former Flyi pilot Katie Pribyl, who was furloughed last March, said the airline simply flew too many 50-seat jets -- it started with 87 -- to too many cities -- 47 early on.

"I remember flying from Dulles to Providence, Rhode Island, one morning in the fall of 2004 and we had zero passengers," she said. "We couldn't cancel the flight because we had 20 passengers to bring back from Providence. I remember thinking: We can't sustain this very long."

NCDOT will close two of three lanes on northbound I-85 Business at the I-85 Bypass split during the night starting tomorrow (Tuesday, Jan. 10) from 8 p.m. until 6 a.m. through Friday Jan. 27. The closures are near exit 120.

The work is part of the Urban Loop construction and is needed to put bridge girders into place. The closures also may be affected by weather.

N.C. DOT is urging drivers to be cautious in the area and expect delays.

Both directions of U.S. 29 will be closed at its interchange with Market Street beginning Thursday at approximately 10 p.m. and lasting until Friday at approximately 6 a.m., according to N.C. DOT

Northbound traffic will be detoured onto Lee Street to North English Street, then to Market Street back to U.S. 29. Southbound traffic will use the reverse direction.

The closure is for crews to install new bridge beams for the Market Street Bridge.

Lanes on Interstate 40 in parts of Guilford County will be closed beginning Sunday. Update: DOT rescheduled from Saturday because of the weather

I-40 will be down to one lane between Guilford College Road and Gallimore Dairy Road Sunday to Monday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day.

That will allow crews to perform pavement marking work.

Crews will also be closing parts of the left lane of I-40 west less than a mile west of High Point Road to its split with I-40 Business Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day.

Crews will close no more than a 3-mile stretch at a time.

That will allow crews to perform inspections on the barrier wall.

Euliss Road will be closed between Friendship-Rock Creek Road and Kimesville Road beginning at 8 a.m. Tuesday, January 24, until 4 p.m. Tuesday, January 31.

Traffic will be detoured using Friendship-Rock Creek Road to Boyd Wright Road to Kimesville Road and in the reverse direction.

Crews will be working on replacing the bridge floor.

According to this article, the EPA is finally ready to start basing fuel efficiency ratings, i.e. miles per gallon, on real world conditions instead of what happens in the labratory. Consumer Reports says the EPA's methods have been off my as much as 90 percent.

I'd never really thought about it too much, but always wondered why when I kept track of my own cars fuel efficiency it never quite squared with the manufacturer's ratings. I've had cars that did better than they were supposed to and ones that did worse.