Thoughts on Freeway Widening and Public Transit

Fri, 23 Jan 2009 09:12:34 GMT

Image Source: annia316 via Flickr Public Transit--A Tool of Appeasement? Last November 4th I excitedly went to my local polling station to cast my ballot in the Presidential election. At the same time, I also voted on several ballot initiatives in my home state of Rhode Island, one of which had to do with funding for transportation. As I read through the description of the proposal, I couldn't help but notice that the vast majority of the money would go to highway improvements--presumably repairing roads and bridges, though it wasn't very specific--and there was a token amount allotted to increasing funding for buses and light rail. So despite the fact that the public transportation funding only amounted to a tiny fraction of the total spending, I couldn't in good conscience vote against it...right? Well, a recent article in the Sacramento Bee has me wondering whether that kind of scenario is played out across the country in order to appease those who are in favor of a less automobile-centric society. Read on for more.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Economic Downturn Affects California High Speed Rail Project

Mon, 12 Jan 2009 17:10:40 GMT

Image: Calhighspeedrail.org Another Negative Impact of the Economic Downturn The global economic downturn has already contributed to a major deficit at the New York MTA, lowered the value of recycled materials, and of course hurt individuals and businesses around the world. Another victim, it seems, is now the California High Speed Rail Initiative, which Californians approved on November 4th. The ballot measure approved investing "nearly $10 billion in a statewide high-speed rail system," but unfortunately "the agency charged with getting it built is running out of money." Read on to find out why. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Toyota to Go Bold In Bid to Revive Flagging Sales

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 14:26:05 GMT

Toyota Goes Bold Even Toyota, the maker of the much revered Toyota Prius, has been unable to escape the fallout from the economic downturn. In fact, Toyota just posted its first operating loss in 70 years, and the company is responding with bold plans for innovative new vehicles. For instance, we've known for a while that Toyota has been planning a solar-assisted Prius (a hybrid vehicle with a rooftop solar panel to help power onboard electronics). Now, however, there are reports that "Toyota Motor Corp. is secretly developing a vehicle that will be powered solely by solar energy." Read on for more. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

American Lithium Ion Battery Makers Form Alliance

Fri, 26 Dec 2008 12:30:55 GMT

Image Credit: kqedquest via Flickr A Bailout of Sorts for Battery Makers Too? Though the Big Three will end up getting their much sought bailout, no one-except, apparently, for Congress and the White House-is under the illusion that the Big Three are on firm footing, especially relative to Toyota, Honda, BMW, and others. Part of the reason behind the Big Three's current ills is that they fell so far behind foreign competitors in developing new manufacturing and propulsion technologies. Well, it turns out that America isn't just behind in making new cars, but also in developing the battery technology that will power the hybrid and electric vehicles of the future. In fact, American companies "are five years behind Asians in [their] ability to manufacture the cells." In order to catch up and overtake foreign competitors, 14 companies have formed an alliance to push for federal funds. There has been a lot of innovation in advanced battery technology lately. Read on for some of the highlights, and to learn how the new lithium ion battery maker alliance hopes to make America the leader in developing advanced batteries.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

New Web Site Encourages Cycling Through Competition and Collaboration

Sun, 14 Dec 2008 01:17:53 GMT

Image source: GreenLightRide.com The Internet is a Great Tool for Promoting Sustainability We've covered lots of ways in which the internet can be used for promoting all things green. For instance, there's the green search engine, green web hosting, 6 planet-saving Facebook applications and Google's Public Transportation feature in Google maps. Now a new web site-GreenlightRide--is promoting cycling by transforming "your ordinary commute into a high-stakes scramble to rack miles and leave your rivals grinding their granny gears." Learn more about the site after the fold.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

$5.2 Billion Rail Project in Washington, D.C. A Sign of the Times

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 08:26:16 GMT

Image Credit Fabio Raphael Public Transportation Gets a Boost Several trends are emerging in the current political and economic climate that are conducive to public transportation. First, there is the surging popularity of public transportation in the United States (in fact, on election day, voters approved $75 billion worth of new mass transit projects)). What's more, there is an incoming administration keen on investing in American infrastructure, and an economic downturn that is even fostering a bipartisan consensus on bailouts for the financial industry and the Big Three. Given all of the above, it isn't surprising to hear that "Federal regulators have approved a long-awaited" extension to the Washington, D.C. metrorail, "virtually assuring construction of a $5.2 billion project that regional leaders say is crucial to ease congestion and spur economic growth in Northern Virginia." In fact, the news seems to be a sign of the times. Read on for more on the project, and how it speaks to a broader trend.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Commuter Rail Returns to Baghdad

Sun, 07 Dec 2008 10:01:21 GMT

Image Credit: Saad Khalaf / Los Angeles Times Commuter Rail Returns to Baghdad As a result of the significantly improved security situation in Iraq, the Ministration of Transportation has been able to provide a commuter rail service in Baghdad for the last month. According to the LA Times, "the Ministry of Transportation wanted to relieve Iraqis of the chaos of Baghdad's streets, where checkpoints, speeding convoys and almost daily bombings cause massive traffic tie-ups." However, ridership on the train--which " weaves about 15 miles through west and south Baghdad on just two round-trip journeys a day"--has been low, and taxis and scooters remain the most popular mode of transportation. Still, the Baghdad Metro, as it is being called, may be a sign of urban renewal in Baghdad. At a minimum, a ride on the train reveals much about the state of the country and its infrastructure. Read on for more.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Make Cycling Safer and More Convenient With An Informal Bicycle Triple A

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 09:19:21 GMT

The Need For Roadside Assistance for Cyclists A recent email I received from the Brown University cycling listserv got me thinking about the need for roadside assistance for cyclists. Last week, two riders on the cycling team were out for a training ride in 30 degree weather when, five miles from home, one of them snapped a chain. They called several people that live in the area, but couldn't find anyone that could come and pick them up, so the other rider had to sprint home, get his car, and rush back to the stranded rider--who was left waiting for half an hour in the cold. We recently covered a new roadside assistance program for cyclists based in Australia, but the fact of the matter is that there is nothing akin to a AAA for the two-wheeled, human-powered crowd, and there probably won't be anytime soon. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

The Big Dig's Unintended Consequence: More Traffic

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 09:21:17 GMT

Boston's Big Dig--the most expensive highway project ever completed in the U.S., which gave Boston "a gleaming new highway system that has made zipping beneath Boston and Boston Harbor much easier"--has had a very ironic and unintended consequence: more traffic. This, of course, is on top of the other unintended consequences of the Big Dig (namely, charges of corruption, fraud, subpar construction, being massively over budget and over schedule, and "a ceiling collapse in the connector tunnel in July 2006 killed a motorist). Read on to find out why a $15 billion project designed to decrease traffic in Boston has had the opposite effect.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Election Day A Boon For Mass-Transit

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 17:08:24 GMT

Mass-Transit Gets Funded to the Tune of $75 Billion November 4th was a good day for democracy in general (most of the voting went off without a hitch) and Democrats in particular. But lost in all the excitement over Barack Obama's historic victory was the fact that mass-transit was also one of the big winners of the day. In fact, according to the Wall Street Journal

Some 23 initiatives were approved nationwide. . .that will inject $75 billion into transportation systems, according to the Center for Transportation Excellence, a nonpartisan research group that promotes mass-transit service. Among the winners: Nearly $10 billion in bonds to start building a high-speed rail network in California, and $18 billion to expand mass-transit service in the Seattle area. The vote on another measure, which would raise the sales tax in Santa Clara County, Calif., to fund an extension of Bay Area Rapid Transit service, remains too close to call.

These results sound even better when we look more closely at the numbers.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Virtuous Cycle Video Highlights Washington, D.C.'s Cycling Initiatives

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 09:02:29 GMT

With all the excitement about change coming to Washington with the election of Barack Obama, it can be easy to forget that the Capitol is slowly becoming a more bicycle-friendly city. As the above video highlights, Washington, D.C. recently implemented a bike-share program known as Smart Bike D.C. And much as cities like New York and Mexico City have been doing, D.C. has been busy adding miles of new bike lanes and cycling infrastructure to accommodate the rise in cycling caused in part by high gas prices.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

New York City May Implement Tough Bicycle Parking Requirements

Sun, 16 Nov 2008 14:47:44 GMT

New York City, which has been working hard to promote cycling of late, has now proposed "bicycle parking rules that could be among the toughest in the nation, requiring one secure bike parking space for every two units in new apartment buildings and one space for every 7,500 square feet in new office buildings." This comes on the heels of City-sponsored bike rack design competition, the unveiling of a new cycling master plan and several initiatives which have resulted in a rise in bicycle commuting in the Big Apple. The new proposal, if approved, would help ease a significant "stumbling block preventing New Yorkers from cycling to work or to perform errands": a lack of secure parking for bicycles.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Chrysler To Ax Two Hybrid Models

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 09:55:33 GMT

Detroit appears to be on the road to receiving a bailout of its own, and this story is just another example of why the Big Three are in so much trouble in the first place. According to the New York Times, "HYBRID versions of the Chrysler Aspen and Dodge Durango seem likely to secure a spot in automotive history: the two vehicles fell under the executioner's ax in the same month they went on sale." Here's the real head-scratching part: "The hybrid S.U.V.'s became available at dealerships in early October. But on Oct. 23, Chrysler announced that at the end of the year it would close the Delaware plant where they are built." It gets worse.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Economic Downturn Contributes to Major Deficit at M.T.A.

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 12:05:39 GMT

An Ironic Situation Public transit, which in the face of record gas prices has been looking increasingly attractive (although fuel costs have recently declined), is now being challenged by the economic downturn as certain revenue streams dry up. For example, the Metropolitan Transit Authority "faces a $1.2 billion budget deficit in 2009 - $300 million more than it had projected in July - that will very likely require new fare and toll increases or service reductions." This deficit comes in spite of the fact that ridership is up across the country. In the case of the M.T.A., which servces New York City and surrounding areas, "the deficit was caused. . .by the collapse of revenues from real estate and corporate taxes." The irony here is that while high gas prices encouraged more people to consider public transit, and the economic downturn only strengthened the need to save money, many transit authorities will be forced to raise fares and decrease services.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Brazilian Town Overrun by Motorbikes

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 08:17:29 GMT

Image credit: Lalo de Almeida for The New York Times Brazilian Town Overrun by Motorbikes Tabatinga, Brazil, is a town of 47,000 people that, in most respects, is like any other Amazonian outpost, except Tabatinga "is practically a city run entirely by motorbikes." In fact, the town's 47,000 residents own more than 15,000 motorbikes, creating "a sea of scooters and motorcycles" during rush hour. What's more, the incredible growth in motorbike ownership has "helped fuel the growth of the city, which has doubled in population in the past 20 years." ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

New York City's Hybrid Taxi Mandate Faces Legal Setback

Sun, 02 Nov 2008 07:05:57 GMT

Bloomberg Makes News--Again New York City's Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who earlier this year deemed the threat of global warming as serious as terrorism, has been making lots of headlines lately on both the environmental and political fronts. Aside from exploring a third mayoral term, Bloomberg has also been pushing for congestion pricing in the city, hybrid taxis, and renewable energy production on bridges and skyscrapers, to name a few. Unfortunately, his congestion pricing plan fell through and in October his hybrid taxi plan got challenged on safety concerns. To make matters worse, as a result of that legal challenge "a federal judge [has] blocked the city Friday from requiring all new taxicabs to be fuel-efficient hybrids, hampering Mayor Michael Bloomberg's ambitious goal to make all yellow cabs green by 2012." ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Data Confirms Cycling On the Rise in New York City

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 12:46:25 GMT

New York City has been working hard to promote cycling, for instance by unveiling a new plan to become more bicycle friendly, looking into creating a bike-share program, hosting a bike movie festival, and sponsoring competitions for the design of a better bike rack. While some of the efforts fall more into the promotion/awareness category, many of them have also involved real infrastructure improvements. And according to new data released by the NYC Department of Transportation, they appear to be paying off -- bicycle commuting has significantly risen. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Poll Shows The Pickens Publicity Plan Is Working

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 18:15:52 GMT

Pickens is Campaigning for Energy Independence As the presidential campaign enters the home stretch, and the candidates continue hammering home their messages on the key issues of the day--among them, of course, energy independence and energy prices--it is easy to forget there's another wealthy and influential person who is campaigning for American energy independence as well. Unlike Senators Obama and McCain, however, this person isn't running for public office; rather, he is a wealthy oilman looking to make a lot of money in emerging energy markets--and help America in the process. We've been hearing a lot lately about T. Boone Pickens and his now famous Pickens Plan, which calls for producing 20% of America's electricity from wind energy, switching our auto fleet to natural gas and expanding offshore drilling. At the same time, Pickens has been using his considerable wealth to spread the message about his plan. Much as Obama and McCain have been spending large sums of money to sway voters, Pickens has been trying to convince Americans about the efficacy of approach to energy independence. A new poll by Rasmussen Reports shows that the Pickens Plan may be effectively swaying public opinion.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

MDI Unveils Radically Designed Air-Powered Concept Car

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 06:51:20 GMT

A Radical Design for A Simple Idea Vehicles powered by compressed air, much as plug-in hybrids and hydrogen cars, seem to be perennially stuck in the concept car phase, with talk of commercial releases just around the corner. However, the promise of air cars--which, as the name implies, run on compressed air--is in some ways greater than any other vehicle, as the only energy they need is the electricity required to compress the air that goes into the tank. Of course, air cars currently are limited in their range and speed, but just as we've seen with electric cars such as the Think and the ZENN, there are numerous applications for low-mileage, low-speed cars. Clearly, air cars could fill that niche quite well.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Project Better Place To Expand to Australia

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 07:05:27 GMT

Project Better Place--Great Idea or Hot Air? We've heard a lot about Project Better Place, Shai Agassi's plan to make electric cars sell like cell phones. The simple premise behind the model is that batteries--the most expensive part of an electric car--should be leased to users for a monthly fee. For longer trips, electric "fueling" stations will enable drivers to pull in, swap their depleted battery for a fully charged one, and continue on their way. Of course, pulling this off would require a lot of charging station infrastructure, a lot of political buy-in, and a lot of electric cars. That's why we've also discussed some of the problems with the idea (see our reasons here). Currently, Shai Agassi has "has commitments in Israel and Denmark and a partnership with Renault-Nissan to build electric cars with exchangeable batteries," a possible partnership with Portugal, and some serious cash to back him. Now, he is announcing that "Better Place [has] partnered with AGL Energy, the largest power company in Australia, and the Macquarie Capital Group to raise $670 million to help deploy an electric vehicle network powered by renewable energy."... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Bike Share Programs Becoming Increasingly Popular on College Campuses

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 07:00:29 GMT

Bike Sharing Has Gone Global Bike Sharing--programs that enable multiple users to rent bikes and return them at stations scattered around a city or campus--has truly gone global. We've seen programs in Seville, Paris, Mexico City, Montreal and Barcelona, to name a few. In the U.S., Washington, D.C. recently launched a program of its own, and Portland, New York City and other cities and campuses are looking into the idea. Now, in an effort to reduce the amount of cars--and parking lots--on college campuses, "colleges are setting up free bike sharing or rental programs, and some universities are partnering with bike shops to offer discounts on purchases."... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Plug-in Hybrid and Electric Vehicle Owners Struggle to Find Places to Charge Up

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 09:05:35 GMT

Plug-In Hybrids and Electric Vehicles--Lots of Talk, Little Action For all the talk and excitement about plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) and electric vehicles (EVs), it is still extremely rare to come across one of these cars on the highways. Despite the fact that "every auto company in the world is developing all-electric or plug-in hybrids," only a handful of models are actually available for purchase. These include the Tesla Roadster and the ZENN, as well as a number of individuals who have paid to have their current cars converted to PHEVs or EVs. These early adopters are clearly ushering in a future transportation system that is primarily electric, but for now they face a dilemma: many of their vehicles have limited battery range, and there are very few places where one can re-charge an electric car. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Update on BMW's Electric Mini

Sun, 19 Oct 2008 07:00:54 GMT

Update on BMW's Plans Back in July we reported on BMW's plans to make 500 electric Mini Coopers available in the California market. At the time, we were thinking that while it's great to see BMW planing to make available what was once an unofficial concept, it's also possible that BMW is simply rolling out 500 Mini-Coopers because "California has a mandate for automakers to make 7,500 zero-emissions cars by 2014." Thus we were excited about the news, but cautious about what it would mean for a larger scale introduction of electric vehicles. Now we have some more details about the rollout of these cars.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Study Finds Noise Pollution in San Francisco Harms People's Health

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 14:48:44 GMT

We already know that noise pollution can drive people crazy and that combating the problem can lead to a better quality of life. But the real impact of noise pollution is greater than we might think: for instance, according to SFGate.com, not only is noise pollution (especially from vehicular traffic) a problem in San Francisco, it actually is "putting nearly 1 in 6 San Francisco residents at risk for heart disease, high blood pressure and other stress-related illnesses." The city, in collaboration with UC Berkeley, created maps that "pinpoint the noisiest areas of San Francisco, building by building, hour by hour" based on parameters such as noise levels, population density and traffic. The results are striking, in that they show why dependence on vehicles powered by internal combustion engines is not only bad for the usual list of reasons (air quality, climate change, geopolitics) but also because the noise they create leads to serious health problems.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

How GPS Can Save The Airline Industry Time and Fuel

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 18:22:08 GMT

GPS--So Many Uses We've already seen how GPS can be used to track global warming, make cycling more efficient and fun, document environmental destruction and even find lost pets. Now, the Associated Press is reporting that the current U.S. air traffic network--built during the second World War--"is costing U.S. airlines billions of dollars in wasted fuel while an upgrade to a satellite-based system has languished in the planning stages for more than a decade." The new system would cost $35 billion to implement, and would "replace the current radar system with the kind of GPS technology that has become commonplace in cars and cell phones. . .it would triple air traffic capacity, reduce delays by at least half, improve safety and curb greenhouse gas emissions." How would it accomplish this? Quite simply, by allowing planes to fly in a straight line to their destination, rather than "zigzag from one beacon to the next, sometimes forcing cross-country flights to follow sweeping arcs and waste hundreds of gallons of fuel."... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Colorado Tries to Prevent RoadKill With New Technology

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 07:40:26 GMT

Using Technology to Alert Drivers to Animals on the Road We recently covered the top five roadkill sites in America, as well as a dire IUCN report stating that "25% of all the world's mammal species are at risk of extinction." What's the connection? Well, while most of the extinctions are occurring because of habitat loss and encroachment, as well as poaching, a significant number of wild animals--not necessarily mammals--are killed every year due to collisions with vehicles (although we also saw an incident where a cyclist crashed into a black bear. . .). These collisions are dangerous for drivers and animals alike, so the state of Colorado has begun testing a system "that involves a cable buried parallel to the highway. The cable emits an electromagnetic field that is calibrated to detect large animals" such as Deer and Elk. If the system detects an animal nearing the road, an alarm will alert drivers. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Amtrak Finally Gets A Boost in Funding

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 19:09:32 GMT

Amtrak Finally Gets More Funding The heavens are finally smiling on Amtrak, as a perfect storm of high gas prices, a slowing economy, concern over rail safety after the recent Los Angeles crash, soaring ridership and even Joe Biden's love of and support for Amtrak have helped push through the Senate a 5 year, $13 billion funding package. According to the Wall Street Journal, the bill passed the Senate by a veto-proof margin, and assuming the House approves and President Bush signs it, Amtrak will now have enough money to pay off some of its debt; cover operating expenses and the cost of buying new rail cars and expanding service; encourage states to invest in rail programs; and improve safety. In addition, the bill "contains provisions designed to make Amtrak's management more accountable, such as financial reporting standards."... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Scraper Bikes: Cycling in Style

Sat, 27 Sep 2008 15:42:31 GMT

Scraper Bikes Become a Sensation Thanks to YouTube NPR brings us this interesting story about how Scraper Bikes--bicycles that "have rims so big that they scrape the inside of the wheel well"--have become a sensation thanks to a group of teenagers who made a music video about their creations and posted in on youtube. Interestingly, the "scraper" movement started with cars, but since many of the people involved can't afford cars (and in particular gas), Tyrone Stevenson Jr., an Oakland youth, took the aesthetics of scraper cars "and applied them to bicycles, fitting large wheels on small frames." So why should we care about these tricked out bicycles?... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Op-Ed Piece Argues That Cyclists Should Get Off the Road

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 07:00:00 GMT

After almost getting hit by a car on the way home from a bike ride today, I came across an op-ed piece in the Providence Journal (my local newspaper) titled 'Get Bikes off the Road.' The article began as follows: "It is often suggested that automobile drivers should learn to share the road with bicyclists. In my opinion, it is foolhardy and dangerous for bicyclists to be on the highways with motorists, period. Bicycles no more belong on roadways than autos belong on bike paths." In all likelihood the driver that almost hit me, as well as many drivers, would agree with that statement. Now before we all pile on the author of the article for ignorance, it is worth noting that he recognizes that cyclists have a legal right to use the roads. Instead, his argument is that cycling is simply dangerous: "No one owns the roads; bicyclists are permitted and certainly welcome on them. Still, it is folly and dangerous for them to be out there." Continue reading for an analysis of his arguments and to partake in the discussion.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

A Review of my Bike Friday Folding Bicycle

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 10:46:06 GMT

The author on board his brand new Bike Friday folding bicycle The Allure of Folding Bikes Finally Got to Me Okay, I'll admit it: I am a cycling fanatic. The bicycle is my sole means of transportation, and when I'm not riding from point A to B or hauling furniture by bicycle, I'm on my racing bike training for local races. Lately, as more and more people have gotten into cycling in order to avoid high gas prices, we've heard a lot of talk about the convenience of folding bikes for commuting, especially for people that need to be able to take a bike with them on a train or into their office. What's more, many avid cyclists who travel often find that folding bicycles are the only way to train while on the road. So as both a commuter and a racer, I soon found myself succumbing to the allure of a folding bicycle.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Recent Posts by TreeHugger's Andrew Posner, Providence, Rhode Island