USA

Alaska/Yukon Territory

Mexico: Cabo Transit Dispute Riles Tourists; Longer Waits at San Diego-Tijuana Border Crossing

Date: July 23rd, 2008 |

A long-simmering dispute between taxi drivers and tour operators in Los Cabos caught tourists in the middle July 16 when the taxis blocked buses from leaving hotels and forced the passengers to take taxis to the airport. Most of the tourists had paid for the bus transfers as part of their tour packages, and some [read more]

United States: West Coast Rail Service Suspended by Landslide

Date: January 30th, 2008 |

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Amtrak’s Coast Starlight service between Seattle and Los Angeles was suspended Jan. 24 because a major landslide buried the tracks near Oakridge, Oregon. The slide occurred Jan. 19 and Amtrak provided alternate bus service around the closure but found that demand did not justify the expense, so service along the entire route was suspended. Amtrak [read more]

Hawaii: Superferry Gets OK to Sail

Date: November 20th, 2007 |

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The inter-island Superferry, shut down by protesters and the courts in August shortly after it began operating, has now been cleared to resume sailing between Oahu and Maui beginning Dec. 1. The governor signed a new state law to allow the ferry to operate while an environmental study is under way, and a court followed [read more]

Hawaii: National Park Service Suspends Bicycle Tours on Haleakala

Date: October 11th, 2007 |

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The National Park Service suspended commercial bicycle tours in Haleakala National Park following the third death on the long downhill run in a year. The bike trips are one of the most popular activities on Maui. Tour operators drive participants to Haleakala’s 10,000-foot summit and tourists then descend 38 miles on bicycles along a winding [read more]

Caribbean: Passports Needed to Return to U.S.

Date: January 18th, 2007 |

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Beginning Jan. 23, Americans flying into the U.S. from Caribbean islands, Mexico or Canada will have to arrive with a passport to be allowed entry. Prior to that, traveling with only a driver’s license will be adequate. The change came about as a security measure mandated by the U.S. Homeland Security and State departments. The [read more]

United States: Amtrak to Begin Random Baggage Screening

Date: February 20th, 2008 |

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Using procedures similar to those applied on the New York City subway system, Amtrak began randomly screening passengers’ carry-on bags this week in its first significant visible increase in security in years. The new measures will be applied in the Northeast Corridor between Boston and Washington before being expanded to the rest of the country. [read more]

United States: New Airline Restrictions on Lithium Batteries

Date: December 26th, 2007 |

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Beginning Jan. 1, lithium batteries will be prohibited from checked baggage on all flights. The U.S. Department of Transportation requires that spare lithium batteries be packed in carry-on bags with their terminals covered as a precaution against short-circuiting that could spark a fire. Loose batteries should be isolated from each other and should not be [read more]

New York: NYC Taxis to Strike Oct. 22

Date: October 18th, 2007 |

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An alliance of New York City taxi drivers plans to hold a 24-hour strike beginning at 5 a.m. Oct. 22 to protest a new requirement that all taxis have GPS and credit card systems installed by Jan. 31, 2008. The taxi alliance says it represents one-fifth of the city’s 44,000 taxis and in a similar [read more]

Hawaii: Superferry Awaits Judges’ Decisions on Sailing

Date: September 19th, 2007 |

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The Hawaii Superferry, which voluntarily shut down operations Aug. 28 in the face of demonstrations shortly after launching its service, needs to be able to operate while an environmental review is made or it will go out of business, say its owners. Judges on Maui and Kauai are holding hearings to determine if the ship [read more]

Hawai’i: Islands Recover from Earthquake

Date: October 17th, 2006 |

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The most powerful earthquake to strike Hawaii in 20 years disrupted tourism for just a few days as workers restored power and air traffic began to flow normally again. All hotels and resorts are reported operating and all main roads are open. A rural highway on the Big Island of Hawaii between Kawaihae and Hawi [read more]