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Monthly archive for April, 2009
Fact Checking Joe Biden: The Science Of Flu Exposure On Planes
Thursday, April 30th, 2009
This morning Joe Biden sent lots of pundits and airline executives into a tizzy by saying he wouldn’t want his family flying on a commercial airplane these days, what with all the pig flus floating around. This was a “gaffe” Read more ›
Fake Viral Vid of Cops Hugging Cyclists Fools Everyone
Thursday, April 30th, 2009
[SButtonZ button="digg"] A video showing cops in Copenhagen hugging cyclists and giving them free helmets has been making the rounds at some of our favorite sites, including TreeHugger and BoingBoing. It has generated incredibly entertaining comment threads with discussions of Read more ›
Daily Dig
Thursday, April 30th, 2009
We are entering the era of “smart” infrastructure: from roads to power grids, wireless sensors and software will make the systems greener and more efficient. (NYT) Public private partnerships will keep moving ahead, even after the collapse of a huge Read more ›
Of Bike Helmets And Cushy Freeways: Do Safety Laws Ever Do Us Harm?
Wednesday, April 29th, 2009
A lot of people seem to be thinking about the unintended consequences of laws designed to make us safer on the roads, whether as cyclists or drivers. Today Good magazine asks, “Do bike helmet laws do more harm than good?” Read more ›
Water Main Break Closes Nation’s Busiest Rail Line
Wednesday, April 29th, 2009
[SButtonZ button="digg"] It’s a hell of a day in Baltimore: Two major water lines break, each creating a separate logistical nightmare. In the suburb of Halethorp, a 36-inch main broke and created a small river that has swamped the Amtrak Read more ›
Suburbanites Near Train Lines Own Fewer Cars
Wednesday, April 29th, 2009
Sometimes it’s fun to see strong evidence for something you’re already pretty sure is true. In this case: A map from Transport Textbook showing that suburban residents who live closer to rail lines tend to own fewer cars. (Click through Read more ›
The Daily Dig
Wednesday, April 29th, 2009
An interactive map of the US electrical grid showing the existing and proposed elements, power stations, and renewable potential. (NPR) Downtown Baltimore is paralyzed by flooding after a water main break. The city has an aging water infrastructure that needs Read more ›
Mileage Tax Is Alive and Well and Living in Congress
Tuesday, April 28th, 2009
Just two months ago, the idea of taxing motorists on the basis of how many miles they drive seemed to be dead as a doornail. After being floated by the new transportation secretary as a way to fund our highways, Read more ›
The Future of Streetlights: 6 Brilliant New Concepts
Tuesday, April 28th, 2009
[SButtonZ button="digg"] As objects, streetlights tend to recede into that dull tangle of structures that keep our towns and cities running smoothly. They generally aren’t intended to draw any notice. But maybe its time to start appreciating the possibilities. When Read more ›
The Daily Dig
Tuesday, April 28th, 2009
The cast iron store fronts of Galveston, a Modernist stadium in Miami, and the hangar that housed the Enola Gay in Utah are among the most endangered historical buildings in the US. (NYT) The cement industry is saying that proposed Read more ›
President Wants ‘People To Live In Communities Where They Don’t Always Have to Be in an Automobile’
Monday, April 27th, 2009
[SButtonZ button="digg"] In this interview last week with the Washington Post (which we just noticed is available on video), the Transportation Secretary said some interesting things. For instance: When asked about the vehicle miles tax–remember that LaHood got slapped down Read more ›
5 Must-Have iPhone Apps For Commuters
Monday, April 27th, 2009
[SButtonZ button="digg"] Among the 30,000 or so apps now available from iTunes, there are plenty that offer a momentary dumb thrill–”Hey, look! My iPhone’s full of beer!”–but in retrospect might seem like a questionable purchase. By contrast, some of the Read more ›
The Daily Dig
Monday, April 27th, 2009
States are looking for a big boost in highway spending in the new transportation bill — lobbyists are urging $375 billion for highways and $93 billion for transit. (WSJ) Head of the House Transportation committee Jim Oberstar says he plans Read more ›
Wind Power’s Dirty Little Secret
Friday, April 24th, 2009
There’s a wonderful article in the current issue of Insight, the energy journal published by Platts, called “The Unbearable Lightness of Wind.” The author, Ross McCracken, tackles the question that nobody has posed yet – what are the economic consequences Read more ›
The 11 Most Innovative Transit Programs in the U.S.
Friday, April 24th, 2009
[SButtonZ button="digg"] After many years of stumbling, America finally seems to be dedicated to the goal of getting transit right. The Environmental Defense Fund has just issued a report highlighting 11 of the most forward-looking and successful local programs across Read more ›
The Daily Dig – High Speed Rail Edition
Friday, April 24th, 2009
Proposed Texas HSR network would cost $10-$20 billion, help with Houston’s Olympic bid, and facilitate hurricane evacs. (Houston Chronicle) Obama touts a “high speed” rail connection between Des Moines and Chicago. Up to 79 mph! (KCCI) US is a half Read more ›
Ha! Amusingly Defaced Street Signs, Part 3
Thursday, April 23rd, 2009
[SButtonZ button="digg"] The people have spoken–with their mouses, that is–and the people like this silly little series. (As, frankly, do we.) And we’re always game to give the people more of what they like. If you haven’t yet seen Part Read more ›
Why Doesn’t The Stimulus Include Money For Painting Roofs And Roads White?
Thursday, April 23rd, 2009
If there were such a book as “7 Habits of Highly Successful Planetary Civilizations,” one of those habits would be the ability to recognize and do simple things that substantially address complex problems–and to do so even if those simple Read more ›
The Daily Dig
Thursday, April 23rd, 2009
Slate’s Jack Schafer is dubious about all this talk of crumbling infrastructure. Structurally deficient bridges still work, he says. (Slate) In Boston, 75 transit workers are being laid off due to MBTA deficits. (Boston Globe) Russia is spending $1 billion Read more ›
What You Really Should Be Thinking About on Earth Day: Transit and Suburban Development Patterns
Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009
For some environmentally minded folks, Earth Day is an occasion to fret over like how much recycled material is in our socks or whether to run our dishwashers at 3 a.m. or 3 p.m. But, as probably even the fretters Read more ›
