How fast is too fast?

Pedestrian traffic increases in nice weather. Watch your speed.

Nice weather seems to invite people to speed. It also invites people to get outside and walk, run or bike on our roads and pathways.

Many drivers think that they can occasionally drive fast as long as they drive safely, especially within the low-traffic confines of the laboratory. But speeding increases the risks of crashes, injuries and crash-related fatalities.

To prevent accidents and injuries, Fermilab enforces the same strict speeding standards as on roads outside the laboratory.

Fermilab adopted the State of Illinois Vehicle Code in 1995. Drivers on Fermilab property (whether they are employees, users, visiting scientists or guests) must obey the same standards that motorists are legally obligated to observe when driving on Illinois' public roadways. The maximum speed limit anywhere on site is 40 mph hour, unless otherwise posted. Weather and traffic conditions may make it necessary to drive more slowly.

Security officers enforce the parking and traffic rules by issuing citations, and division, section and center heads are responsible for enforcing the progressive disciplinary measures outlined in the Fermilab Environmental, Safety and Health Section Manual, chapter 9010.

Of the 444 moving violations written at Fermilab last year, 248 were for speeding, including 33 for excessive speed.

Judging by the speeding tickets issues so far this year, Fermilab security is on track to see fewer drivers speeding but more speeders exceeding 20 mph over the speed limit. This year, security officers have issued 40 moving violations, including 23 for speeding. Nine of those were for excessive speed.

Fermilab's Traffic Safety Subcommittee members encourage motorists to be extra aware of their speed as spring approaches. Many people use the Fermilab site for recreation, so please drive safely. We don't want to meet by accident.

-- Chuck Morrison, Traffic Safety Subcommittee chair

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009: how it affects you

As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the Making Work Pay Tax Credit gives taxpayers a credit of 6.2 percent on earned income for tax years 2009 and 2010. The maximum credit is $800 for a married couple filing a joint return and $400 for other taxpayers. This credit is gradually phased out for individuals with incomes over $75,000 and $150,000 for married taxpayers.

Eligible workers will benfit from this change without any action on their part. There is no need to provide a new W-4. However, due to the limits indicated above, individuals and couples with multiple jobs may wish to submit a revised W-4 form to ensure that enough withholding is withheld to cover the tax for the combined income. IRS publication 919 and the IRS Web site both provide additional guidance for withholding. Read the full memo (word document) to see examples and more information.

SuperB moves forward

From symmetrybreaking, March 16, 2009

This article first appeared in SLAC Today on March 16, 2009.

The BaBar and Belle B factories proved so successful that they have spawned a study for a successor: the SuperB factory. The proposal in Italy to build such a machine, which would produce electron-positron collisions 100 times more intense than the BaBar B factory's PEP-II storage ring, is gaining momentum, and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory researchers are major players in the research and development efforts.

"There are many ways in which SLAC could be involved in SuperB in the future," said David MacFarlane, deputy director of Particle Physics and Astrophysics at the laboratory. "SLAC has key expertise to bring to this project, based on our experience building and operating the PEP-II collider and BaBar."

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