Transportation & Mobility

Omaha, Neb. and Atlanta – September 19, 2026 -- More than 500 customers across the U.S. freight economy have publicly backed the proposed combination of Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP) and Norfolk Southern (NYSE: NSC), with support expanding through new Surface Transportation Board (STB) filings. Twenty-three additional shippers from agriculture, energy, fertilizer, forest products, food and automotive sectors submitted statements citing expanded market access and stronger supply chains as core benefits of a single coast-to-coast rail network.

New filings add 150 letters to a growing shipper coalition

Recent submissions included more than 150 new letters from customers, first responder organizations, community leaders and elected officials. Combined with over 2,000 statements filed alongside the railroads' amended application, the volume reflects broadening institutional backing for the transaction as it moves through regulatory review.

Tampa – September 19, 2026 -- FlyUSA has launched a $100 million Jet Card Recovery Program aimed at private flyers who lost access to prepaid funds held by other aviation providers, allowing qualifying customers to earn back up to 100% of a verified stranded balance in flight credits without making a new deposit.

Qualifying customers pay as they fly instead of prepaying again

Under the program, participants receive a complimentary FlyUSA Gold Membership valued at $4,995 and book flights on a pay-as-you-go basis. For every $1 of qualifying flight spend with FlyUSA, customers earn $0.20 in promotional flight credits toward their verified stranded balance -- meaning a customer with a $100,000 stranded balance could recover that amount after $500,000 in qualifying flight spend.

Pittsburgh – September 19, 2026 -- An inventor from Blue Jay, Calif., has developed a patent-pending tie down strap engineered to apply constant tension and eliminate loosening caused by load shifting, InventHelp announced.

Design targets slack-related failures in cargo securing

The strap addresses a common failure point in existing tie down systems: unseen slack that develops as a load shifts during transport. The inventor stated the goal was to create a design that maintains steady tension throughout transit, reducing the risk of load displacement.

Product targets multiple vehicle and equipment categories

The invention, named EXTREME TIE DOWN, is built for durability and ease of use, targeting owners and operators of trailers, trucks, cargo carriers, dirt bikes, jet skis, boats, light aircraft, and RVs.

Boston – September 19, 2026 -- Maverick Corporation will lead engineering and construction on the largest municipal curbside EV charging buildout in the United States, a New York City contract calling for 600 new chargers across all five boroughs over three years.

NYC and NYPA select it's electric to replace pilot charging infrastructure citywide

The City of New York and the New York Power Authority officially selected it's electric in August to build the permanent PlugNYC network, procured through a contract with the Department of Citywide Administrative Services. Maverick, a 30-year-old Make Ready design and construction firm, will handle installation and utility coordination for the rollout.

Pittsburgh – September 19, 2026 -- An Indianapolis-based inventor has filed a patent application for the U-TURN FLASHER, a signaling device designed to warn other motorists before a vehicle executes a 180-degree turn at an intersection.

Device targets a specific gap in existing turn-signal communication

Standard turn signals do not clearly indicate a U-turn maneuver, leaving other drivers to guess a vehicle's intentions. The U-TURN FLASHER is engineered to give advance, unambiguous notice of an impending U-turn, aiming to reduce collisions caused by miscommunication at intersections.

Frankfurt – – September 18, 2026 -- CARKU unveiled a sodium-ion jump starter and two new starting batteries at Automechanika Frankfurt 2026, expanding its emergency-starting portfolio for passenger and commercial vehicles.

CARKU's jump starter series generates roughly 30% of company revenue in Europe

Europe ranks among CARKU's key overseas markets, with its jump starter line contributing approximately 30% of total revenue in 2025, according to internal sales data.

JS-617N jump starter starts vehicles at temperatures as low as -40°C

The 12V/24V JS-617N combines automatic voltage recognition with manual-start capability and 10 integrated protection functions covering electrical, thermal, and software safeguards. Internal testing showed the unit successfully starting vehicles at -40°C, according to the company.

Seoul – September 18, 2026 -- Hanwha Power has secured Approval in Principle (AiP) from the American Bureau of Shipping for a 22,000-cubic-meter LNG bunkering vessel concept design, the company announced on September 15 at GASTECH 2026 in Bangkok, Thailand.

Approval completes Hanwha Power's bunkering vessel lineup from 7,500 to 22,000 CBM

The certification rounds out a full range of medium- and large-scale LNG bunkering vessels for Hanwha Power, positioning the company across multiple vessel size classes for shipowners transitioning to alternative marine fuels.

Hartford, Conn. – September 18, 2026 -- LAZ Parking, North America's largest privately owned parking and mobility company, unveiled a growth strategy dubbed "LAZ 3.0" that will add more than 1,000 jobs across North America within a year and expand its Hartford headquarters to house over 100 additional staff.

Tony DiPaolo and John Svendblad become Co-CEOs effective January 1, 2027

DiPaolo, who joined LAZ in 2005 and currently serves as President of the Midwest, and Svendblad, who joined in 2008 and leads the West Coast, will jointly assume the chief executive role. Combined, the two bring more than four decades of internal leadership experience at the company.

Mexico City – September 18, 2026 -- Ferrovalle, operator of one of Mexico's largest inland rail freight hubs, has selected INFORM's Syncrotess Optimization Plus software to power a Smart Yard automation initiative at its Mexico City terminal, with go-live targeted for June 2027. Ferrovalle's intermodal division handled around 550,000 TEUs in 2025, ranking it among Latin America's largest inland intermodal operations. The contract was signed in early September 2026.

Brooklyn, N.Y. – September 18, 2026 -- First Student and Con Edison have completed the first phase of an electric school bus infrastructure project in New York City, cutting charging infrastructure construction costs by 13% through a trenchless deployment method.

Trenchless charging technology avoids underground trenching costs in dense boroughs

The project's core innovation, First Student's First ChargeTM system, is a trenchless, modular charging infrastructure solution that bypasses traditional underground trenching. The approach reduced construction costs by 13% while minimizing disruption in Brooklyn and Queens, two of the most logistically complex urban environments in the United States for utility work.