Albuquerque #publictransit use rising dramatically

Albuquerque Business First: "“Americans’ transportation habits have changed. The average American drives 7.6 percent fewer miles today than when per capita driving peaked in 2004,” the study said. “Most urbanized areas have seen increases in public transit use and bicycle commuting and decreases in the share of households owning a car,” the study added."

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Columbiana, Alabama to start free circulator trolley

AL.com: "Starting this spring, the municipality will utilize the trolley it purchased from the City of Charlotte, N.C., in November to serve as free public transportation on a route hitting popular places throughout town five days a week.

"What we're going to do is come up with a circular route around town for the high-density places, the places people go: the post office, the doctor offices, the apartment complexes, the schools, the ballparks, the Piggly Wiggly, downtown," Handley said.

"I'm really excited about it. It really serves two purposes: We've got a world of people here who are walking and carrying their supplies home and things like that. For them it's certainly going to be a very practical thing and much needed here in our town. And it's going to be a good thing for tourism and special events and public relations," he said."

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Why more Triangle motorists are using public transit

Triangle Business Journal: "A beefed-up transit infrastructure is making public transportation more appealing to Triangle commuters, as confirmed by a recent report that shows transit ridership has nearly doubled. At just $1 for local fare, it’s easy to see why."

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NC Triangle #publictransit - 30 months of double digit ridership increase

Triangle Business Journal: "“The trend of increasing public transportation ridership also has a positive impact on our highway network,” Walls says. “The more cars we get off of the road, congestion will be less and maintenance will not need to be performed as frequently.”"

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Floridians are driving less, relying more on mass transit, study finds

Tampa Bay Times: "A study released Wednesday by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group found that people living in Florida's most populous areas are driving less, mirroring a national trend among urbanites. And in places like Sarasota, Miami and the Tampa Bay area, people are relying more on public transportation, such as buses and rail, to ferry them around."

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Dad Arrested For Picking Up Kids At School By Foot

The Urban Country: "A Tennessee father was arrested recently by an overzealous officer for picking his children up at school by foot. The school’s policy is that children can only be picked up by parents driving cars or kids can board a school bus."

Amsterdam school pick-ups – Photo by James Schwartz / The Urban Country - See more at: http://www.theurbancountry.com/2013/11/dad-arrested-for-picking-up-kids-at-school-by-foot.html

Meanwhile, in Amsterdam, parents chat while waiting for kids.

Governor's Oklahoma United We Ride Council - Home

Governor's Oklahoma United We Ride Council - Home:

"Vision Statement

Create an Oklahoma transportation system that supports/meets the needs of all Oklahoma citizens including older adults, people with disabilities and low income individuals.

Mission Statement

UWR will Partner in the development, outreach, and marketing of the Oklahoma Mobility Management Network with the understanding that public awareness of existing transportation services has the potential to help Oklahomans meet their transportation needs."

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Children less fit. We need #walkable neighborhoods.

Slow-poke generation? Kids less fit than their parents were, study finds | CTV News: "DALLAS -- Today's kids can't keep up with their parents. An analysis of studies on millions of children around the world finds they don't run as fast or as far as their parents did when they were young.
On average, it takes children 90 seconds longer to run a mile than their counterparts did 30 years ago. Heart-related fitness has declined 5 per cent per decade since 1975 for children ages 9 to 17."

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Three-foot higher sea levels could flood $156 billion of Florida’s real estate

Quartz: "Florida’s 1,197-mile (1,926 km) long coast line has long been some of the hottest real estate in the country for retirees and beach lovers. Billions worth of those homes are likely to soon be underwater—and not in the real estate sense.
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“$76 billion of Florida property sits on land less than two feet [0.6 meters] above the high tide line,” says a recent report (pdf) co-authored by Climate Central, a group of scientists. ”Within less than the term of a 30-year mortgage, sea level rise could cause floods this high to occur once every five years, or even every year, depending on location within the state.”"

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Tupelo considers public transportation options

WTVA.com: "TUPELO, Miss. (WTVA) — According to the American Public Transportation Association, Americans took over 10 billion trips on public transportation in 2012, and now, the city of Tupelo and the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) is looking at ways to adopt its own public transit system.

For many, the idea of having public transportation in Tupelo is long overdue.

"Today was one of the most encouraging things I've heard since being on the council," said Councilman Buddy Palmer. "I think we have a great opportunity. We're gonna set up some meetings, and I think this could be a reality. I really do.""

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#climatechange soaks Austin, TX

Floodwater rose 11 feet in 15 minutes | KXAN.com: "AUSTIN (KXAN) - Floodwaters roared into neighborhoods along Onion Creek at nearly double the average flow rate of Niagara Falls, the U.S. Geological Survey said."

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Metro Atlanta Speaks survey shows strong support for public transit

SaportaReport: "One of the most striking results of the survey was the strong support for public transportation.

More than 71 percent of respondents replied that improved public transportation was “very important” for the Atlanta region’s future.

When asked what was the best way to fix traffic challenges in the region, 41 percent cited improvements in public transportation and 30 percent said the solution was for better roads and highways."

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Is your #publictransit authority running empty buses a lot? Watch this:

Broward County poll: 77% want #publictransit to be top transport priority

Broward County public transportation plan must address funding gap - Sun Sentinel: "The demand for transit in Broward County is growing, with a 10 percent increase over the past five years in the number of people who need public transit.

An April poll of 502 voters in Broward found that "the top issue of local concern is traffic, transportation and infrastructure/roads,'' and 77 percent said that expanding public transportation should be a top priority for the county."

Downtown Dallas Free Shuttle Service Begins in November

NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth: "The Dallas City Council has approved a two-year pilot project for a free downtown shuttle service with stops at more than a dozen sites.

The $2.5 million project approved Wednesday also involves bus operator Dallas Area Rapid Transit and the business group Downtown Dallas Inc. The city and the organizations will share the cost for the shuttle dubbed D-Link. The service begins Nov. 4."

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Memphis Bus Riders Union shows how to fight for #publictransit

Memphis Bus Riders Union/Sindicato De Pasajeros: "Myron & Bennett hold it down tight at Cooper-Young Fest where we signed up members and talked to festival goers about the sad state of public transportation in Memphis and how they can support the work of the MBRU!
Good work, gang!"

Public Tenants to Get Free Bus Rides from Lakeland Area Mass Transit

TheLedger.com: "LAKELAND | Add public housing residents to the growing list of customers getting a free ride with Polk County's public transit system.
...The pilot collaboration between LHA and the Lakeland Area Mass Transit District effectively eliminates transportation as a hurdle to getting a job, said Tom Phillips, LAMTD's executive director."

More detail on successful campaign of Memphis Bus Riders Union

Mid-South Peace and Justice Center: "Memphis Bus Riders Union (MBRU) made history this August in what seemed like an impossible feat: pushing the City Council to pass a resolution diverting funding from the Economic Development Growth Engine, a local government board designed to “serve a leading role in administering current economic development incentive programs” to the Memphis Area Transit Authority in order to restore funding MATA lost from Mayor A C Wharton’s FY 2014 budget cuts."

Waco, TX, students to ride free

City to allow WISD students to ride buses for free during school year - WacoTrib.com: Education: "“Public transportation is becoming more and more a part of this community,” Hendrickson said. “It’s extremely important to become efficient in how we transport people, and working with the students will allow us to get people to ride public transportation in the future, and to show them it’s a safe and effective way to get around.”"

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Free Miami-Dade public transit for seniors - Miami on the Cheap

Free Miami-Dade public transit for seniors - Miami on the Cheap: "Miami-Dade County’s Golden Passport program provides free travel on mass transit for permanent residents aged 65 and older. Younger Social Security recipients are eligible as well."

Business leaders get it. Cars are choking the economy in Tampa.

TBO.com: "Mass transit proponents say the area’s snarled highways and limited bus system are holding the economy back. If the county aspires to be a hotbed of high-tech startup companies and a magnet for high-paying jobs, a modern, efficient transit system is essential, they say.

“If you’re an entrepreneur, you don’t have time to sit in traffic for two hours, you need to be working,” Sharpe said. “These people are serious; they want to build companies, they want to grow the economy. They don’t want to sit in traffic.”"

Memphis Bus Riders Union wins victory, calls for more activism

Memphis Bus Riders Union/Sindicato De Pasajeros: "Today at the Memphis City Council, the Memphis Bus Riders Union won 470k in funding for MATA services. "

There is no way to make cars safe - "hand's free" a bust.

Hands-free tools make driving less safe | Technology | The Island Packet: "The fundamental problem is that safe driving demands attention, but multitasking divides our mental resources. "Just because a new technology does not take the eyes off the road does not make it safe to be used while the vehicle is in motion," Strayer wrote in the study."

Millions squandered on #autosprawl subsidy could be used for health and education

Transit Miami: "This interchange brought to you by the "State Department of Construction Welfare and Suburban Subsidies""

Memphis bus service cuts could cost jobs

FOX 13: "SOUTH MEMPHIS, Tenn. -
Bus riders say if MATA moves forward with cutting and changing bus routes, it could cost them their jobs."

Bus Riders Union

Two South Carolina business groups split from oil industry on #climate

Blue Tape Marks Climate Change Risks for Coastal Businesses - Businessweek: "The American Sustainable Business Council and another advocacy group, the Small Business Majority, plan to release a report Thursday showing that “small businesses with fewer locations and limited resources are particularly vulnerable to devastating extreme weather events,” according to a news release from the group."

Business people get it. #Publictransit means business

Execs driving Hillsborough to pursue mass transit system | Breaking Tampa Bay, Florida and national news and weather from Tampa Bay Online and The Tampa Tribune | TBO.com: "TAMPA - A group of business leaders told Hillsborough County elected officials Tuesday they need to start working now toward creating a workable mass transit system, even if it means raising taxes."

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Car culture keeps poor people poor

Public Transportation Isn't Just About Saving the Environment: "As it turns out (and as many of us could have guessed), cars, and urban planning that reifies and institutionalizes the car as the default mode of urban transportation at the expense of public transportation, are also terrible from the point of view of income inequality, as The New York Times learns from a new study that compares income mobility—the ability of people to move from one income bracket to another—across metropolitan areas:"

Murfreesboro Rover provides over a quarter million trips in a year

Officials: Rover shows mass transit can work | The Daily News Journal | dnj.com: "The Rover is a small step that was taken in 2007 toward a bigger system. From July 2012 through May 2013, the Rover logged 259,324 riders — a 119 percent increase from 2008’s 118,659 riders, according to the Murfreesboro transportation department."

Walking good for business

The Pedestrian Path: Life from a pedestrian's perspective: "I had suspected, based on my own behaviors,  that creating a friendlier environment to attract pedestrians, cyclists, and transit-users could be beneficial to the surrounding area in ways you usually don’t think about (normally just safety and appearances).

When I’m walking downtown, where walkability is at its peak in Kansas City, I often stop by the grocery store or maybe a coffee shop (my new, favorite detour goes by a local shoe store). And it makes sense. Stopping on a pedestrian journey is considerably easier when on foot/bike as opposed to in a car, where you have to pull over and find a parking space. Driving is about getting from A to B, while walking’s slowness forces you to enjoy and take advantage of the surroundings."

click title to read more...

Flash flood warnings from Gulf Coast to Ohio Valley

Uncredited / AP

An empty car is submerged in a flooded area of the parking lot of The Boardwalk on Okaloosa Island in Fort Walton Beach, Fla. on Friday.

U.S. News: "Flood and flash flood warning were issued Saturday for a vast area stretching from the Gulf Coast to the Ohio Valley."

Southern folks love #publictransit, did not get #Koch memo

TAPS Public Transit begins service in Collin County - North Texas e-News: "For many Collin County residents, TAPS provides a vital connection to work, school and community activities. The event was marked by a low-key ceremony this morning just after 7:00 a.m., at the Gateway Blvd. Park and Ride, as about a dozen county and city officials and TAP Public Transit executives gathered to take a test ride on a the “Parker Road Express,” the express shuttle service from McKinney to DART in Plano."

Nashville: Want talent? Get #transit.

tennessean.com: "Though it may not be as dire a problem as public education, public transportation requires a more urgent solution because it has a bearing on how young workers view Nashville today, not just when they have families.

The people we are depending on to drive Nashville’s economy want walk­able neighborhoods and convenient public transportation. In short, they want a true urban existence. If we don’t provide it, then they and the jobs they represent will go somewhere that does."

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Delray Beach: Take the [free] trolley around town

Sun-Sentinel.com: "A parade of red, white and blue is rolling into Delray Beach a few days before the city's Independence Day celebration. The new patriotic-colored trolley system will make its debut in the downtown area on Monday.

Three air-conditioned trolleys will make the Downtown Roundbout shuttle vans history. The service remains free to riders, each trolley can seat about 20 passengers and the hours have been extended on the two existing routes that run down Atlantic Avenue."

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Texas City to spend $6.3M to encourage walking, biking, and #publictransit

Houston Chronicle: "According to the master plan, the improvements would play a significant role in influencing a person's willingness to walk and consider other modes of travel like transit. It is estimated that this would result in an annual reduction of harmful air pollutants of 31 tons. This reduction is critical to the Houston-Galveston region, which doesn't meet federal air quality standards."

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Jacksonville Transportation Authority: Public transit saves you $800 a month

firstcoastnews.com: ""Gas is so high, like it's very challenging," said Shanita Taylor, a Jacksonville woman who no longer uses a car because of the high prices.

Instead, she relies on the city bus system, and on Thursday she joined others in dumping the pump.

She said, "The bus is great."

JTA estimates the average commuter could save more than $800 a month by using public transit instead of their car. That would add up to about $10,000 in savings every year."

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CTA gives free bus rides, prepares to add services in South Mississippi | Transportation | The Sun Herald

CTA gives free bus rides, prepares to add services in South Mississippi | Transportation | The Sun Herald: "BILOXI -- Passengers got a free ride on all Coast Transit Authority buses Thursday in celebration of national Dump the Pump day."

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Picking winners and losers. Cars win. People lose.

RALEIGH: Road Worrier: New transportation money formula could doom Triangle trains | Road Worrier | NewsObserver.com: "RALEIGH — State leaders are moving fast on a sweeping new transportation spending formula that will make it easier to find money for strategically important highway and freight railroad projects – and almost impossible to find money for passenger trains, sidewalks, bicycles and regional transit."

The smart money in real estate understands the value of #publictransit

Phoenix Business Journal: "High-performing schools and neighborhood amenities no longer are the key drivers of residential property values in the U.S. The mantra of the post-recession housing market is “location, location, location” — namely, urban atmospheres with easy access to public transportation."
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Red states love #publictransit

Taylor for Tulsa: "Make the Transportation System Work for Tulsans. Making Tulsa’s transportation system work for Tulsans requires more than just fixing streets and adding buses and bus routes; it requires understanding that Tulsans travel around the city in many different ways – driving cars, taking buses, riding bikes, and walking."

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Transition Movement spreading fast: here is Houston, TX

Transition Houston | Inspire, network, train, and adapt to promote sustainable living: "Transition Houston is an optimistic and energetic response to the dual challenges of climate change and peak oil at the local level. The Transition Movement supports the transition from oil dependency to local resilience by equipping communities with creative adaptations in areas such as food, energy, health, education, spirit and economy to generate a road map towards sustainable living."

Downtown Fort Worth plan, pedestrian-first focus, more #freetransit

Star-Telegram.com: "Another objective calls for working with The T and adjoining neighborhoods to perhaps expand the Molly the Trolley downtown circulator to include routes to the Stockyards, Cultural District and the near south side. The report suggests exploring a car-sharing program, which would operate much like the just-introduced bike-sharing program."

http://www.mollythetrolley.com/

Mad, reckless race for fuel profits throws caution to the wind

Fuel Barges Explode, Catch Fire in Ala.; 3 Injured - ABC News: "Multiple explosions aboard two fuel barges near Mobile, Ala., led to a major fire Wednesday night that left three people critically injured with burns and created a situation so unstable that fire and rescue officials decided to let the fire burn into the night."

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Changing Public Perception on Mass Transit is Critical to Preservation of Central Texas’ Limited Resources

Influence Opinions: "It’s going to take time to get Texans out of their cars and trucks, but shifting that state of mind among choice transit riders is one place to start. And I am excited to be a part of the team that hopes to change Texas public opinion on mass transit."

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Live by the sprawl, die by the sprawl. #itsthedemand

http://i.imgur.com/gQ51puj.jpg

The auto-system does not work. Does. Not. Work. When will you turn against it?

Three dead in 95-car pileup near Virginia, North Carolina state line - U.S. News: "Three people were killed and more that 20 injured in a massive series of pile-ups involving 95 cars on Interstate 77 near the Virginia and North Carolina state line Sunday afternoon, according to authorities."

Arkansas residents evacuate as Exxon-Mobil tar sands pipeline ruptures | The Raw Story

Arkansas residents evacuate as Exxon-Mobil tar sands pipeline ruptures | The Raw Story: "The burst pipe is part of the Pegasus pipeline network, which connects tar sands along the Gulf coast to refineries in Houston. Thousands of gallons of crude oil erupted from the breach around 3:00 p.m. on Friday, spilling through a housing subdivision and into the town’s storm drainage system, fouling drainage ditches and shutting down Highway 365 and Interstate 40."

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If #freetransit is good for airports, why not main street?

Ready to roll: Free, automated PHX Sky Train debuts April 8 - Phoenix News - KTAR.com: "PHOENIX - As of Monday, April 8, those traveling between Metro light rail and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport can catch a free, air-conditioned ride aboard PHX Sky Train."

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Florida seniors stranded by lack of #publictransit

NewsSun.com: "In the 2011 Transportation Disadvantaged Service Plan for Highlands, Hardee and Okeechobee Counties, prepared by the Central Florida Regional Planning Council, it is estimated that close to 10,500 elderly, low-income and disabled persons in Highlands County qualify as transportation disadvantaged."

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Car-culture cruel to disabled

Funding for Hall transit buses falls short of demand: "Elizabeth Morton uses the local Red Rabbit buses from Hall County Transit to do her grocery shopping and go to doctor appointments during the week. But after 5 p.m. and on weekends, she’s stuck because she can’t drive a car, even if she could afford one."

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Georgians for Better Transit: Stop privatization of MARTA

Georgians for Better Transit: "I am a native Atlantan and employee of MARTA who believes that transportation is a human right and does not believe that privatization will allow the citizens of dekalb, Fulton and the citizens of Atlanta the quality of transportation services that’s needed to maintain viable employment in the region if we privatize MARTA a system in which those citizens have paid into for the last 30 years. I Pledge along with my family members, friends, coworkers and community to do everything within our power to stop the privatization of MARTA."

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More highway building insanity - make it stop!

(via @transportnation)

Artist's impression of the I-4 Ultimate project through Orlando (Image courtesy of Florida Department of Transportation)

Toll Lanes Touted as Congestion Fix for Central Florida’s I-4 | Transportation Nation: "The Florida DOT is moving ahead with plans for the I-4 Ultimate project- a $2.1 billion dollar fix for I-4. The state’s prescription includes adding toll lanes to a 21-mile stretch of the interstate running through the heart of Orlando. The department aims to begin construction in 2015 and complete it by 2020."

Had enough yet? The auto-system does not work. Repeat, does not work.

Click here to watch on Ocala.com

Texas State Tech Students ride buses fare-free

Valley Metro adding two bus stops for TSTC route - Valley Morning Star : TSTC: "RGVM and TSTC recently agreed to offer TSTC students and employees free bus fare, and TSTC Associate Vice President of Administrative Services Charles D. Smith said the added stops help make the student experience at the Harlingen college more convenient."

Oklahoma City - over 300 people show up for #publictransit town hall

Dr. Ed Shadid hosted another Transit Townhall Meeting for OKC,

 which required DOUBLE the anticipated seating Credit: dwinslow

OKC Transit townhall meeting a success! - Oklahoma City Oklahoma City | Examiner.com: "The quaint event space, donated by the owners had arranged chairs for about 150. The seating had to be doubled on the fly to accommodate the crowd that arrived, and there were still many people standing for the hour long session."

Atlanta - Don't privatize MARTA

Rally against privatizing MARTA - CBS Atlanta 46: "ATLANTA (CBS ATLANTA) -
A rally against legislation that would privatize MARTA was held Thursday morning at the Five Points station. Participants spent several hours passing out pamphlets and collecting signatures from MARTA riders."

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Fare-Free in Mississippi - Bus system to link Starkville-MSU areas - SFGate

Bus system to link Starkville-MSU areas - SFGate: "Bus shelters will be constructed at various stopping points along each route, Harris said, and the system will be free to all passengers. GPS systems currently in use with campus routes will be in place to let passengers know where buses are on a route, how long it will take to get to their location and the vehicle's occupancy load."

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Transit riders get fit, stay relaxed | www.ajc.com

Transit riders get fit, stay relaxed | www.ajc.com: "“Once you’re on the train, it is pretty low stress.”"

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Climate disruption slamming the U.S. -- But fossil-fuel industry still paying people to deny it

Hardy Street in front of the University of Southern Mississippi campus is obstructed by debris blown by an apparent tornado in Hattiesburg, Miss., Sunday, Feb. 10, 2013. (AP Photo/The Student Printz, Jana Edwards)

Homes Wrecked, Dozen Hurt in Mississippi Tornado - ABC News: "A tornado tore through Hattiesburg on Sunday as part of a wave of severe storms that downed trees, damaged buildings and injured more than a dozen people."

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Time to admit it. The auto-system doesn't work. It is too dangerous.

Four killed in 27-car pile-up on Georgia highway | Reuters: "The crash, involving a tanker truck that ruptured and caught fire, shut down I-16 in both directions about 30 miles southeast of Macon, according to the Georgia Department of Public Safety.

The Georgia State Patrol said four people died and nine others were injured in a pile-up that investigators believe involved as many as 10 separate crashes."

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Oil Leak: Miss. River at Vicksburg Remains Closed - ABC News

Oil Leak: Miss. River at Vicksburg Remains Closed - ABC News: "Barges transporting commerce idled among the nearly four dozen vessels stacked up Tuesday along a normally bustling stretch of the Mississippi River, denied transit as crews feverishly sought to clean up leaking oil spilled in a weekend barge accident.

Workers have been skimming oily water around the clock near Vicksburg, Miss., ever since a barge carrying 80,000 gallons of oil struck a railroad bridge and began leaking before dawn Sunday. The accident forced the closure of a 16-mile stretch of the lower Mississippi, a major inland corridor for vessels carrying oil, Midwest grains, goods and other vital commerce."

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Oil spilled after two oil barges strike Mississippi River bridge - latimes.com

Oil spilled after two oil barges strike Mississippi River bridge - latimes.com: "Oil spilled into the Mississippi River after two oil barges hit a bridge near Vicksburg, Miss., early Sunday morning, the U.S. Coast Guard reported."

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