The Wall Street Journals Joseph B. White says that he is planning a road trip this Labor Day weekend, along with as many as 34.4 million of his fellow Americans. He just hopes he can get out of town. Thanks in part to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, he will have to dodge orange and white highway construction barrels no matter where he goes. Roads and bridges need to be rebuilt and repaired, and in many parts of the country summer is the best time to get the work done. This year, the normal hassles of dodging construction delays have been exacerbated by some 12,000 or more highway projects funded by the federal stimulus program. Click here to see which metropolitan areas should expect to see the worst congestion due to the number of construction projects on their roads. In addition to the road construction, more travelers will be on the road, too. Compared with 2009, when the recession-era travel buzz word was “staycation,” the number of people taking a significant trip this weekend is expected to be up nearly 10 percent. Planning to roadtrip it this holiday weekend? Click here to check out White’s take on what you can expect from roadway projects across the country.
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Archive for the ‘Public Interest’ CategoryA Slower Labor Day Road TripWednesday, September 1st, 2010Lexus Eco Challenge Makes An International ImpactTuesday, August 31st, 2010Lexus and Scholastic Launch Fourth Annual Environmental Contest with $500,000 in Grants and Scholarships to be Awarded TORRANCE, Calif., August 31, 2010 – The Lexus Eco Challenge has inspired and empowered more than 15,000 middle and high school students to learn about the environment and take action to improve it. This fall, students are invited to participate in the fourth annual Lexus Eco Challenge for a chance to win part of $500,000 in grants and scholarships. Lexus, the luxury automaker, has once again joined with Scholastic, the global children’s publishing, education and media company, to create the eco-friendly educational school program. “The Lexus Eco Challenge has helped change the way I teach,” said Debbie Viertel, a teacher from Lawton Chiles Middle School in Lakeland, Fla. “By giving my students a real-world challenge, they come up with something they care about. Then they learn all the things I want them to learn in math and science, but the difference is that now they care. It’s a wonderful program.” Last year’s grand-prize-winning high school team set a new standard when they reached beyond the border and focused their project on helping Haiti. Not only did they build a solar-powered biodiesel production system, they worked with representatives from a school in Haiti to plant a Jatropha Farm to grow seeds that generate oil for the biodiesel system. In addition to giving the biodiesel system to the Haitian school, they also arranged for solar panels to be donated and installed at the school. “The students at Mother McAuley High School really captured the spirit of the Lexus Eco Challenge,” said Mark Templin, Lexus group vice president and general manager. “When we launched this initiative in 2007, we wanted to see it grow and expand to make a positive impact all around the world. Every year, we see more innovation, more creativity and more passion from the students and their teachers. We can’t wait to see what the teams do this year.” The Challenge has two distinct elements: For each of the challenges, teams will define an environmental issue that is important to them, develop an action plan to address the issue, implement the plan, and report the results. Submission deadlines are: Challenge #1 (Land/Water) – Nov. 3, 2010 and Challenge #2 (Air/Climate) – Jan. 19, 2011. Each of the challenges will have 16 winning teams – eight middle school and eight high school teams. The winning teams will each receive a total of $10,000 in scholarships and grants to be shared among the students, teacher and school. In addition, the winning action plans will be featured on a special Web page to inspire other students to take action in their communities. Throughout the challenges, students and teachers can ask questions and compare notes through a new blog featured on the Lexus Eco Challenge website. In mid-February, the winning teams from the first two challenges will be invited to participate in the Final Challenge. Teams will be asked to reach beyond the local community and inspire environmental action around the world through innovative ideas that are communicated to a wide audience. From the Final Challenge entries, eight first-place teams and two grand-prize-winning teams will be selected. Each of the eight first-place teams will receive a total of $15,000 in grants and scholarships, and the two grand-prize-winning teams will each receive $30,000. The money will be shared by the students, their teacher advisors and their schools. Judging Criteria NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Void where prohibited. Full program information including rules and entry details can be viewed at www.scholastic.com/lexus. Teaching Tools for the Classroom In addition to providing teachers with the information necessary to participate in the challenges, the website (www.scholastic.com/lexus) also has extensive tools for them to use in their classrooms. For each challenge, the website has lesson plans and teacher instructions including questions to help guide a discussion about the current challenge topic, facts about the topic, and guidelines for a specific classroom project. Lexus’ Environmental Efforts The Lexus Eco Challenge is part of The Lexus Pursuit of Potential, a philanthropic initiative that generates up to $3 million in donations each year for organizations that help build, shape and improve children’s lives. # # # Media Contact: Toyota Plans 5 Million Cumulative Hybrid Sales by 2015Saturday, August 28th, 2010Toyota Motor Corp. said it wants to reach cumulative sales of 5 million hybrid vehicles in the early part of this decade. Automotive News reports that Toyota, the pioneer in gasoline/electric hybrid vehicles, said earlier this month it had sold more than 2.68 million hybrid vehicles globally since it launched the first model in 1997. The best selling Prius and other models have received a boost in Japan especially in the last year thanks to government subsidies that favor hybrids over other fuel-efficient cars. Toyota has a goal of selling at least 1 million hybrid vehicles a year in the early part of this decade, and plans to introduce a hybrid option across its whole lineup as early as possible in the 2020s. Under a five-year environmental action plan to run through 2015 and released on Wednesday, the world’s biggest automaker also said it would improve its vehicles average fuel efficiency in all regions by 25 percent compared with 2005 levels. According to Finchannel.com, the plan is based on Toyota’s environmental principles of contributing to the growth of a sustainable society and earth through manufacturing that is in harmony with the environment, making cars, and offering quality products and services. 20,000 Lexus customers offer feedbackFriday, August 20th, 2010Mark Rechtin LOS ANGELES — About 20,000 customers have signed up for the Lexus Advisory Board, an initiative launched in spring to survey Lexus owners about the brand and its products. Lexus is still getting the feel for the research tool, (lexusadvisoryboard.com). So far one questionnaire focused on owners’ interaction with social media and another involved their relationships with technology. Upcoming surveys will affect product plans, says Deborah Senior, Lexus corporate manager of marketing strategy and communications. Having just turned 20, and with an aging boomer owner base, Lexus is battling to hold its sales lead over Mercedes-Benz and BMW. Customer feedback may help. In building its survey base, Lexus wanted a broad range of demographics, psychographics and vehicle ownership. New members will be added as new vehicles are launched, Senior says. “This is a great way of listening to customers,” she says. Lexus has dangled the carrot of one $500 cash card and two $250 cash cards as monthly prizes for participants. Of course, some people say there can be too much market research. After all, Giorgio Armani doesn’t ask what kind of suit a customer wants next time around. Senior doesn’t entirely agree: “We can use this information in combination with information from other resources to develop future plans. Everything from products to the customer’s relationship with the dealer to the ownership experience to how we communicate with them.” Three Toyota/Lexus Vehicles Earn the 2010 Top Safety Pick AwardTuesday, May 25th, 2010Based on new rollover test results, the 2011 Toyota Avalon and Sienna, and the 2010 Lexus RX are the latest vehicles to be designated Top Safety Picks by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The award recognizes the vehicles that earn the highest rating for front, side, rollover and rear crash protection, and that have electronic stability control, which is standard on all three of these models, the IIHS said. To read more about the awards, visit: http://www.iihs.org/news/default.html#052510 2010 Lexus GX 460 Passes Consumer Reports Retest, Dont Buy Label LiftedFriday, May 7th, 2010 A statement from Mark Templin We are pleased that Consumer Reports announced this morning that they are lifting the Don’t Buy: Safety Risk designation from the 2010 Lexus GX 460 after the Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) update addressed their prior concern. “CR said they made an appointment to have the update performed at the Lexus dealership from which they had anonymously bought the vehicle. Following that, CR stated that their engineers again put the updated 2010 GX 460 through the full series of emergency handling tests. CR said they did not experience any safety concerns with the updated GX 460 in their handling tests. “Lexus dealers began contacting customers as soon as details for the VSC update were available. Virtually all of them were contacted by their dealers within a few days and an estimated 75 percent of GX vehicles have already been updated. In the process, they’re providing free loaner vehicles, remote repairs, pick-up and delivery service, and fueling and washing customer cars. “Since it was launched more than 20 years ago, Lexus has built its reputation on customer respect and concern for safety. When Consumer Reports announced on April 13 that the 2010 GX 460 did not pass their ‘Throttle Lift-Off’ test, we immediately stopped selling the vehicle and commenced a vigorous investigation. Thanks to the quick response and hard work by our engineers, we were able to identify and address the issue in just about two weeks. This is our assurance to Lexus customers that their safety and satisfaction are our top priorities. “As previously announced, we will continue to provide a courtesy vehicle to anyone who has purchased a 2010 GX 460 and has concerns about driving it until the recall work has been completed. “Customers who have any questions or concerns should contact their local Lexus dealer or Lexus Customer Satisfaction at 1-800-25LEXUS or 1-800-255-3987.” Lexus Likely to Retain U.S. Luxury Crown This Year Over BMWTuesday, April 27th, 2010Based on comments by BMWs global sales chief, 4WheelsNews.com says it expects BMW to fail to dethrone Lexus as the No. 1 selling luxury brand in the United States. It quoted BMWs Ian Robertson as saying that with the wind down of the current 5 Series and the new 5 Series not set to launch until June, BMW is anticipating only “a few digit points” of growth this year. While Robertson didn’t go so far as to concede the crown to Lexus this year, 4WheelsNews noted that the 5 Series represents 25 percent of BMW volume in the United States, making it difficult for the automaker to overtake Lexus this year. To read the 4WheelsNews article, please click on Lexus and Scholastic Announce Winners of the Lexus Eco Challenge FinaleMonday, April 19th, 2010Positive Action for the Planet Earns Students, Teachers and Schools $500,000 in Grants and Scholarships TORRANCE, Calif., April 19, 2010 Bringing relief to Haiti in the form of a biodiesel processor, solar panels, seedlings for a 2.5-acre Jatropha Farm and donated hand tools, and educating the community about the importance of cleaning up of pet waste were the two top winning projects in the third annual Lexus Eco Challenge, an educational program and contest that inspires and empowers middle and high school students to learn about the environment and take action to improve it. Student teams from Mother McAuley High School in Chicago, and Lawton Chiles Middle School in Lakeland, Fla., each earned a grand prize of $30,000 in grants and scholarships. Eight first-place teams also won $15,000 each. In all, $500,000 in grants and scholarships have been awarded throughout the seven-month-long program. “Every year, we see more and more creativity from the students and their teachers,” said Mark Templin, Lexus group vice president and general manager. “To know that this program has created collaboration between the public and private sectors, as far reaching as Haiti, is so rewarding. Our intent was to start a ripple effect that would continue well beyond the conclusion of each year’s contest, and that’s exactly what we’re seeing.” The two grand prize winning teams have demonstrated how great ideas can inspire an entire community. The “McAuley Ecomacs: Operation Haiti” team, made of 10 students from Mother McAuley High School in Chicago, wanted their project to make an important impact on Haiti. They tackled all four areas highlighted by the Lexus Eco Challenge – land, water, air and climate. In addition to building a solar-powered biodiesel production system, they also worked with representatives from a school in Haiti to plant a Jatropha Farm to grow seeds that generate oil for the biodiesel system. They arranged for solar panels to be donated to the Haitian school. “The Green Team,” made up of five students from Lawton Chiles Middle School in Lakeland, Fla., focused their efforts on educating the community about the dangers of not cleaning up pet waste. In addition to changing pet owners’ behavior in their own community, the team also used social media platforms and the Internet to spread their message far and wide. “The Lexus Eco Challenge has helped change the way I teach,” said Debbie Viertel, the teacher advisor for The Green Team. “By giving my students a real-world challenge, they come up with something they care about. Then they learn all the things I want them to learn in math and science, but the difference is that now they care. It’s a wonderful program.” For their efforts, each grand prize winning school will receive a grant for $7,000, the teacher advisor will get a $3,000 grant, and the students will share $20,000 in scholarships. This year’s winners emerged from the 265 registered teams representing 1,775 middle and high school students nationwide. The 10 winners were selected from 31 teams that qualified to enter the Final Challenge by winning in one or both of the two previous Challenges that were held from September to February. The earlier phases of the contest, which required teams to address the topics of land, water, air or climate, challenged teams to make a difference for the environment in their local communities. The Final Challenge asked teams to reach beyond the local community and inspire environmental action around the world. The eight first-place winning teams are (click here to read about their projects): In addition to the ongoing contest, the Lexus Eco Challenge also includes educational materials designed by Scholastic to encourage teachers to integrate creative lesson plans into their classrooms to help teach students about the environment. For each challenge, the web site (www.scholastic.com/lexus) has lesson plans and teacher instructions including questions to help guide a discussion about the current challenge topic, facts about the topic, and guidelines for a specific classroom project. The Lexus Eco Challenge will enter its fourth year in fall 2010. Teachers and students are encouraged to visit www.scholastic.com/lexus to view all the winning entries and to learn how they can take part in next year’s program. Wall Street Journal Columnist Questions Toyotas Mysteriously High Level of Acceleration ComplaintsMonday, March 29th, 2010In todays Wall Street Journal, columnist Holman Jenkins addresses Toyotas mysteriously high level of unintended acceleration complaints compared to most car makers. One pattern…is unmistakable, Jenkins notes, commenting on the widespread press coverage of Toyotas recalls and reflecting back on the situation with Audi more than 20 years ago. Complaints beget complaints. When a similar fury engulfed Audi in the 1980s, complaints flooded in…[and] more complaints were filed about sudden unintended acceleration than in the previous 20 years combined, Jenkins notes. Perceptions that Toyotas are unusually unsafe may be entirely a product of a complaint bandwagon…partly encouraged by trial lawyers and activists. Despite this, he writes, careful studies by several governments, including the U.S. government, concluded there was no defect behind the earlier Audi acceleration complaints. Jenkins also notes that since 2001, trial lawyers have been “urging a revival of sudden unintended acceleration litigation, insisting that such cases could prevail in absence of evidence of a defect, and even amid evidence of driver error, simply by harping in front of a jury on a record of ‘Other Similar Incidents.’…“That’s the roadmap being followed now.” Toyota is not the first target of this kind of campaign, the Journal points out. In fact, “a 10-year battle against Ford over a 1999 Aerostar minivan crash ended four weeks ago when a jury rendered a verdict in favor of Ford after just two hours of deliberation.” President of J.D. Power & Associates Cautions Toyota Rivals Not to GloatThursday, March 25th, 2010Finbarr O’Neill, president of J.D. Power & Associates, said in an op-ed piece in today’s New York Times that success brings risk and while some of Toyota’s competitors may delight in the company’s stumbles, most realize they could be next. As for Toyota, he advised the company to return to what made it great in the first place. It must hear what customers are saying from the showroom and service departments to call centers around the globe. But hearing the voice of the customer is not enough, O’Neill continued. The voice must not be filtered by self-serving internal sensors that may lead the company astray. O’Neill is the former president and CEO of Mitsubishi Motors Sales North America as well as of Hyundai Motor North America. To read the article, please click on |
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