-
Monthly archive for March, 2010
Can New Technology Make Mass Transit Safe?
Wednesday, March 31st, 2010
In response to the Moscow bombings, Yahoo News writer Suzi Parker has put together a list of five steps that will supposedly make public transit safer. They run the gamut from various emerging technologies to good old fashioned emergency preparedness. Read more ›
The Morning Dig: Denver Olympics, 2022?
Wednesday, March 31st, 2010
• Denver was already selected once for the Olympics in 1976, but they declined due to lack of infrastructure investment. Now one Coloradan lays out the case for an Olympic-based rail investment in 2022. (The Colorado Independent) • The survey Read more ›
Moscow, Security, and the Power of Perceived Threats
Tuesday, March 30th, 2010
As one would expect, the news has been overflowing with coverage of the suicide bombings that killed 39 people in the Moscow subway Monday morning. Two suicide bombers have been identified (the fact that they were women has been all Read more ›
The Morning Dig: To Solve the Toyota Mystery, We Turn to…NASA?
Tuesday, March 30th, 2010
• Via Treehugger, the latest cycling spring fashion is now available. Now it’s just a matter of getting on your bike so you can look good in the rest of your clothes. (Treehugger) • U.S. auto safety regulators are asking NASA Read more ›
The 11 Mobile Apps You Need to Get Around Any City
Monday, March 29th, 2010
About a year ago, we checked in on five great iPhone applications for mobile commuters. Suffice it to say, in the intervening months, the number of software programs offered for these increasingly popular devices has skyrocketed, and there’s much available: Read more ›
The Morning Dig: Tragedy and Terror on Moscow’s Subway
Monday, March 29th, 2010
• MIT reviews Spain’s HSR success, from its impeccable technology to its environmental innovations. • Tragedy in Russia, as two bombs exploded in the Moscow subway during rush hour Monday morning. So far at least 36 people are dead, with Read more ›
The Week in High Speed Rail
Friday, March 26th, 2010
• More rumblings of trouble in Florida: Even the state’s Congressmen are questioning whether it was a good idea to make the Orlando-Tampa line the first major HSR project to be undertaken in the U.S. (NYT) • Meanwhile, FL business Read more ›
The Morning Dig: Your iPhone Can Run You a Bath, Turn Off the Lights
Friday, March 26th, 2010
• The home of the future is wired: Broadband connectivity can now control everything in your house, from the lights to the temperature of your bath water. (Reuters) • D.C. metro officials go to church, and are told by residents Read more ›
Does Amtrak Have a Prayer at Running U.S. High Speed Rail?
Thursday, March 25th, 2010
Amtrak has a recurring PR problem. Despite its resurgence in popularity over the past decade — particularly along the Northeast Corridor and California’s Capitol Corridor — it has a persistently hard time being taken seriously. It’s outdated, its inefficient, it Read more ›
The Morning Dig: NYC Transit Slashed, More Cuts Still to Come
Thursday, March 25th, 2010
• The MTA cuts are here! And to make matters worse, more service cuts and fair hikes are yet to come. Mayor Bloomberg tells the city’s riders, “save your anger for the next round of cuts.” (NY Times) • Just Read more ›
Congress’ Chances of Getting a Transportation Bill Passed This Session: 0
Wednesday, March 24th, 2010
Federal transportation funding got a much-needed reprieve last week when President Obama signed the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment (HIRE) Act, which will ensure sufficient federal highway and transit funding for the near future. Specifically, the bill moves $19.5 billion Read more ›
The 20 U.S. Cities With the Most Energy-Efficient Buildings
Wednesday, March 24th, 2010
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, buildings in the U.S. use forty percent of the nation’s energy, and are responsible for a whopping 10 percent of the world’s total energy consumption. This week, the EPA released its second annual list Read more ›
A New York Transportation Guru on How L.A. Can Solve Its Transit Mess
Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010
Courtesy of Streetfilms, here’s renowned New York City transportation commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan taking questions from L.A. officials about how to get major transportation changes and policies implemented. She makes salient, if not exactly revolutionary, points — the key is strong Read more ›
Can Roads Control Your Driving? The Truth About Safety-Enhancing Road Design
Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010driving-speed-influence-studyThey’re the holy grail of transportation engineering: streets and highways specifically designed to encourage automobilists to drive less quickly, reducing the rates of passenger fatalities and generally encouraging a safer urban environment. And now it appears they just might work: Read more ›
The Morning Dig: What’s L.A. Doing to Support Mass Transit? Not Much
Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010
• L.A.’s mass transit agencies are doing just about nothing to make public transportation efficient and useable for residents, despite the fact that the costs of gas, insurance, parking, and vehicle maintenance in the city are some of the highest Read more ›
Will High Speed Rail Mean Greater Suburban Sprawl?
Monday, March 22nd, 2010
Transportation and infrastructure projects are a constant balancing act of priorities — environmental, economic, utilitarian, sociological, the list goes on. And while many projects try to incorporate all, or as many as possible, of these — increasing energy efficiency saves Read more ›
The Morning Dig: Spring Break Air Travelers, Prepare for Pat-Downs
Monday, March 22nd, 2010
• President Obama has committed millions more towards beefing up screening equipment at airports, including full-body scanners, “swabs,” and random searches. (ABCNews) • If you are on an empty train in New York City, don’t stretch out to make yourself Read more ›
The Week in High Speed Rail: Would You Take a Train From London to Beijing?
Friday, March 19th, 2010
• Just how feasible is China’s proposed 16,000-mile Beijing-to-London HSR line? (Atlantic) • And if it does get built, could anyone imagine actually using it? (Yes we know the picture is a bus — but you get the idea.) (Economist) Read more ›
Shocking Survey: Africans Blame Themselves for Climate Change
Friday, March 19th, 2010
Your continent produces less than 5% of the world’s fossil fuel emissions, yet you hold yourself and your countrymen responsible for the worldwide phenomenon of climate change? That’s what the BBC is reporting. A new survey called the Africa Talks Read more ›
The Morning Dig: Solar Jobs Give Ex-Cons a Second Chance
Friday, March 19th, 2010
• The California sun is giving many ex-cons a second chance: Solar construction jobs are providing employment opportunities to people with criminal records, who would normally be shut out of the job market. (Al Jazeera) • Hallelujah! Obama has officially Read more ›
