Posts Tagged ‘airlines’

The Morning Dig: Will China Finance California’s High-Speed Rail?

Monday, April 12th, 2010

3033615378_3855c03b42• China is helping California develop and possibly partially finance its high-speed rail system. (NYT)

•Mexico City is literally sinking; city officials are trying to mitigate the problem before it’s too late. (USA Today)

•”Soft infrastructure” networks, which this article defines as infrastructure that is “invisible or disembodied, organic in behavior, and powered by data networks,” are becoming ever more important in the modern world-with major implications for cities and in particular, architecture. (Architect’s Newspaper)

•The WSJ’s Scott McCartney has an interesting column on what it’s like to be an airport police officer. (WSJ)

•In the wake of the economic crisis and the housing construction bubble, Spain announces a $23 billion infrastructure investment plan. (AP)

•With the recent purchase of Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF), Warren Buffett is very optimistic about railroads in the U.S. (USA Today)

•United Airlines is talking with US Airways about a possible merger. (NYT)

Image: (FutureAtlas.com via Flickr)

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The Daily Dig: Three Hour Delay? Better Pay the Fine Edition

Monday, December 21st, 2009

inside-airplane• The Transportation Department has announced that it plans to start routinely fining airlines for long tarmac delays, and will prohibit airlines from keeping passengers on a runway for more than three hours. Oh, and snacks and water must be provided during that time (though whether they’d be free isn’t specified). (WSJ)

• How will New Jersey refill its soon-to-be empty coffers for transportation projects? The answer remains a mystery. (Philly.com)

• Cabs have long been notoriously wheelchair-inaccessible. Enter a new initiative in D.C., where a fleet of 20 Toyota minivans retrofitted for wheelchair use are being unleashed on the city. (USA Today)

• Meanwhile, Virginia has cut $42 million from its transportation budget, most of which was intended for repaving projects — lief from the downturn in highway revenue has to come from somewhere. (WaPo)

• Like infrastructure? Like podcasts? Then check out The Infrastructure Show with Joseph Schofer, Director of Northwestern University’s Infrastructure Technology Institute, who opines with knowledgeable guests about the biggest infra topics of the week. (TIS)

• And finally, is San Francisco the worst-run city in the United States? (SF Weekly)

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The Evening Dig: “DIY Streets” Edition

Monday, December 7th, 2009

• A sustainable transport charity organizes “DIY Streets,”  a project that modifies roadways in order to soften “the distinction between space dedicated to cars and pedestrians.” The result is a greener street with fewer drivers, more cyclists, and a stronger community. (Guardian)

• A light at the end of the hangar! Airlines might be in recovery: Reducing flights has allowed them to fly fuller planes and create a floor for ticket prices, but there’s still ample concern among execs. (WSJ - Google headline for full article)

• Florida’s house approved the bill to build the Sunrail commuter system, which could create thousands of jobs and help convince the feds to give the state some of that precious high-speed rail money it’ll soon dole out. (WFTV)

• Chicago’s Metra will lay out $136 million to fix its stations, in hopes that ridership will increase despite rising fares and a weak economy. (Tribune)

• Houston’s outgoing Metro chief says that public transit isn’t welfare or a cross to bear — it’s a service for hardworking people who need it, and accepting that is necessary for developing a “transit ethic.” (Houston Chronicle)

• Texas’s incumbent Governor is catching some flack from his challenger for having the DOT investigate a Vehicle Miles Traveled tax, but research shows the public supports the idea almost as much as they do an increased gas tax. (DallasNews)

• And in Toronto, a steal: Buy a condo, get a year’s worth of free transit! (DigitalJournal)

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