Mass Transit
Elon Musk's Boring Company will prioritize pedestrians over cars
Musk said that Boring Company's loop network would have "1000's of small stations the size of a single parking space."
Bridj, the Uber of bus transit, expands to second market [w/video]
Bridj combines the app-based on-demand transit of Uber with the lower fares of shared service, and it's expanding from Boston into Washington, DC.
BMW designs new subway for Kuala Lumpur
Between the unfortunate saga of flight MH370 and the grand prix this weekend, Malaysia has been on our radar more than usual lately. And now the Southeast Asian country has popped up again, once more related to transportation issues, as Kuala Lumpur is working on a new subway system. Which isn't something we'd normally care about, but this subway just happens to have been designed by Noah Joseph
Using gas to power cars is like "burning Picassos" for heat
Our dependency on oil for transportation is as futile as burning Picasso paintings for heat, according to Christian Science Monitor guest blogger Kurt Cobb.
Some cars to be as clean as electric train travel by 2020
Ex-Ford engineer Richard Parry-Jones is now chairman-designate of the UK's Network Rail. Having looked into the futures of both car and train development, he believes that by the end of this decade the most Earth-friendly internal-combustion engine cars will be about as polluting, on a per-passenger basis, as high-speed electric trains.
DOT announces $104.1-million clean-fuel transit initiative
U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has announced that transit authorities can duke it out for a share of $101.4 million in federal funds by proposing innovative projects that promote the use of "clean fuels" for public transit. Says Secretary LaHood:
With gas prices spiking, transit riders could save up to $14,376 a year (some, anyway)
With gasoline prices soaring, commuters who rely upon public transportation can now save even more cash than before, according to the American Public Transportation Association (APTA). On March 8th, U.S. gas prices hit an average of $3.50 a gallon, but individuals who travel by bus or commuter rail don't need to worry about filling up their tanks.
Proterra sells electric buses, fast-chargers to Foothill Transit [w/video]
Proterra BE35 all-electric bus – Click above to watch video after the jump
UK funds Low-Carbon Buses with £30 million
The British Department of Transport has announced a new £30 million fund to help bus operators purchase low-carbon vehicles, like the new GM-Allison Two-mode hybrid system (pictured). A Low Carbon Emission Bus (LCEB) is defined as one that reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent compared to a current Euro 3 diesel bus of the same total passenger capacity. These buses should also deliver at lea
Bilbao claims to have the first subway in the world using only renewable energy
Bilbao, Spain, has a subway system that is famous for having its stations designed by Sir Norman Foster. There's now another reason that people might be interested in riding the underground rails. Metro de Bilbao, the company that manages the railway system, has announced that all the energy they used during 2008 was obtained from renewable sources and was supplied by Naturgas, a local utility. The company claims that the suburban train system has saved
How can I live without a car?
Overall, the trend for the upcoming years will be more and more cars, maybe up to 3.5 billion around the world (there are about 800 million on the roads today). Cars like the ultra-cheap Tata Nano are opening the door for more and more people to own their own car, and Sebastian Blanco
Paris tests a new hybrid bus that uses ultracapacitors
RATP, the public-owned company that manages most of Paris' public transport system, is currently performing tests using a hybrid bus outfitted with ultracapacitors. For now, the test buses are passenger-free. The model, called Lion's City Hybrid, is supplied by German manufacturer MAN and the company claims it reduces fuel consumption about 20 to 25 percent. RATP is testing the bus in four different bus lines, which represent four different types of bus lines configurations, from suburban medium
Metrocable: solar-power assisted cable car as public transportation
Now that winter is coming, some people are getting ready for cable cars rides at ski resorts. But what if a city used cable cars as for public transportation? Such is the case in Medellín, in Colombia, and its Metrocable system. There are currently two aerial cable car lines which are fully integrated into the mass transit system, which has two metro lines. The mobility problems in the Colombian city, with poor neighborhoods up in the mountains that surround the city, resulted in this unu
Blade Runner concept combines a bus with a train
Click above for more pics of the Blade Runner concept
Mass transit going greener: Urban tramway to work with solar power
I've had the pleasure to visit the beautiful island of Tenerife a few times, which is the largest of the Canary Islands. Being a very mountainous island, it's a difficult place to build a railway system, but they're catching up with a new tramway line which serves the island's capital, Santa Cruz de Tenerife and the nearby town of La Laguna. The company that is building it just got the permission to
Toyota recommends driving less to save gas
Since Toyota, like other automakers doing business in the U.S., is currently unable to supply enough hybrids and other small fuel efficient cars to meet consumer demand, they are offering up other suggestions on how to conserve gas. Over on the Open Road blog, they have talked about hypermiling before but there is a solution that saves even more fuel and emissions. In a shocker for a car company, they actually suggest driving less.