Trends
Public transport cuts CO2 emissions by 40%
Public transport is capable of reducing pollution by a staggering 40%, according to a recently released report from the University of California and the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP), reports Nature World News. Opting for bikes, buses and walking over driving cars is key, as are improvements to existing transport, such as by […]
App helps drivers spot bikers before a collision
“I didn’t see him coming!” If you’ve ever been in a bike accident, you’ve probably heard — or cried out — this explanation. Most drivers involved in bike accidents simply don’t see oncoming cyclists. Now, a new app using vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication technology will help drivers spot bike traffic and prevent collisions, reports Co.Exist. The […]
eHighway system to reduce truck pollution in California
The more things change, the more they remain the same; accordingly, overhead electric wires that have been powering trolleys and streetcars since the 19th century will now see them in use along Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Siemens’s eHighway system will electrify certain highway lanes using a catenary system (an overhead wire setup). This system […]
App to revolutionize Finland’s transportation
Helsinki is hoping that an app that links and collects payment for all of the city’s available transport methods will reduce the need for car ownership, reports ThinkProgress. The app would connect users with a comprehensive guide to all transportation options in the city: subways, buses, taxis and ferries, as well as car and bike sharing services. The […]
Is L.A. on the verge of walkability?
Known for its car-centric culture, Los Angeles is primed for a reinvention as a walkable city, according to a new report from SmartGrowth America and George Washington University. The report, Foot Traffic Ahead: Ranking Walkable Urbanism in America’s Largest Metros, analyzed the number of walkable urban neighborhoods throughout 30 major metro areas. It also measured […]
Driverless cars: cheaper than human-driven in 5 years?
Within just five to seven years, reports Mashable, driverless cars will be cheaper than human-driven cars. That prediction is based on Cisco’s “technology trend watchers” analysis. Google, which earlier this year announced advanced integration of super-precise road maps with the company’s robot-driven vehicles, is best known for its driverless vehicles innovations, but Nissan is also […]
Highway trust fund bankruptcy imminent without bailout
The Highway Trust Fund — created in 1956 to fund the U.S. Interstate Highway System and funded via a federal fuel tax on gasoline and diesel fuel — will run out of funds in a few weeks if Congress doesn’t intervene, reports The Atlantic’s CityLab blog. The Department of Transportation, which has been warning Congress […]
Samsung launches bike that makes its own lanes
Smartphones have always been able to map out bikers’ routes, but now, thanks to Samsung’s Smart Bike, in the future, they may also help cyclists arrive safely. Launched at Milan Design Week earlier this year, the Samsung Smart Bike is equipped with laser projection, so it can light its own laser-beamed bike lanes. Some of […]
Study: Salt Lake City light rail reduces traffic
A recent study has discovered that the light-rail system in Salt Lake City, Utah, reduces traffic, cuts costs and may improve the environment, reports the blog Planetizen. The study found that a light-rail line “reduces daily [traffic] from 44,000 (if it did not exist) to 22,300 (what actually occurs) on one arterial.” The study, Effect […]
Is there a zoning remedy for car-dependent towns?
Towns are largely car-dependent because we design them that way, claims blogger Andrew Price with Smart Towns, a blog devoted to American town growth, in a recent post. Price analyzes the zoning system in Conway, Arkansas, as an example of Euclidean zoning and its role in creating car-dependent towns. What exactly is Euclidean zoning? Also […]
