Here are five things worth knowing today: 1. Truck drivers and paramedics in Australia have united in protest over fatigue, according to ABC News Australia. Truck drivers there are pushing for “safe rates” from the major supermarkets, saying low rates paid to trucking companies leads to unsafe practices, ABC said. ABC has more. 2. The average U.S. commuter spends about 42 hours a year stuck in traffic, according to a Reuters report. A Texas Transportation Institute report estimates that U.S. highway congestion costs $160 billion a year – from lost productivity, gas burned while idling in traffic and additional wear and tear on vehicles. According to the report, a strong economy and cheap gas are the culprits, putting more motorists on the road.3. California’s Alameda County has launched a campaign to get “big-rig trucks off local streets,” according to the East Bay Express. East Oakland residents, the report says, suffer from some of the most polluted air in Alameda County, so last month, the Oakland City Council passed a plan to reroute trucks from residential streets. East Bay Express has more. 4. A proposal for a Flying J Truck Stop in Southwest Missouri is closer to becoming a reality for truckers, according to KSPR. The proposed truck stop will be off I-44 in Springfield, at Chestnut and Broadview Road, the report said. Flying J is waiting for approval from Springfield’s City Council before moving forward. 5. Illinois mayors are stuck when it comes to collecting portions of the gas tax to repair municipal roads, WUIS 91.9 NPR Illinois reports. According to NPR, statewide, $57 million has been collected since July, but is trapped in a budget stalemate. Illinois’ House advanced a measure that would give municipalities three months’ worth of money they’d normally be due. WUIS has more.
