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Followup: Bridge backup from hour-and-a-half tow-truck wait = Case of 'confusion'November 21, 2014 at 10:51 am | In Transportation, West Seattle news | 16 Comments
10:51 AM: Remember last week's high-bridge backup, involving a lane blocked by a crash-damaged car that didn't get towed for an hour and a half?
(Our screengrab from just before the tow truck arrived – note the police car toward the right)
City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen has just published his tale of trying to sort out how that happened, and the bottom line is:
SPD told him they thought they are legally at the mercy of whatever the driver wanted to do about getting towed.
But – the City Attorney told Rasmussen – they weren't.
So, Rasmussen writes, SPD Chief Kathleen O'Toole promises she will "have officers trained to eliminate the confusion."
You can go here to read what he went through to find this out (including the behind-the-scenes timeline of last week's incident, which largely matches what we had reported, including a mention at one point of a possible 2-hour tow-truck wait).
P.S. Rasmussen adds that an even-longer delay from earlier this year – remember the 4-mile, 5-hour Highway 99 closure in June? – will get a review in the council Transportation Committee, which he chairs, at 9:30 am December 5th, along with "SDOT and SPD's new emergency incident response plan for these types of major closures." (You can read the "after-action report" about that incident here.)
ADDED 10:39 PM: Councilmember Rasmussen shares this forwarded e-mail sent department-wide by Chief O'Toole tonight:
From: O'Toole, Kathleen
Sent: Friday, November 21, 2014 5:33 PM
Subject: Impeding Traffic
The ability to move vehicles and people about the city can be seriously impeded by a single blocking vehicle. During a recent incident on the West Seattle Bridge, traffic was unnecessarily delayed for hours pending the arrival of a tow truck. Officers should know that a vehicle may be impounded WITHOUT prior notice if "the vehicle is impeding or is likely to impede the normal flow of vehicular or pedestrian traffic." (SMC 11.30.040) If an owner's selected tow company is not able to respond in a timely manner, the officer should request an impound via Communications to have the impeding vehicle removed from the scene promptly.
If disabled vehicles are not impeding the flow of pedestrian or vehicle traffic, owners may request tow companies of their choice.
Kathleen M. O'Toole
Chief of Police
Arbor Heights microsurfacing: Last call to tell SDOT what you thinkNovember 16, 2014 at 7:29 pm | In Arbor Heights, Transportation, West Seattle news | 9 Comments
It's been spotlighted on the SDOT website … it was brought up at this month's Westwood-Roxhill-Arbor Heights Community Council meeting … and we've received a nudge from the city about it: If you have anything to say to the city about the microsurfacing work on Arbor Heights this past summer, please take a few minutes and answer this online survey – which also gets into the broader topic of microsurfacing vs. chip seal vs. full road replacement (and even sidewalks).
Of bridges, buses, and boulevards: West Seattle Transportation Coalition's November toplinesNovember 12, 2014 at 10:22 pm | In Transportation, West Seattle news | 25 Comments
(Photo tweeted by @reeseryan at 7:39 am Wednesday)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Just hours before this morning's "high bridge" mess – one immobile car blocking a lane for more than an hour and a half because a tow truck wasn't quickly available – the West Seattle Transportation Coalition was talking about exactly that kind of scenario, and whether transportation authorities were ready for it.
WSTC is now pushing even harder for solutions, not just for that, but for the often-in-tandem situation of the "low bridge" shutting down to non-vessel traffic during commute hours – something Councilmember Tom Rasmussen confirms to WSB that he is now formally pursuing, for the third time.
But we're getting ahead of ourselves:
Click to read the rest of Of bridges, buses, and boulevards: West Seattle Transportation Coalition's November toplines…
First-ever 'strategic plan' in place, to steer King County Water Taxi service's futureNovember 9, 2014 at 10:13 pm | In King County Water Taxi, Transportation, West Seattle news | 19 Comments
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
While Metro bus funding and Sound Transit light rail have held the spotlight here lately, plans are being shaped for another transportation service's future: The King County Water Taxis.
They're in the just-approved, first-ever "strategic plan" for the King County Ferry District, which operates Water Taxi service on the downtown/Vashon and downtown/West Seattle runs – read the final version here or below:
One of the first steps to be taken is to end the Ferry District's existence as a separate entity. The County Council is scheduled to vote on "assuming governance" of the district during its 11 am meeting tomorrow, one week after, sitting as the Ferry District Board chaired by West Seattle's Councilmember Joe McDermott, it approved the strategic plan.
Another big decision ahead: Funding, with the plan describing the service as ""currently financially unsustainable given annual revenue, service costs, and current and near-term capital improvement needs."
Consolidating the district into county government will help, according to the plan, because it "will eliminate redundant functions of the District and County. Separate District contracts for Legal and Accounting services can be terminated and Ferry District staff will not be needed. The annual savings from consolidation can go directly to providing services."
But that won't cover the gap, the report suggests. From the plan, here's a chart showing what's happened:
Click to read the rest of First-ever 'strategic plan' in place, to steer King County Water Taxi service's future…
Fauntleroy talks traffic. City reps listen. But did they hear?November 7, 2014 at 7:02 pm | In Fauntleroy, Transportation, West Seattle news | 25 Comments
From last night's traffic/transportation forum organized by the Fauntleroy Community Association: Residents voiced frustration at what they saw as a history of all talk/no action, leaving them bringing up the same problems year in, year out. So here's what was talked about, in that context:
Click to read the rest of Fauntleroy talks traffic. City reps listen. But did they hear?…
Election 2014: Transit taxes passing – what will your money buy?November 5, 2014 at 1:51 pm | In Transportation, West Seattle news, West Seattle politics | 36 Comments
(WSB photos by Torin Record-Sand)
West Seattle Metro riders will get more buses with the money from Transportation Benefit District Prop 1, which got 59 percent of the first round of the November 4th vote. That's according to the "framework of an agreement on transit funding and service delivery between Seattle and King County," as distributed at today's post-election briefing downtown, with city and county leaders including Mayor Ed Murray, County Executive Dow Constantine, and City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen, plus local transit advocates. We recorded it all on video (added, 3:05 pm):
Here are the West Seattle highlights, as promised in a 2-page doc distributed today (see it here):
*A list of "neighborhoods that will get more buses" includes Admiral, Alaska Junction, Alki, Arbor Heights, Delridge, Fauntleroy, Gatewood, Morgan Junction, Pigeon Point, Roxhill, Westwood Village
*"More buses on … chronically overcrowded routes" including RapidRide C Line, starting next June
*"Revised schedules on … chronically unreliable" routes including RapidRide C Line, 21X, 21, 37, 55, 56, also to start next June
*"Better frequency with more trips per hour on at least 28 high-demand routes" including RapidRide C Line and 125; this is to be "phased in between June and September 2015″
Also promised: An "expanded network of frequent transit," defined as every 15 minutes or better.
So how will you be sure you're getting something for your money? Another handout sheet (see it here) promises:
The agreement will:
-Require robust ridership and performance data reporting by Metro
-Allow for regular financial reviews and independent third-party audits of Metro finances and performance data
-Reduce city responsibility for county administrative overhead
-Credit Seattle for higher farebox revenue roduced on city trolleybus routes
-Pay only the annual share of new buses required for increased service
-Protect against supplanting
Constantine reiterated at today's event that the extra funding is only a "bridge" until the Legislature fixes transportation funding someday.
Transit advocates who were there included West Seattleite Marci Carpenter:
(By the way, we learned today that Carpenter is now the president of the National Federation of the Blind-Washington – congratulations!)
P.S. In case you forgot the details of Proposition 1, here's the heart of it, from the ballot:
To fund transit service in Seattle, the Seattle Transportation Benefit District seeks voter approval to impose an annual vehicle-license fee up to an additional $60 per vehicle, with a $20 rebate for low-income individuals, and an additional sales-and-use tax of no more than 0.1%. Each would expire no later than December 31, 2020. Combined, they would raise approximately $45,000,000 annually.
After administrative costs, including the rebate program, revenue will be used to fund: (1) Metro Transit service hours on routes with more than 80% of their stops within Seattle, with funding first being used to preserve existing routes and prevent Metro's proposed service cuts and restructures scheduled to start in February 2015; (2) up to $3,000,000 annually, to support regional transit service on bus routes that enter or terminate service within the City of Seattle; and (3) up to $2,000,000 annually, to improve and to support access to transit service for low-income transit riders.
Any remaining revenues may be used to address overcrowding, reliability, and service frequency within the City of Seattle. Revenues will not supplant other funding for any routes partially or completely operating within Seattle that Metro would otherwise provide in accordance with the adopted Metro Transit Service Guidelines. More about this proposal can be found at: http://www.seattle.gov/stbd/documents/resolution_12_s.pdf
Highway 99 tunnel: Digging resumes at 'rescue' pit siteNovember 3, 2014 at 2:40 pm | In Alaskan Way Viaduct, Transportation, West Seattle news | 3 Comments
2:40 PM: A week and a half after the discovery of shells stopped excavation at the Alaskan Way Viaduct-side pit where the tunneling machine's damaged cutter head will be pulled out, the digging has resumed. So announced WSDOT this afternoon, saying archaeologists gave the tunnel contractor clearance on Sunday to get going again. According to the announcement, they "believe the shell deposits are the product of commercial shellfish activities carried out by early Seattleites around the turn of the 20th century." Therefore, they weren't believed to be "culturally or historically significant," and work was allowed to resume.
3:37 PM: Any further delay for the timeline? we asked WSDOT spokesperson Laura Newborn. Her reply: "STP has not given WSDOT an updated timeline. As recently as last month, STP said it expected it would get the front end of the machine up and out of the ground sometime in December, and that it still expected repairs to be finished by the end of March."
Sound Transit light rail for West Seattle? Constantine, McDermott announce they'll seek to get WS into ST's updated planOctober 30, 2014 at 3:47 pm | In Transportation, West Seattle news | 40 Comments
Will light rail for West Seattle be written into Sound Transit's forthcoming long-range-plan update? Two West Seattle-residing elected officials said at a ST board meeting today that they will support amending the plan to call for "high-capacity transit service" for WS in that update: County Executive Dow Constantine (who chairs the board) and County Councilmember Joe McDermott (who's a board member). Here's the news release:
King County Executive and Sound Transit Board Chair Dow Constantine and King County Council and Sound Transit Board member Joe McDermott today moved to add future high-capacity transit service to West Seattle and Burien to the Long-Range Plan now being prepared for Sound Transit.
Click to read the rest of Sound Transit light rail for West Seattle? Constantine, McDermott announce they'll seek to get WS into ST's updated plan…
West Seattle scene: 35th SW meeting, afternoon editionOctober 28, 2014 at 6:02 pm | In Safety, Transportation, West Seattle news | Comments Off
The second of two meetings for the 35th Avenue SW Safety Project has wrapped up at Southwest Branch Library. We stopped by during the feedback session, post-presentation (if you missed the former, our report on the first meeting includes both video of the entire presentation plus the slide deck). SDOT's project manager Jim Curtin says about 40 people attended – that's what we counted at meeting #1 – but this group had some different interests, including parking. Listening to attendees who were invited to look at drawings of the road and write their thoughts next to specific areas, we heard continuing concerns that a "road diet" is in the cards. And again, Curtin said no plan's been drawn up yet, but if a road diet is tried and doesn't work – as happened in The Junction some years back – it can be undone by repainting the road.
WHAT'S NEXT: SDOT plans to continue "outreach" while creating design concepts, November through January; then in February (no specific dates announced yet) design alternatives will be unveiled and reviewed during another round of meetings. Questions or comments? email@example.com is the address to use.
West Seattle sinkhole followup: Sewer-line repair under wayOctober 28, 2014 at 12:40 pm | In Transportation, Utilities, West Seattle news | Comments Off
(WSB photo from Monday morning as SDOT arrived to block off the sinkhole site)
Following up on the sinkhole first reported here Monday morning, on 45th SW between Alaska and Edmunds west of The Junction: Seattle Public Utilities confirms a broken sewer line is to blame, and says repair work is under way, likely to continue a few days. Here's the notice they're distributing in the neighborhood today:
Neighbors pointed out that the area had been patched before, but suddenly yesterday morning, it turned into what the city calls a "void."
Highway 99 tunnel-machine rescue pit digging on hold after 3 daysOctober 23, 2014 at 6:47 pm | In Alaskan Way Viaduct, Transportation, West Seattle news | 38 Comments
As reported here just three days ago, WSDOT announced digging had begun for the pit going down 120 feet to rescue the Highway 99 tunnel-machine cutter head. Tonight, WSDOT has announced the digging is on hold. Here's the entire update:
On Oct. 23, WSDOT archaeologists monitoring the access pit excavation observed a deposit containing shell material that requires further evaluation and may indicate the presence of cultural materials. No artifacts or human remains were found. WSDOT has very strict protocols when archeological material is discovered and those protocols were followed today. Excavation activities in the access pit have stopped and we are now coordinating with the Federal Highway Administration and tribal governments, and the Washington State Department of Archeology and Historic Preservation to determine the next steps. As more information is available to share with the public, we will pass it along.
The image above is a screengrab from the project's monitoring cameras, which are online "live" here.
1,065 crashes in 10 years on 3 miles of 'I-35.' Safety project begins, to create a 'more forgiving' streetOctober 23, 2014 at 3:45 am | In Safety, Transportation, West Seattle news | 62 Comments
By Tracy Record & Patrick Sand
West Seattle Blog co-publishers
(September 2006 reader photo, memorial at 35th/Graham)
Susanne Scaringi …
Their names weren't all spoken during Wednesday night's launch meeting for the 35th SW Road Corridor Safety Project. But the knowledge that five crashes on "I-35″ had ended their lives – five deaths in seven years – hung heavy.
"There are so many reasons we want to eliminate these serious crashes," said SDOT's Jim Curtin, opening the first "issue identification" meeting for the project, which he is managing. "… We want to create a street that's more forgiving, so when people do make mistakes, the consequences aren't so tragic."
What began Wednesday night – 8 months after it was promised – is intended to result in changes and improvements within a year, along the three miles of 35th between Avalon and Roxbury – three miles that have seen 1,065 crashes in the past 10 years, Curtin said.
(May 2013 crash at 35th/Roxbury: WSB photo by Christopher Boffoli)
Distraction is blamed for about a third of the crashes. After that: Speeding, impairment, failure to grant right-of-way. Despite the absence of a major safety campaign, there has been progress.
(October 2008 speed sign at 35th/Willow, where recent studies showed the highest average speed)
The speed limit along the project area is 35 mph; studies from the past year show that speeds have "come down considerably since 2007," Curtin said, but they are still over the limit. 85 percent of the traffic is going almost 41 mph at SW Willow, 38.5 mph at SW Brandon, 36.5 mph at SW Roxbury. At those speeds, "we're rolling the dice .. pedestrians do not typically do well" if hit at those rates of speed.
Backing up: He began with a presentation; not recommendations or suggestions, but instead, the project's goals and facts. We recorded those first 46 minutes on video, including some Q/A:
Below, you'll see the slide deck Curtin walked through during that opening presentation:
Curtin stressed that 35th is "a neighborhood" – 488 parcels along the three-mile stretch in the project zone, 73 percent of them single-family homes, 11 percent apartments/condos/townhouses – so when there are crashes, they are virtually (and sometimes literally) "in people's front yards":
(January 2010 crash at 35th/Cloverdale – WSB reader photo by Bruce)
While he stressed repeatedly that "tonight, we're not jumping into solutions at all," it was clear that some are eager, even ravenous, for solutions. One man who said he's had two cars "totaled, absolutely totaled" decried people who drive on 35th SW "as if it were the Indianapolis 500," particularly in the years since it became the last north-south two-lanes-each-way road through the heart of West Seattle.
(Seen April 2010 at 35th/Webster, shared by MAS)
He continued, "If you put 35th on a road diet, you won't need more people to enforce (the speed limit)." (He was challenged loudly by other attendees and Curtin had to put the brakes on what almost accelerated into a shout-down.)
The speed van and radar trailers are among the measures implemented since 2007 that have brought speeds down somewhat, "but there is still room for improvement," Curtin declared. (Our archives include this long list of changes made as of a 2008 discussion (note that a road-diet study was mentioned then, six years ago).
Police enforcement has brought some progress over the years.
(WSB photo: April 2011 emphasis patrol on 35th)
Southwest Precinct commander Capt. Steve Wilske told attendees about an enforcement period in which SPD made contact with 200 drivers over four months, with 70 pulled over for "talking on a cell phone while driving," 40 for speeding, and the other 90 for "various violations" (including other forms of distracted driving). He said they might be back on 35th, and they are hoping to "do the same thing … in different areas." The overtime is covered by grants they seek.
In Q/A, Curtin and Wilske were asked how road design might affect the stated major causes of crashes, distraction and impairment. "The way we design our streets have a huge impact on how people behave on our streets," Curtin replied. "We have great big wide streets," and, for example, that encourages people to speed, he says. "That's why in Seattle our neighborhood streets are designed to be 25 feet wide with parking on both sides," very little room to speed.
One resident of 35th mentioned that other drivers "don't like their momentum broken" by, for example, his necessary turns into his own driveway, or buses slowing/stopping to pick up people. He suggested it would be worse "with three lanes" – referring to widespread suspicion that a "road diet" (rechannelization) is already decided. "Nobody's said anything about three lanes at this point," said Curtin, reiterating that this is the discussion stage, not the design stage.
But the topic came up again and again, and Curtin mentioned something he's said before – that while Seattle has "done more than 30 road diets," usually preceded by "gloom and doom," the latter does not come to pass. (Fauntleroy Way SW, rechannelized in 2009, is a frequent example.)
Another point he made: While every intersection is a legal crosswalk – and you're required to stop – SDOT won't mark them "on roads like 35th" unless there is a signal. If they "change things significantly on 35th," that would allow more marked crossings, he noted.
Was there ever a traffic change that didn't work out? Curtin was asked. He brought up California SW, "which we put on a road diet twice, in 1970s and 1990s," and while, he said, it worked well along most of the stretch, it did not work in the heart of The Junction, so they reversed it. "And that's the beauty of a road diet – it's just paint," so if it doesn't work out, the road can be repainted.
That led to a question about the state of SW Alaska, westward from 35th. Curtin pointed out its status as a bus route – "every time a RapidRide bus passes you, that's hundreds of people who would (otherwise) be in cars" – as some solace for traffic concerns.
After those 46 minutes of presentation plus Q/A, breakout conversations were offered for topics including a proposed neighborhood greenway on 34th SW, which will be studied, Curtin said, next year – and what Curtin acknowledged might be "difficult choices" involving hot topics such as parking and channelization.
The 40-plus people in attendance were invited to offer their thoughts at three tables – broken geographically into the north, central, and south sections of 35th. Notes were written on huge sheets of paper mapping section of I-35.
WHAT'S NEXT: Curtin couldn't stress enough that this is the input phase – offer your comments and concerns now, before something is designed/proposed. Next big chance to do that is meeting #2, same format as this one, though Curtin promised "tweaks": 3:30 pm next Tuesday (October 28th), 3:30-5 pm at Southwest Branch Library, which, unlike Wednesday night's venue, is on 35th (at SW Henderson) … a spot where we've covered a few crashes in the past year alone, including this one exactly one year ago:
(WSB photo: October 2013 crash at 35th/Henderson)
In February of next year, SDOT expects to unveil and circulate "design alternatives," with a decision to be made in spring. In the meantime, if you have something to say, say it, urges Curtin: "If anyone feels they're not being heard at these meetings, send me an e-mail at any time (email@example.com) … I'd be happy to come out and walk the corridor with you … I'd be happy to meet with you whenever and wherever."
What would YOU do to make 35th SW safer? Come tell SDOT Tuesday – or via the contact options here.
Tale of two pits: Highway 99 tunnel-machine rescue update; Murray CSO tank site overviewOctober 20, 2014 at 12:47 pm | In Transportation, Utilities, West Seattle news | 18 Comments
Whole lot of digging going on around the city these days. Two new views:
TUNNEL-MACHINE RESCUE: WSDOT says digging has officially begun for the pit they'll use to pull up the Highway 99 tunnel machine's cutting head for repairs – the photo is a screengrab from one of their live construction cameras. Tons of info in this update. The pit will be 120 feet deep, which is twice as big as the West Seattle pit we're updating next:
OVERFLOW TANK PIT, HALFWAY THERE: Last Wednesday night, in our coverage of the Morgan Community Association's quarterly meeting, we reported the county's update on the excavation by Lowman Beach: They're halfway to what's expected to be a 60-foot-deep pit for the million-gallon Murray Combined Sewer Overflow Control Project storage tank. (It's known as Murray after the nearby street, which also is namesake for the pump station beneath the southeast side of Lowman Beach Park.) So we went over for a look (map). We're also checking on whether the delayed start of the extra digging sessions on Saturdays means a delayed end date.
ADDED 3:28 PM: According to county Wastewater Treatment Division spokesperson Doug Marsano, "Crews are making good progress – they're over 40 feet down now (about 2/3rds of the way) – but the rains forecasted for this week could hinder their progress. Currently, the project team expects to work 2 more Saturdays, extending into early November."
Fauntleroy Community Association invites neighbors to talk with city leaders about transportation challengesOctober 17, 2014 at 2:48 pm | In Fauntleroy, Transportation, West Seattle news | 1 Comment
Ongoing transportation/traffic concerns in Fauntleroy will get an airing in front of city reps including SDOT's new director in three weeks: Thursday, November 6th, is the time/date just announced by the Fauntleroy Community Association for its long-in-the-works community conversation about issues from speeding to sidewalks to parking, and beyond. FCA president Mike Dey says SDOT director Scott Kubly, DPD director Diane Sugimura, Mayor Murray's transportation adviser Andrew Glass Hastings, and City Council reps have all confirmed they'll be there, 7 pm at The Hall at Fauntleroy.
Making 35th SW safer: SDOT adds second community meetingOctober 17, 2014 at 10:22 am | In Safety, Transportation, West Seattle news | 13 Comments
(WSB photo from 2008: One of many safety rallies/demonstrations on 'I-35′)
Just in from SDOT: Two meetings are now planned to kick off the 35th SW safety-improvement program. The 6:30-8 pm meeting next Wednesday (October 22nd) at Neighborhood House's High Point Center was announced back in August; now, they're adding a meeting on Tuesday, October 28th, 3:30-5 pm at Southwest Branch Library. Plans for the "multi-year" safety project were first announced back in February, after years of crashes and concerns along what's been dubbed "I-35."
Touring the Junction/Triangle 'walkshed': Proliferation of plansOctober 16, 2014 at 12:51 pm | In Development, Transportation, West Seattle news | 10 Comments
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
West Seattle Junction Hub Neighborhood Plan …
West Seattle Triangle Streetscape Concept Plan ..
Seattle Pedestrian Master Plan …
Seattle Right of Way Improvements Manual …
Seattle Pedestrian Retail Areas plan …
One thing was clear during last Saturday's "walkshed" tour of the Junction/Triangle area, with Seattle Planning Commission reps listening to local community reps: There's no shortage of plans and documents covering the area, but there's a shortage of understanding in how they interact, interface, intersect, and what they mean.
The tour itself was linked to the Planning Commission's ongoing work on the city Comprehensive Plan update, dubbed Seattle 2035. The next big milestone for that is the environmental-impact statement, expected to be out early next year. And this is no bureaucratic bit of wonkiness to ignore: As was pointed out at the start of Saturday's event, this type of discussion preceded the 1990s-generated plan for "urban villages" including The Junction/Triangle – much of which is only now coming to pass, as was underscored by the current, future, and recent development sites passed (and often discussed) along the way.
But the topic wasn't just the dense heart of the Junction/Triangle, but also its single-family zones – like a stretch of 40th south of Edmunds and the major project sites bordering it on the north.
For backstory on the tour, see our coverage of last month's Junction Neighborhood Organization meeting (which included a slide deck setting the stage). To see what happened during the tour – read on:
Click to read the rest of Touring the Junction/Triangle 'walkshed': Proliferation of plans…
Update: West Seattle Transportation Coalition votes to endorse transit-funding measure, but no position on monorailOctober 14, 2014 at 9:06 pm | In Transportation, West Seattle news, West Seattle politics | 11 Comments
Two toplines so far from tonight's West Seattle Transportation Coalition meeting: WSTC voted to endorse the bus-funding measure on the November 4 ballot, officially Transportation Benefit District Proposition No. 1. And it voted NOT to endorse the monorail measure on the ballot, officially Seattle Citizen Petition No. 1. More to come.
ADDED WEDNESDAY MORNING: More toplines from the WSTC meeting:
Click to read the rest of Update: West Seattle Transportation Coalition votes to endorse transit-funding measure, but no position on monorail…
Followup: RapidRide on California in The Junction? 2 briefingsOctober 7, 2014 at 2:06 pm | In Transportation, West Seattle news | 17 Comments
Back in August, following up on a reader tip, we reported that SDOT is considering moving the RapidRide C Line route in The Junction onto California between Edmunds and Alaska. At the time, SDOT told us "outreach" was planned in the fall. Now that it's fall, what's the status? we asked SDOT's Marybeth Turner, who replied:
SDOT staff is scheduled to meet with the West Seattle Junction Association on Oct. 22, and the SW District Council on Nov. 5 about California and Alaska, including the needs of cars, buses, and pedestrians.
In November they will mail information to some of the nearby businesses and residents, and talk in person to some of the businesses.
Turner says the recent re-sequencing of the California/Alaska signal (reported here Saturday) is NOT related to this – she describes that as having been done to improve "safety," and is still working to get us more information from department engineers.
UPDATED P.S., CORRECTING MEETING INFO The aforementioned WSJA briefing is for the group's membership (businesses in The Junction), but the Southwest District Council meeting is open to everyone, 6:30 pm Wednesday, November 5th, at the Senior Center of West Seattle (Oregon/California).
Seattle, Tacoma ports to 'unify management' with Seaport AllianceOctober 7, 2014 at 12:07 pm | In Transportation, West Seattle news | 15 Comments
(Photo by Peter West Carey, shared via Twitter)
On Thursday, the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce hosts Port of Seattle co-president Stephanie Bowman at its monthly lunch meeting. Questions about the future of shuttered Terminal 5 were already expected – and now there's something new: Today's announcement that the Seattle and Tacoma ports are forming a "single Seaport Alliance." Here's the news release from the Port of Seattle:
The Seattle and Tacoma port commissions plan to unify the management of the two ports' marine cargo terminals and related functions under a single Seaport Alliance in order to strengthen the Puget Sound gateway and attract more marine cargo for the region.
The Seaport Alliance will manage marine cargo terminal investments and operations, planning and marketing, while the individual port commissions will retain their existing governance structures and ownership of assets.
This unprecedented level of cooperation between the state's two largest container ports is a strategic response to the competitive pressures that are reshaping the global shipping industry.
Click to read the rest of Seattle, Tacoma ports to 'unify management' with Seaport Alliance…
Reader report: New sequence at 'Walk All Ways' intersectionOctober 4, 2014 at 10:22 pm | In Transportation, West Seattle news | 24 Comments
("Walk All Ways" signage in 1956; click image to see full-size Seattle Muni Archives photo)
It's not often news when a traffic signal is tweaked. But in this case, we've now received several reader reports of a sequencing change at the most-famous intersection in West Seattle – and since tomorrow is usually its busiest day of the week, with Farmers' Market shoppers and brunchgoers (among others), we're sharing the FYI. First word came from Kathleen, who explained:
The sequence of red/ green lights and "walk" signs has changed sequence. I walk up to the Junction nearly every day and it has always been: green light going east on Alaska across Calif.: then green light going west; and then green light for the traffic going north/south on Calif; THEN the walk all 4 ways signal.
(Thursday) I couldn't figure why so many cars were running through the intersection at the wrong times. I almost missed going across the street because I was waiting for the north/south traffic to go before me. It has been changed so the 4-way walk is now BEFORE north/ south cars can go. Confusing to anyone who has done it the old way forever!
We'll be asking SDOT about this on Monday.
P.S. The history of "Walk All Ways" here is part of this HistoryLink.org essay about The Junction, which says it was installed in 1952, removed in 1974, brought back in 1988.
5 'most pressing transportation issues,' as the West Seattle Transportation Coalition sees it, starting Year 2September 28, 2014 at 10:01 pm | In Transportation, West Seattle news | 35 Comments
The West Seattle Transportation Coalition is about to start its second year. After one year of meetings, conversations, discussions, and outreach, WSTC has announced a list of "the five most pressing transportation issues for the West Seattle peninsula, which are within the power of the City of Seattle to directly address and resolve," and sent a letter about them to city leaders.
First, the WSTC list:
(WSB file screengrab of SDOT camera looking toward bridge's offramp to 99)
Expand vehicle capacity from the West Seattle Bridge to SR-99.
(Photo by Long B. Nguyen)
Develop a "West Seattle Peninsula" emergency relief plan.
(WSB file photo of the sign that marked the former 4th Ave. onramp spot until 2008.)
Increase access to the westbound Spokane St. Viaduct from SODO.
(City file photo of Lander tracks)
Complete the Lander Street Overpass.
(December 2013: De-icer-slick, closed-to-traffic bridge; WSB photo by Christopher Boffoli)
Immediate mitigation of traffic events to West Seattle peninsula chokepoints.
WSTC says it has sent a letter outlining "… these issues, possible resolutions, and (calls) for action …" to Seattle Mayor Ed Murray, City Council President Tim Burgess, and City Council Transportation Committee Chair Tom Rasmussen. It asks for a response with the "plan of action" by January 9, 2015. You can read the letter on the WSTC website, or below:
Agree? Disagree? Get involved! The WSTC meets on second Tuesdays and invites all to its next meeting, October 14th, 6:30 pm, at Neighborhood House's High Point Center.
SIDE NOTE: This will also be a busy season on some of the problems for which WSTC and local neighborhood councils already have pushed for action – next launch is the 35th Avenue SW Road Safety Corridor project, with a community meeting October 22nd.
Bus a no-show? Metro staff reductions leading to missed tripsSeptember 23, 2014 at 9:45 pm | In Transportation, West Seattle news | 57 Comments
None of the Metro routes scheduled for service cuts or deletions starting this Saturday are in this area. But you might have experienced some related, if temporary, effects of Metro getting ready for reductions. WSB reader Holly did: "I thought I'd pass this along since I wasn't aware it was happening, until it happened to me. The 56 bus route from Admiral didn't come last week and this is the response I got from Metro – basically that routes here and there are being canceled due to driver shortages." Ahead, the reply Holly received after e-mailing a comment to Metro, and the results of our followup:
Click to read the rest of Bus a no-show? Metro staff reductions leading to missed trips…
Miss the Fauntleroy (Way) Boulevard open house? Here's what you missed, and what's nextSeptember 23, 2014 at 6:20 pm | In Transportation, Triangle, West Seattle news | 5 Comments
6:20 PM: As of 6 pm, midway through the two-hour SDOT open house for the Fauntleroy Way SW Boulevard project, about 45 people had dropped by. You still have until 7 pm to go to the Senior Center of West Seattle and get a closer look at the newest renderings for how this project would change Fauntleroy Way between SW Alaska and 35th SW (they're also now available on the official webpage), with project manager Thérèse Casper and others standing by to answer your questions, as well as several ways to comment (from sticky notes to computer terminals).
The project is on its way to 60 percent design; if the $500,000 that's in the mayor's budget for the remaining 40 percent is approved, that will proceed, and then the city has to figure out how to pay to build the project's features.
7:02 PM: Here are the renderings that were up on boards around the room at the meeting:
This is the official updated project info-sheet:
Something to say? Say it sooner rather than later – here's one way to do that. Casper says they're continuing to meet with local businesses and organizations and have already met with some businesses multiple times, to go over points of concern.
Ferry update: WSF down one boat, trying to catch up, on Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth routeSeptember 20, 2014 at 9:15 pm | In Transportation, West Seattle news | 2 Comments
M/V Tillikum remains out of service on Washington State Ferries' Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth route, explained only as "due to operational constraints." In the newest update, WSF says it's adding more sailings on M/V Evergreen State to try to catch up. This all comes on the eve of WSF's fall schedule taking effect tomorrow; no word yet on whether they'll be back to 3 boats by then.
What's along 'Fauntleroy Boulevard'? Highlights of JuNO's briefing, before you get a look at next Tuesday's community open houseSeptember 19, 2014 at 8:43 pm | In Transportation, Triangle, West Seattle news | 12 Comments
It's been six years in the making, but the "Fauntleroy Boulevard" plan is still in the "early design" phase – which is why, if you are interested in the future of Fauntleroy Way between the bridge and SW Alaska, you're going to want to go to next Tuesday's community meeting.
SDOT's Fauntleroy Boulevard Project manager Therese Casper and consultant Mike Hendrix (from Perteet) came to this week's Junction Neighborhood Organization meeting for one last community-council-level briefing before that meeting, which, by the way, will be in open-house format, so don't worry if you can't get there right when it starts at 5 pm – drop in for a look at the plans any time before 7 pm.
We've written about it before – going back to 2008 – and Casper noted that its origins go back even further, to the West Seattle Junction Plan of 1999, and now the Bicycle Master Plan's goals have been folded in, designating this as an area for protected bicycle lanes, as well as the "community needs" in the Triangle Streetscape Plan, and enhancement of Fauntleroy Way's role as a gateway to West Seattle.
The Fauntleroy Boulevard plan has reached 30 percent design, and has funding through 60 percent design. The city budget process that kicks into high gear next week, with Mayor Murray presenting his proposal on Monday afternoon, will determine what happens next – will there be money to finish the design and build the project?
Its typical cross-section is the same one we first showed in July: 6′ sidewalks, 6′ protected bike lanes (asphalt), landscape strip, outside lanes of roadway maintained at 12′ (to facilitate freight needs), 10′ travel lane inside, then middle turn lane OR planted median. You can see it and the block-by-block concept on this info-sheet, also from July:
Here's the latest on some key points – with many more details promised at next Tuesday's open house:
Click to read the rest of What's along 'Fauntleroy Boulevard'? Highlights of JuNO's briefing, before you get a look at next Tuesday's community open house…
TUNNEL TOUR: Follow along on an 8-flight descent into what's already been dugSeptember 19, 2014 at 2:42 am | In Alaskan Way Viaduct, Transportation, West Seattle news | 35 Comments
(EDITOR'S NOTE: Even if you agree with the advocacy group that has declared the Highway 99 tunnel a "boondoggle," nine months after its boring machine stalled, you might be interested in a look at what's already been done and what's continuing to progress even before the upcoming repairs. WSDOT invited media to tour the site Thursday, and photojournalist Christopher Boffoli went on behalf of WSB. Here are his photos and narrative of how it went.
Photos, video, and story by Christopher Boffoli
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
The meeting point for our tour was an entrance at the end of South King Street just under the Alaskan Way Viaduct. After being issued safety clothes (hard hat, safety glasses, gloves, and reflective vests) we were greeted by Chris Dixon, Project Manager for Seattle Tunnel Partners, who led our group of about 7 or 8 journalists over to one of the engineering and orientation trailers.
This was a small meeting room with a lot of colorful schematics and cross-section geologic diagrams on the walls:
Dixon explained that – while the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) is idle – work is advancing at both the north end of the site (where a cut and cover tunnel is being prepared in the area where the TBM will eventually emerge) and the south end of the site, near the stadiums, where the future roadways are being prepared.
There is also a great deal of activity inside the existing tunnel itself. On a whiteboard Dixon drew a cross-section of the tunnel and explained how crews are busy installing structures called corbels along the tunnel floor:
These concrete structures are essentially footings that will bear the weight of the straight interior tunnel walls and the concrete road decks (southbound traffic above and northbound traffic below) that vehicles will drive over.
He said that by the time the TBM resumes its digging, they expect to have 450 feet of the tunnel's interior complete. Dixon said that this work was originally set to happen later but that they have reconfigured the schedule while work is underway to repair the TBM.
We were joined by Matt Preedy, Deputy Program Administrator, WSDOT (and a West Seattle resident).
All of the journalists were issued numbered brass tags which were recorded on a ledger and that we pinned to our vests. As we left the engineering trailer and entered the site, there were a number of large boards with numbered dots painted on them. Dixon and Preedy went to the boards and attached their own brass tags to them.
They didn't take the time to explain, but those 'pit tags' (also called check tags) are a system employed for hundreds of years to keep track of who is working inside a mine, or in this case, a tunnel. One of the first things we saw (at ground level) were piles of curved, pre-cast concrete panels that are arranged in place behind the TBM.
Bolted together into rings, they form the very strong, outer tunnel walls. Their tight-fitting gaskets are designed to keep ground water at bay.
There are ten panels in each ring and there are to be 1,450 rings in the complete tunnel.
We walked out over a concrete gantry from which we could look down on the launch pit below. To the south were the almost completed roadways that someday would carry traffic in and out of the SR-99 tunnel:
Turning around, we could see the entirety of the launch pit and the tunnel entrance at the end of it.
We descended about eight flights of steep, metal stairs to the floor of the site.
Behind us (to the south) was a completed section of cut-and-cover tunnel, with its neat, square walls, unlike the circular structure of the bored tunnel that we were about to tour.
Construction material (mostly rebar) was everywhere:
Along the sides of the pit, workers were busy covering the walls with Spray-Crete, a light, liquid form of cement.
To our right we could see the below-ground part of what we were told would become the South Operation Building. Water also seemed to be ubiquitous, seeping in all over the walls of the site.
Dixon said that, though some of it might be from nearby Elliott Bay, most of it was fresh groundwater.
We descended a ladder to an even lower section of the launch pit, level with the bottom of the tunnel.
Walking inside the tunnel at last, we could see large red concrete forms and workers installing structural re-bar along the bottom sides of the tunnel.
This is the corbel work we were told about.
Beyond the equipment and activity near the entrance of the tunnel, it was only when you walked a bit further into the tunnel that could you appreciate the impressive size of the space.
It was here that you could also appreciate the intricate puzzle of curved concrete panels.
Overhead was a large yellow ventilation shaft that brings fresh air into the deepest part of the tunnel and that can be reversed in an emergency to pull smoke from a fire out of the tunnel. Also above was part of the long conveyor belt on which tailings and slurry are removed to awaiting barges. Dixon explained that, as the TBM advances, sections of conveyor belt are added.
By the end of the project, the belt will be as long as the tunnel itself.
Outside in the open pit we had seen piles of coiled belt sections waiting to be installed in the future.
The first part of the TBM you see is the white-painted, rear superstructure of the
300 foot long trailing section.
Massive wheels support the entire machine, which includes all of the systems of wires and pipes for power and to pump chemicals and grout towards the face of the TBM. As you move forward, you encounter the system that receives the curved panel sections, picks them up, orients them to the proper position and location for installation when they are needed.
Moving forward still, you approach the section of the TBM that is behind the cutting face.
Everything there seems covered with some form of water or mud. There are hazards to footing and low clearances, making it a challenge to decide if you should watch your head or where you step. Everything was lit with fluorescent tubes, giving it a bright – if slightly green – cast. As we arrived to the most recently-installed ring of curved concrete sections, at the very bottom, Dixon and Preedy showed us the enormous pistons that the TBM uses to push against the edge of the course of concrete rings to advance itself forward.
As politicized as the bored tunnel has been and continues to be in Seattle, I must say that standing in the bowels of the machine, it is difficult not to be in awe of the scale and size of the complex machinery, the intricate tapestry of conduits, hoses, pistons, motors, fittings and beams – the sheer audacity of the technology involved in pushing through the earth blindly at 100 feet below sea level.
It is a level of technological complexity that I have only before seen when watching a Ridley Scott film set inside of a spaceship. It did not seem like a place that a group of human beings should be standing. And it was even more incomprehensible that people had designed and built it.
We climbed narrow staircases through a maze of passageways to see where the muddy tailings from the cutting face begin their journey out of the tunnel.
On another level we visited the control room with the screens and consoles from which workers can manage and monitor all aspects of the TBM when it is in operation.
Dixon explained that the numbers we saw on the primary displays indicated just over two bars of pressure (regular atmospheric pressure is one bar; most commercial espresso makers operate at 10-15 bars of pressure). Even though the TBM was not running he said that the instruments generally don't read much more than that. He added that – when in operation – the cutting face of the TBM isn't even all that loud, though Preedy added that all of the motors that power the conveyor belts for the removal of tailings do make the back of the machine very noisy.
Though the TBM was idle, Dixon said that workers are kept busy "exercising" and maintaining many of the parts of the machine that might atrophy or otherwise fall into disrepair if left sitting for a long time. It wasn't uncomfortably warm inside the heart of the machine, though Dixon said that when the TBM is in operation it does get quite hot down there as the heat of friction is transferred through the cutting face to the surrounding spaces. Heat played into what went wrong, and what's being fixed, he explained:
Adjacent to the control room – still inside the heart of the TBM structure – was a break room that, with coffee maker, microwave oven, long lunch tables, etc. would look at home in any factory. It was hard to believe it was at the center of an incredibly complex machine deep underground.
Nearby we saw a collection of cutting heads, each weighing 1500 pounds, that could be attached to an overhead rail for transport to the front of the cutting face for replacement. Various cutting heads are used, depending on the soil conditions.
The "rippers" we saw are best suited for the type of loose glacial soils that are expected in this section of the project.
At the very front of the TBM we could see the large blue motors that individually power each of the cutting heads.
On the same level we could see the central drive shaft, painted light green. And to the sides were large pressure vessels through which men and equipment could safely transition to the pressurized area on the other side of the cutting face, if needed.
With our tour complete we walked back through the various stairways and passages, back down to the tunnel floor at the rear of the TBM's trailing gear, and out the way we came.
The palms of my light-colored gloves – which had honestly seemed like overkill at the start of the tour – had somehow become darkened.
After we had climbed the fairly treacherous ladders and countless treads of metal stairways, we were led back to the engineering and orientation trailers where, one by one, we turned in our numbered brass tags and were signed out of the ledger.
What happens next in the repair process? Here's the latest update on the project website. For more on the project's status, here's what our partners at The Seattle Times published post-tour.
Port possibilities, crosswalk concerns @ Delridge District CouncilSeptember 18, 2014 at 3:15 pm | In Delridge District Council, Transportation, West Seattle news | 4 Comments
(Terminal 5, photographed earlier this week by Don Brubeck)
A triple bill of transportation-related guests at last night's Delridge Neighborhoods District Council meeting – Seattle Port Commissioner Courtney Gregoire, City Councilmember (chairing its Transportation Committee) Tom Rasmussen, and just-confirmed SDOT director Scott Kubly, who, in his third West Seattle appearance in two weeks, heard about safety concerns outside two local schools.
First: With the expanse of closed-and-idle Terminal 5 in the line of sight for thousands of West Seattleites daily, its future was a major topic for Commissioner Gregoire.
Click to read the rest of Port possibilities, crosswalk concerns @ Delridge District Council…
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Vanguard''s control panel keeps everything up front. Only the LFOs share the same controls.
Vanguard ($89.99) is the latest creation from reFX software-instrument wizard Michael Kleps, author of the classic plug-ins Slayer2, Beast, PlastiCZ, and quadraSID. Although Vanguard is a synth plug-in that emulates vintage analog synthesizers, its complement of filter types and oscillator waveforms extends beyond traditional designs. Vanguard ships with three factory preset banks (384 presets) that illustrate a broad cross-section of its capabilities, and it is easy to go beyond those because programming Vanguard is a snap.
Vanguard is a VST instrument for Windows, Mac OS 9, and Mac OS X. In addition, it is reFX's first Audio Units (AU) plug-in for Mac OS X. You can download a time-limited demo from the the company's Web site.
Vanguard's signal path starts with three oscillators, which can be relatively tuned in semitones and detuned with a Fat control. Unlike vintage gear, Vanguard offers 31 waveforms ranging from sine, sawtooth, and pulse to a variety of digital waveforms that have several flavors of noise.
Modulation options are available for several waveforms. The PWM (pulse-width modulation) settings of the LFOs and envelope generators control modulation depth, even when pulse width isn't the parameter being modulated. Examples include morphing between sawtooth and triangle waveforms, applying frequency and amplitude modulation to a sine waveform, and randomizing the pitch of a sine waveform (called R2D2).
The oscillators are followed by a filter section featuring 13 different filter types. Lowpass, bandpass, highpass, and notch are available with varying roll-offs. The filter complement is rounded out with a formant filter and several combination filters: dual bandpass, notch with lowpass, and bandpass with waveshaping. All filters are resonant and have separate controls for key and velocity tracking. There's nothing startling here, but plenty to add shape and contour to Vanguard's ample selection of waveforms.
The signal path ends with feedback-delay and reverb effects you can turn off to save CPU cycles. An output amplifier offers guitar-overdrive emulation and a Spread knob, which determines how far notes alternate between the right and left stereo channels, ping-pong style. The delay effect has four modes: Mono, Stereo, Cross (ping-pong), and Widen. Widen, which delays the left channel relative to the right for a fattening effect, is particularly useful. All delay times are set in tempo-synced note divisions, except in Widen mode, in which the delay time is set in milliseconds.
Vanguard has three triangle-wave LFOs and two ADSR envelope generators. Each LFO targets the pitch and modulation of its like-numbered oscillator. Interestingly, each LFO can also target filter cutoff, creating complex modulation patterns when different LFO speeds are combined. Nonetheless, it's a bit confining to be limited to a single LFO waveform with only the oscillators and filter cutoff as destinations. Both envelope generators can control filter cutoff and pulse width, again offering interesting complex patterns. The first envelope can also modulate level and detuning, whereas the second can modulate resonance and pitch. A third multistage envelope generator would be a nice addition, especially in a typical analog-style setup, in which one envelope is used for level and the other for filter cutoff.
Vanguard's two other modulators, Trancegate and Arp, more than make up for its LFO and envelope shortcomings. Transgate is a 16-step gate effect with controls for mixing the gated and ungated signal and for controlling the gate's attack and decay times. The gate step size is set in note divisions, and turning on adjacent steps results in longer gates — very handy when you're using Trancegate with the arpeggiator. The arpeggiator (Arp) offers the standard modes: up, down, alternating, original order, and random. Speed and note duration are set in note divisions, and the arpeggio can be extended to four octaves. Using Arp and Trancegate together with greater arpeggio speed than gate step size can produce extended pitch and rhythm sequences (see Web Clip 1).
Vanguard's charm is that it does what it does — producing classic synth sounds — very well and very simply. The oscillators and filters sound great, and you can begin building your own sounds or tweaking the generous collection of factory presets in minutes. The control panel is clearly laid out; the three LFOs share Speed, Detune, PWM, and Cutoff knobs, but otherwise, all the controls are always accessible. The effects add icing to the cake, and Vanguard is CPU efficient. If you are looking for a vintage synth emulation, the price is right, and Vanguard is definitely worth checking out.
Overall EM Rating (1 through 5): 4
reFXemail: firstname.lastname@example.com: www.refx.net
These are my comments.
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Wiz Khalifa
Performs "Stayin' Out All Night" (Live On Jimmy Fallon)
Wiz Khalifa stopped by Jimmy Fallon to perform his new single "Stayin' Out All Night" with a little help from The Roots. "Blacc Hollywood" due out August 19.
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text: Michelle Obama Jason Wu Inaugural Ball By Amy Sciarretto January 21, 2013 9:10 PM Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Category: Share on Facebook Share on Twitter More Leave a comment Send to a friend! Print this page Pin it! Reddit This! Share on Tumblr! More from Mix 94.9 The Weekender: College Plays, High School Plays, and More This Top 10 List of "What Dads Worry About" is Spot on Best & Worst Days to Travel for Thanksgiving Pet Patrol: Meet Benny And Jub Best of the Web


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Press contacts and other information for journalists.
Sign up for news alerts and web updates.
The pension protection levy is one of the ways that the PPF funds the compensation payable to members of schemes that transfer to the Pension Protection Fund.
These pages contain information about who has to pay the levy, how it is calculated, how schemes can reduce their levy, and the invoicing process.
We would like to draw your attention to some minor changes to our recent levy Policy Statement and to remind you about important upcoming deadlines.
Stakeholders are reminded that the PPF Levy Consultation for 2015/16 Levy Year closes at 5.00pm on Thursday 13 November. You can see an interview with Chris Collins, PPF Chief Policy Advisor, on the Pensions Management Institute (PMI) website.
We would also encourage schemes to check their insolvency risk score at https://www.ppfscore.co.uk/. Experian will include any data obtained or submitted (in accordance with the data hierarchy) to them by 31 October for the end of October scores. After this they will base scores on data filed with Companies House (or other permitted source) or provided to Experian a month before the end of the month being scored.
We have identified the need for some minor amendments to the Policy Statement and other documents published on 6 October and have made the following changes:
(i) Policy Statement – Chapter 7 – Asset Backed Contributions (ABCs) (7.4.3). The Policy Statement explains that coupon payments made after the most recent s179 valuation, up to the date of the latest accounts, will be credited if reported on the voluntary certificate. This remains correct but the description of how they are credited is not completely accurate. The payment will be deducted from the Underfunding total, rather than 'added to scheme assets when calculating underfunding'.
(ii) Policy Statement – Chapter 3 – PPF specific model (3.3.6). This part of the document covered the changes made to adjust u-shaped variables. The original drafting included incorrect thresholds for the point below which two of the coefficients are constant. In the case of Sales per Employee in the Large and Complex scorecard the threshold has been amended to any value lower than £87,500, rather than lower than £100,000. For the Acid Test in the Independent Small Account scorecard the threshold has been amended to any value of the ratio lower than 0.75 rather than 0.8. This is now consistent with the draft Levy Rules as published with the consultation document
(iii) Contingent Asset Guidance – Appendix 2 – Example Contingent Asset Certificates. The draft Contingent Asset Certificates will be added shortly to the Contingent Asset Guidance.
(iv) ABC Certificate – the originally published certificate did not include the ABC value box.
(v) Type C (ii) Contingent Asset Agreement – has been updated to allow for surety bond agreements in line with the consultation proposal.
The Pension Protection Fund (PPF) announced today (Monday 6 October 2014) that the levy estimate for 2015/16 would be set at £635m, nearly ten per cent lower than the 2014/15 estimate. The levy estimate was published as the PPF announced the proposed levy rules for 2015/16 following its consultation that ran between May and July this year.
The recent consultation on the PPF's plans for the levy, over the next three years, attracted the highest number of responses to a consultation since 2005/06. There was strong stakeholder support for the move to Experian (the PPF's new insolvency risk provider) and the new PPF specific model for assessing insolvency risk, confirming the PPF approach. All feedback was considered carefully and some changes have been implemented to further enhance the proposals.
The enhancements include:
View the statement and consultation and the draft determination. The Determination and its additional documents, including appendices, revised standard contingent asset forms, guidance on ABCs and mortgage certificates can be found on the 2015/16 Determination page.
The documents below were published earlier in 2014.
This consultation document sets out our plans for the pension protection levy over the next three years.
Combined Annex to the Consultation
Draft Determination 2015/16 - Extracts
Draft Determination 2015/16 - ABC Appendix
Draft Determination 2015/16 - Insolvency Appendix
Experian Report - Developing a specific measure of insolvency risk for the Pension Protection Fund
The purpose of this paper is to document the creation of the PPF-specific Insolvency Risk Score created by Experian for the sole purpose of providing the PPF with an objective evaluation of the likelihood of any given eligible scheme employer or guarantor becoming insolvent during the next 12 months.
The purpose of this report is to provide an independent review for the PPF on the Experian model.
Barnett Waddingham Report - Understanding the Impact of Change in Insolvency Risk Model
This report is intended to give an indication of the companies that are likely to see an improvement or worsening in relative insolvency risk score resulting from the differences between the Dun & Bradstreet failure score model (used prior to April 2014) and the PPF-Specific Insolvency Risk Model.
YouTube video - Martin Clarke
Our Chief Policy Advisor looks at the key issues in more detail.
The following links may also be useful for further information on the levy:
On 17 December 2012, the PPF published its Policy Statement on the 2013/14 levy. This was accompanied by the Levy Rules and appendices, guidance on levy practice, block transfers, bespoke investment risk calculation and contingent assets. standard form contingent asset agreements are also on this page.
Levy Determination 2013/14
This booklet, produced by the PPF and CBI, explains how the levy works. It also sets out the actions you can take to reduce your individual levy bills and the deadlines you must meet to make sure these actions are taken into account.
This page contains links to all levy-related documents going back to 2005. Some of these documents have been superseded and are included for historic interest.
All Levy Documents


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After a convincing 72-40 win over No. 5 Kansas, Kentucky returns home to Rupp Arena to face Boston University on Friday, November 21. The game will be televised on FSN and tip is set for 7 p.m. ET.
Not only had Bud Dupree and the Cats played on eight straight Saturdays, they had also faced seven Southeastern Conference opponents over that same time period. To say a break was needed would probably be an understatement.
The University of Kentucky women's soccer team returns to the pitch on Friday afternoon at 3 p.m. ET as the Wildcats continue their postseason run in Charlottesville, Va., against the Arizona State Sun Devils in the second round of the 2014 NCAA Women's Soccer Championship.
Two goals in the first 15 minutes of the second half lifted Oakland to a 2-0 first-round NCAA Men's Soccer Tournament win over No. 24 Kentucky on Thursday at the Wendell and Vickie Bell Soccer Complex.
University of Kentucky men's golf coach Brian Craig announced the signing of two golfers to National Letters of Intent for the 2015 signing class on Friday, as Lukas Euler (Dieburg, Germany) and Jalen Ledger (Beach Gardens, Fla.) became the newest members of the Wildcat family.
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September 16, 2011
Last December, I blogged about the great image people who watched the uDrove Humanitarian Bowl were getting of trucking
Tags: Fleet Focus
Author: Deborah Lockridge | Posted @ Friday, September 16, 2011 11:31 AM | » Comments(0)
September 12, 2011
For October's Trailer Report, Senior Editor Tom Berg spoke with several flatbed fleets about their current buying plans and trailer specs. It turns out these fleets are also buying new trucks
Author: Deborah Lockridge | Posted @ Monday, September 12, 2011 12:22 PM | » Comments(0)
February 24, 2011
In the last few weeks, well-known truckload leaders have announced they are stepping back from the front lines at the companies they founded or have led for decades
Author: Deborah Lockridge | Posted @ Thursday, February 24, 2011 12:19 PM | » Comments(0)
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'Man Of Steel' Zooms To No. 1
The latest Superman saga, "Man of Steel", flew straight to the top of this weekend's box office with an estimated $113 million.
The latest Superman saga, "Man of Steel", flew straight to the top of this weekend's box office with an estimated $113 million.
Eighteen-month old 'Iron Man' fan Jaxson Denno's world was shattered when, much to his dismay, he discovered that Iron Man himself, Robert Downey Jr., does not wear the Iron Man suit 24/7.
Miley Cyrus attended an L.A. launch party for the revamped Myspace on June 12, and the only thing more questionable than a return to prominence for the once mighty but now-lagging social media site was her outfit.
We recognize the irony in doing a Style Breakdown on troubled actress Amanda Bynes -- especially since it appears to everyone (but her) that she's having the most epic of public "I can't deal with fame" mental breakdowns.
However, Bynes' look has changed pretty drastically, so we felt compelled to point out what's right -- there actually are some things she does well -- and what's wrong. And no, it's not just the obvious, either.
The thriller "The Purge" knocked "Fast & Furious 6" out of the top spot in this week's box office with an estimated take of $36.3 million.
What's a sloth face you ask? Your favorite celebrity with there face photoshopped to look like a sloth. It's pretty epic if you ask me. Check it out.
Hugh Jackman has been playing the clawed, mutant superhero Wolverine since the first 'X-Men' movie back in 2000; a run that has spanned six films. Like all things that last longer than a decade, it's starting to get a little old for Jackman. Although we can still look forward to his take on the iconic superhero in 'The Wolverine' and 'X-Men: Days of Future Past,' it sounds like Jackman's days as an X-Man are coming to a close.
"Fast & Furious 6" took a steep drop from its huge Memorial Day debut, but hung in there at the top of this week's box office with an estimated $35 million take.
Kids these days do the darndest things, right? They love Tumblr, texting and going out to lunch with their girlfriends dressed as Iron Man. Wait, one of these things is not like the other.
Are you ready for something new and thrilling to add some excitement to your life? Plan to join Rowdy Adventures for the 2013 season and enjoy the day gliding over the beautiful scenery of the South's Largest Zip Line Adventure Park at Copperhead Creek Preserve.
With miles of cable making up 14 zip lines, guests get to explore the beauty of nature from a truly uni


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Hulk Rumors Addressed, Shot Down by Mark Ruffaloby Hilton Hater at . Comments
With chatter heating up over yet another Incredible Hulk movie, actor Mark Ruffalo has come out and broken the news to fans of this angry green superhero:
It ain't gonna happen.
"A lot of folks have been asking about the Next Hulk," Ruffalo Tweeted yesterday. "The next time you see my Hulk it will be in the Avengers2. No plans for stand alone."
After The Avengers 2 hits theaters, however, the star did leave open the possibility for a spinoff.
"I am not giving up on another stand alone HULK," Ruffalo added. "But it's not in the works right now. One never knows what the future will bring."
boulder third world gothamesque, blizzard on the way...
so, what happens after sunset and where did the agent go with implants similar to the prototypal gal whom really died along the way! Now, 2013, we must see the followup and just what is the newest accolyte preaching-religion or police brutality and skoal?????? my email isnt working. do not use. georgi jones (georgia lynn) notice: thank you for seeing my own attributes and availability and the grand lifestyle I should be living at this time. THe agents-five are not here at present but I am assured that they shall deliver my tropies.
........Smith & Wesson?


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Dish no. 85: Thai iced cream from Oddfellows Ice Cream Company (175 Kent Avenue Brooklyn, 347-599-0556; 75 East 4th Street, 917-475-1812)
Rupert Holmes makes light of the Dickensian darkness
South Asian fare from many regions wows Staten Island
A new Sri Lankan restaurant slings hoppers, woodapples, and pittu
For lovers of both peanut butter sandwiches and eggplant, there's gutti venkaya, a recipe associated with the high-tech city (and center for annoying phone call solicitations) Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, southeastern India. The peanut sauce is highly textured, though not chunky, while ... More >>
Starches steal the spotlight at Gramercy Sri Lankan
Haute and Cold: An ice cream taste test
Let's think for just a moment about how much M.I.A. actually supports the Tamil Tigers
A War Where You Get Your Money Back
The Diary of a Legendary Village Bohemian Surfaces at NYU


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Walt Francis
For federal workers, time to choose a health planComment
Francis interview November 27, 2012
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Only On 7
The ABC7 I-team investigates cop cruiser crashesCop Cruiser Crashes happen more often than you think in the Washington area. Are officers being held accountable? And should you be paying the price? The I-Team investigates TONIGHT on ABC7 News at 11 after "Castle."


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Home » News » Business
Business Newsreel
Stephen Bebis, who joined Brookstone Inc. in May 2012, has resigned as president and CEO of Brookstone Inc., the company announced Thursday.
James M. Speltz , the company's vice president and chief operating officer, has been appointed as the company's new president and CEO. He joined the company in 1998.
"For more than 15 years, Jim has been intimately involved in many critical aspects of the company's operations. He has been a key driver of the company's new revenue initiatives in our retail, e-commerce and wholesale channels," said Jackson Tai, chairman of the board of the specialty products retailer.
Brookstone operates more than 250 stores nationwide and in Puerto Rico, primarily in shopping malls and airports. Its e-commerce business includes the Brookstone catalog and Brookstone.com.
Upcoming Events
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Pipeline's NH route moves to top choice
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Pipeline's NH route moves to top choice
Driver acquitted in Amherst ex-chief's death
A kinder, gentler House Speaker?
College Hockey: Providence blanks UNH
Pipeline's NH route moves to top choice


text: Team Compton View full-size image < previous next > Is this photo a winner? "The girl with the long hair on the left and the guy in the middle own a restaurant in Brooklyn. The girl on the right is our chef of the restaurant. Chef Nina Compton will be on this seasons top chef and in the trailer for the upcoming season she was quoted saying "he's faker than Pamela Anderson's breasts" hence the quote on the front of the shirt. Made these shirts to support our good friend Nina Compton in the upcoming season! We love custom ink, always a great experience! " - http://Www.thesaintaustere.com - Team Compton (Sep 03, 2013) Share this photo on: Twitter Facebook Pinterest Similar Photos: hobby recreation individual | event other | competition | top chef show | brooklyn | ny | chef | fun | contestant Feeling inspired? Visit the CustomInk Design Lab to start your own group order. Design Your Own


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West London News
Ealing News
Images Released After Assault At Park Royal Station
Police have released images of a man they want to speak to after a London Underground employee was assaulted at Park Royal station.
Paedophile Jailed For Rape Of Disabled Girl
A youth worker has been jailed for raping a 13-year-old girl who had severe learning difficulties.
Alice Gross Funeral To Take Place Today
The funeral of murdered schoolgirl Alice Gross will take place today, eight weeks after she went missing in west London.
Hammersmith and Fulham News
Serious Car Crash Closes Hammersmith Bridge
Hammersmith Bridge was closed this afternoon after a serious crash on the south side.
Appeal After Polish Woman Attacked At Goldhawk Road
Police are appealing for information after a woman was attacked at Goldhawk Road station � apparently because she was Polish.
Police Officer Run Over In Hammersmith: Man Arrested
A driver is being held on suspicion of attempting to murder a police officer in west London.
Hillingdon News
UPDATE: Burglar Held Knife To 15-Month-Old Baby
Police are appealing for information over a burglary that took place on Halloween during which a burglar held a knife to a 15-month-old baby.
Mother Killed Herself And Daughters With Acid
An inquest hears how a mother killed herself and two children by drinking acid.
Construction Worker Killed At Heathrow Airport
A man was killed in an accident at a construction site at Heathrow Terminal 2 yesterday morning.
Hounslow News
Violent Robbers Jailed After Crime Spree
Two men have been jailed for a total of 30-years following a spate of violent robberies in west London.
LOOK: Building Collapses On Hounslow High Street
A building next to Hounslow Bus Station collapsed yesterday, after reportedly being hit by a crane.
Travellers Leave Huge Piles Of Rubbish In Gunnersbury Park
Hounslow Council have been left with a £18,000bill to clear the rubbish from Gunnersbury Park after Travellers left 50 tons of waste.
Kensington and Chelsea News
Chelsea Balcony Collapse: Two Dead & Six Hurt
Investigation begins into accident that saw two Polish men die and six injured after a balcony collapsed in Chelsea.
Driver Gets Ticket For Observing Two Minute Silence
A woman has been given a parking ticket in west London after pulling over in her car to observe the two minutes' silence on Armistice Day.
IDS On Miliband: Politics Is Brutal
Former Conservative leader, Iain Duncan Smith, tells LBC that Miliband should expect the rough treatment he has received, because politics is a "brutal business".


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Nicki Minaj Attributes Her "Perfect Hourglass Figure" to Twerking
In a hilarious infomercial parody for Ellen DeGeneres' talk show, the "Super Bass" rapper fully endorses Extreme Home Twerk Out — a non-existent exercise video that has people getting in shape while shaking their butts like an extra in Rihanna's "Pour It Up" music video.
"Want to know how I maintain this perfect hourglass figure? It's simple," she says in the clip spoofing the latest dance craze. "If you want to look amazing, you can't just work out. You've gotta twerk out."
Quick, someone get Miley Cyrus on this and make it a real thing.


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LD4 Senate candidates differ on Medicaid, border security
Republican candidate used to be a Democrat, "but I had shock treatments."
Feds mum on program meant to lessen crossers
Sens. McCain, Flake seeking information on zero-tolerance program.
Chicanos Por La Causa awarded family literacy grant
The $480,000 grant will fund a 2-year family literacy program.
Grant helps Latino families navigate education, health systems
Helios Education Foundation awarded the $480,000 grant to Chicanos Por La Causa.
LD4 Democratic hopefuls differ on abortion, gay marriage
Jose Suarez and Charlene Fernandez participated in a Clean Elections-sponsored debate.
Yuma County reports its 1st West Nile case in 2014
YUMA, Ariz. — The first case of West Nile virus in Yuma County during 2014 was found nearly a week ago.
Ring's Reflections: Once a major growth industry, citrus' future is uncertain here
Those oranges, lemons and grapefruits that you buy at the grocery store or grow in your backyard originated thousands of years ago in Asia, in an area bordered by India, Myanmar (Burma) and China.
Courthouse named for Tucson shooting victim Judge John M. Roll, to be dedicated
YUMA, Ariz. — A new federal courthouse in downtown Yuma named after the judge who was killed in the Tucson shooting rampage will officially be dedicated. The U.S. General Services Administration announced that several Arizona officials, including Sen. John McCain and Rep. Ron Barber, are sc…
Bus preservation drives local group
A walk around the back lot of the Old Pueblo Trolley's bus division restoration shop is like a time-traveling tour through Arizona's mass-transit history.
Yuma motorcyclist dies after being hit by car
YUMA, Ariz. — Authorities say a 65-year-old man has died in Yuma after the motorcycle he was riding was rear-ended by a car.
Yuma wife who hired hitman loses sentencing appeal
YUMA, Ariz. — A Yuma woman convicted of hiring a hitman to kill her husband in 1997 has been denied an appeal of her life sentence.
2 more bighorns die; mountain lion killed in Catalinas
Two more bighorn sheep have died in the Catalina Mountains, and a mountain lion was killed for preying on sheep, state wildlife officials said Wednesday.
Mine Tales: Steamboats boosted trade along 500-mile corridor
Colorado River steamboat transportation made a significant impact in opening the Arizona Territory to commerce in the latter half of the 19th century.
Tucson raising money to get Fisher House for veterans
When she was told her youngest daughter had been shot in Iraq, Maria Herrera dropped everything and went home to wait by the phone for more news.
Game and Fish: 12th bighorn dies north of Tucson
Another bighorn sheep, a ram, was found dead in the Catalina Mountains Tuesday, the Arizona Game and Fish Department has confirmed.
Bighorn sheep released in Catalinas
Bighorn sheep are roaming wild in the Catalina Mountains once more.
Bighorn sheep captured for move to Tucson mountains
YUMA — Wildlife officers — swooping out of the sky in helicopters and wielding net guns — snared fleet bighorn sheep in rugged mountains northeast of here Saturday.
Pusch Ridge: new home to bighorns
Drive north of Tucson into Oro Valley, pull over, and peer up at rugged Pusch Ridge towering above you to the east: What you're seeing is the past and future home of a free-roaming herd of bighorn sheep.
Meeting on bighorn sheep project set for today
About 30 bighorn sheep from Western Arizona are slated to be moved to the Catalina Mountains next month to rebuild a herd that died out there, and details of the project will be presented at a public information meeting today.
Program to help dropouts build a better future
For Adrienne Medina things simply did not work out after toiling for four years in high school,
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Church leaders' obsessive denunciation of Israel encourages interfaith estrangement.
Relations Break Down Between Jewish & Protestant Groups
October 30, 2012 by 20 Comments
Mark Tooley is President of the Institute on Religion and Democracy (www.theird.org) and author of Methodism and Politics in the Twentieth Century. Follow him on Twitter: @markdtooley.
Leftist Protestants Rally Against Israel
October 19, 2012 by 175 Comments


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Ford Motor Co.said Wednesday it is adding 1,000 jobs at its plant near Toronto to build the 2015 Ford Edge crossover SUV for the global market.
People lie about how long they were at companies, how big their teams were and their sales results, always goofing in their favour.
NYT Opinion, a mobile app dedicated to opinion content, will be shut down as it is not attracting enough subscribers, said Executive Editor Dean Baquet.
200 companies pledged to create new work and training opportunities for Europe's young jobseekers, of which one out of four is unemployed.
The hiring landscape has seen an improvement in the past few months thanks to the revival in business sentiments and scenario.
Bale became the frontrunner to portray Steve Jobs in the film-adaptation of Walter Isaacson's biography after Leonardo DiCaprio dropped out of the project.
AAP today launched a five-point programme for the youth, promising 8 lakh jobs, vocational training, setting up of 20 new colleges, sports facilities and having wi-fi connectivity across Delhi.
As part of its 2011 labor contract with the United Auto Workers union, Ford agreed to create 12,000 hourly jobs. Its total has exceeded 14,000.


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Rockstar Games Announces Grand Theft Auto V Release Date
Rockstar Games, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc., has announced that Grand Theft Auto V is expected to launch worldwide for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PlayStation3 computer entertainment system on September 17, 2013.
Los Santos: a sprawling sun-soaked metropolis full of self-help gurus, starlets and fading celebrities, once the envy of the Western world, now struggling to stay afloat in an era of economic uncertainty and cheap reality TV. Amidst the turmoil, three very different criminals plot their own chances of survival and success: Franklin, a former street gangster, now looking for real opportunities and serious money; Michael, a professional ex-con whose retirement is a lot less rosy than he hoped it would be; and Trevor, a violent maniac driven by the chance of a cheap high and the next big score. Running out of options, the crew risks everything in a series of daring and dangerous heists that could set them up for life.
"Grand Theft Auto V continues to push the series forward in new ways; Rockstar North are creating our deepest, most beautiful and most immersive world yet," said Sam Houser, Founder of Rockstar Games. "We are very excited for people to learn more about the game in the coming months."
The September release date moves the launch back from its original projected release window of spring 2013 in order to allow additional development time. The biggest, most dynamic and most diverse open world Rockstar Games has yet created, Grand Theft Auto V blends storytelling and gameplay in new ways as players repeatedly jump in and out of the lives of the game's three lead characters, playing all sides of the game's interwoven story.
All the classic hallmarks of the groundbreaking series return, including incredible attention to detail and Grand Theft Auto's darkly humorous take on modern culture, alongside a brand new and ambitious approach to open world multiplayer.
About Rockstar Games
Founded in 1998 and headquartered in New York, Rockstar Games creates and publishes some of the world's most critically acclaimed and best-selling video game franchises, including the ground-breaking Grand Theft Auto series, Red Dead Redemption, L.A. Noire, the Max Payne series, Bully and the Midnight Club street racing games. Rockstar's award-winning development team consists of studios in Edinburgh, Leeds, London, New England, San Diego and Toronto.
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Text Lightning 3.20
A lightweight, yet powerful Outlook plugin that allows users to manage and organize all the emails and messages from their inbox
Text Lightning is a Microsoft Outlook add-on that helps you clear and organize your inbox, by filtering emails and messages. Every message you send will be better written and more detailed than if you typed it yourself, because Text Lightning gives you instant access to the text you have used to reply to similar messages in the past.
You need only think of the best response to a question once and then reuse it whenever you are asked again.
You need only think of the best response to a question once and then reuse it whenever you are asked again.
Main features:
- One-Click Insertion of Text, Images and Files :
- All of the phrases and text snippets you commonly write in your messages can be added with a single click (plain text or formatted). The most relevant items are highlighted and any that do not match the current product or profile are hidden. You can also instantly add a selection of files, embedded images and formatted rich text.
- Product Guessing:
- Specify a list of your products and their nicknames, and Text Lightning will determine which are mentioned in each message. With this it will personalize your responses and offer only relevant Quick Text
- Never Type "Dear Tom" Again:
- When you reply to a message Text Lightning automatically starts the message with your preferred salutation using the recipient's name, e.g. "Hi John"
- Customize your Text Templates with Fields:
- Use "Fields" in your Quick Text to specify text that changes by message, product or profile. E.g. %Message_Sender_First_Name% is automatically filled with the first name of the person you are replying to. %Product_Web_Page% is replaced with a clickable link to the web page of the relevant product. You can also use fields to attach files based on the date or insert conditional text, e.g. customize the message depending on whether the contact has purchased or not
- One-Click Searching:
- With a single click you can search all your past responses to a message or contact
- Quick Move:
- Archive messages to your favorite folder with a single click
- Easy Copy:
- Isn't it frustrating trying to get the email of a message sender into the clipboard from Outlook? With Text Lightning it's available with a single click
- Web Form Message Support:
- When Text Lightning replies to a message submitted from a web form it can read the sender name and address directly from fields in the message body. You can also use the fields to automatically customize your reply (insert relevant text or files, etc)
- Forgotten Attachment Warning:
- Text Lightning will even warn you whenever you intended to attach a file but forgot to do so
- Easy Importing and Exporting:
- Read quick text directly from folders of text files, Excel and CSV files. Drag and drop text (e.g. from Word or Outlook) and files to instantly create new Quick Text items. Also, a Setup Wizard is included to allow you to quickly get started
- Integrate with Other Programs:
- Need to access data from other sources? Text Lightning can dynamically read text and HTML files, and also data from the Registry or an Ini file. You can also launch other programs directly from Outlook passing any required details
- last updated on:
- November 18th, 2014, 7:57 GMT
- file size:
- price:
- developed by:
- Xequte Software
- license type:
- Freeware
- operating system(s):
- Windows All
- category:
- C: \ Internet \ E-mail \ Mail Utilities
In a hurry? Add it to your Download Basket!
What's New in This Release:
- Fixed: Crash when opening editor due to Windows Update KB3003057
- Added: Now shows a list of recently used Quick text items
- Added: New field that prompts to specify text
- Added: Much better theme color matching
Add your review!


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Resourcing and transforming the U.S. Army.
On financing:
Our annual funding is about $250 billion. That reflects our base appropriation of about $140 billion and somewhere in excess of $110 billion in supplemental funding. We are in the business right now of balancing our fiscal strategies. We have relative stability in our base program, and we have relative volatility or uncertainty in our supplemental funding, which is responsible for essentially supplying the needs of an Army at war.
We take very seriously the issues of accountability that we're all sharing as a part of this democracy. And we believe we've been good stewards for the billions invested in us.
To fully equip a soldier requires $18,000 worth of protective gear. Compared to what I deployed with back in 2003, my stuff was infinitely less capable and cost somewhere around $10,000. So we have materially improved the quality of equipment that we have given our soldiers, making them [safer] and more capable. We also believe that when you ask people to do what these young men and women are doing, they are worthy of some major investment.
Although we have readiness challenges today, we also cannot sink ourselves in today. We have to think about the future. When we deploy a young man or woman this next decade, we want to ensure [that] that soldier is empowered with capabilities we can only dimly conceptualize now and that will make him or her much more effective than what we see today.
On human resources:
People consume about 60 percent of our overall operating capital. Gone are the days when you could get away with a largely illiterate Army. Today's soldier employs technology beyond our wildest dreams a decade ago.
Right now only 3 in 10 Americans age 18 to 24 can meet our entrance standards. We're facing challenges of education, of physical fitness and of moral fitness. Obviously, we can't have young men and women join our forces who fail to meet those basic standards. Part of our challenge, then, is to recruit and maintain a force that reflects the high standards that Americans expect.
On transformation:
The Army you look at today is profoundly different than the Army that began this decade. We started this decade with an Army that was to a large extent forward-deployed in ways that reflected where we thought we needed to be to fight the Cold War and the legacy of the Cold War. We had divisions of somewhere around 15,000 soldiers. We recognized as we moved into this period of persistent conflict that we had to change the organizational structure. It had to be much more flexible, able to adapt to a variety of situations and do everything from nation-building all the way up to high-intensity conflict. So we set upon a fundamental reorganization into modular formation--building-block organizations of about 3,500 soldiers.
Your Army--Today vs. 9/11 The Army, Prior to 9/11 The Army Today * Forward deployed to * Expeditionary, based in U.S., Cold War missions prepared for worldwide operations * Large cumbersome organizations * Lean organizations (2-5K Soldiers) (12-15K Soldiers) with precision solutions * Static network to executive/ * Mobile network to Soldier level management level * Army Guard and Reserve as a * Army Guard and Reserve as an Strategic Reserve with low Operational Force with high readiness utilization and resourcing The largest transformation of our Army since World War II Source: The U.S. Army
The other element of this transformation is that we used to have a large, fixed-base command and control system focused on bringing command and control to our senior leadership. Now we look at a network-enabled formation where we want soldiers to be able to do everything you expect with a cell telephone: exchange voice, text message, data and images.
That's a profound difference in terms of how we see the Army and our responsibility: to be able to put command and control out to the soldier level. We're well on our way to achieving that vision, and it's had enormous implications for the utility of the force that we see deployed in both Iraq and Afghanistan. But it has been a very hard fight to get there, and it's a journey still in progress, as it is in most of our commercial world.
On the future:
We have questions about how much will be available for defense of this environment in which we've just completed a $700 billion bailout. We see the potential that we may have to change the way the war is being fought, based upon the economy and broader national concerns and emerging concerns about other forms of security.
So as we undertake a transition of administrations, we are in a period of uncertainty in which we can't even begin to predict the potential change of events. I think that is a common burden that we all share. Yet, as leaders, we have to proceed with the basic assumption that we'll be needed, that the nation will always need a strong and vigorous defense, and that the requirement that our nation's military be successful and capable remains unchanged.
Reader Opinion
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Raheem Hanley
29 Nov 2014
Spurr the scout!
Tommy Spurr has been handed a role of a different kind this weekend.
28 Nov 2014
Focus on performance...
Gary Bowyer knows the importance of maintaining their current performance levels as they face Middlesbrough on Saturday.
28 Nov 2014
Riverside clash another...
Gary expects in-form Middlesbrough to pose a strong challenge for us as we look to extend unbeaten run.
28 Nov 2014
Continue this unbeaten...
Corry Evans is optimistic that Rovers can stretch their unbeaten run to nine games in Saturday's match against Middlesbrough.
28 Nov 2014
Opportunity knocks
Gary Bowyer believes the chance is there for some of his players to stake their claim for a first team spot in Saturday's match against Middlesbrough.
27 Nov 2014
Onwards and upwards
Corry focused on getting a result at the Riverside to maintain our unbeaten run
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