By W. Spencer King Nearly ninety percent of Americans drive to work everyday, the commute bookending the workday with traffic, red lights and monotony. Greenhouse gases contribute to climate change and smog, which are detrimental to both the environment and…
Blog Archives
Coalfields Expressway
Virginia Highway Project Raises Questions about Relationship Between Coal and Roads By Molly Moore Ever since Appalachian coal began to power the Industrial Revolution, this fuel has influenced the location and condition of roads in the coal-bearing regions. In Virginia,…
Are We There Yet?
The future of transportation is right around the bend — it’s just a matter of getting there. By Molly Moore Two-lane country highways snaking around bends, and gravel lanes winding through valleys, are part of the national image of Appalachia.…
A Solution Revolution
Renewable Energy and the Energy-Efficient Electric Vehicle By Jeff Deal While the electricity grid that powers much of the 21st century continues to benefit from the adoption of renewable energy sources like solar, wind and geothermal, vehicles powered by gasoline…
Expanding Access to Transportation for Those in Need
Getting to and from work, school or medical appointments can be a challenge for many of the region’s most vulnerable residents, but public and private programs are working to close the transportation gap.
Asphalt: A Sticky Issue for Communities
By Jamie Goodman There are nearly 2.6 million miles of paved roads in the United States, and 1.3 million miles of unpaved roads. In the early 2000s, the Federal Highway Administration launched a nationwide campaign to speed up the paving…
Oil Train Disasters Increase Safety Concerns
A train carrying crude oil derailed and ignited during a snowstorm in West Virginia on Feb. 17, sending a fireball into the sky. The inferno burned down one home and forced residents from three nearby towns to evacuate. At least one of the 25 overturned tankers spilled into a tributary of the nearby Kanawha River.
