I recently wrote an opinion piece about how the United States Postal Service (USPS) could look to solve its gas-guzzler truck problem by following Europe’s example of delivering mail with smaller electric cargo bikes. As it turns …
Continue readingAuthor: Long Branch Mike
Reconnections’ Miscellany: Good & bad transport language – June 2022
This month on Reconnections’ Miscellany: Bacronym Retronyms BUS – Bi-level Underground Substitute ESCALATOR – Electric Stair Case (Ascending/Lowering) Allowing Travellers Onward Routing OMNIBUS – Overland Metropolitan New Innovative Bi-level Underground Substitute DRIVERS – Defect-Responsive Independently-Verifying …
Continue readingIstanbul low cost lessons from 3 yrs, 300 km of heavy rail build (TransitCosts)
Based on our study of Turkish rail construction, we found that there were four primary factors that kept construction costs low and the processes efficient. First, there was an ongoing political commitment spanning different administrations …
Continue readingFuture of modular: HS2 & East West Rail collab on bridge kits (NewCivilEng)
High Speed 2 and East West Rail are sharing knowledge to help develop modular bridges in a unique collaboration. A kit of parts approach that enables greater efficiency in bridge design and construction is taking the …
Continue readingCost of repairing TfL’s bridges & tunnels to top £35m (NewCivilEng)
Transport for London (TfL) has forecast further cost increases related to patching up the Capital’s ageing surface transport assets. In total, TfL spent a record £2.9M on implementing interim measures for its road tunnels and …
Continue readingMonday’s Friday Reads – 27 June 2022
• TfL advances plans for DLR & Overground extensions (NewCivilEng) • Wales stops funding north-south air route in favour of rail (Railway-Technology) • Lyon announces light rail express line instead of metro (IntlRailJ) • Lausanne …
Continue readingInland waterway competitiveness report: US & Int’l (EnoTrans)
The 12,000-mile inland waterways network in the United States is a vital trade corridor serving energy, agriculture, and other freight shipments internally and for export. Major global events like the war in Ukraine and the …
Continue readingFriday Reads – 24 June 2022
• Elizabeth Line to Ebbsfleet extension could cost £3.2bn (IanVisits) • German rail traffic surge exposes high speed gaps (PedestrianObvs) • NYC Subway vows to be 95% accessible by 2055 (MassTransit) • The overgrown tracks …
Continue readingGlobal Health Series on Urban Design, Transport, & Health (TheLancet)
Good city planning produces co-benefits for individual and planetary health and wellbeing. In 2016, the Lancet Series on urban design, transport, and health drew attention to the importance of integrated upstream city planning policies as …
Continue readingVancouver passes $10,000 gas stations w/o EV chargers fee (ElectricAuto)
In a bid to make electric vehicle charging more accessible in Vancouver, city council has unanimously approved a motion that requires all gas stations and parking lots with more than 60 stalls to have EV …
Continue readingChallenges to growing UK intermodal (RailFreight)
Maritime Transport has grown from a road-based logistics operation to be one of the biggest intermodal rail operators in the UK in just twenty years. Already moving around 5,500 containers every week, the company has …
Continue readingUK tram-train Learning Hub established (T&UT)
The launch of the South Yorkshire tram-train service in October 2018 was a significant debut, linking a tramway to the UK’s national rail network for the first time. This groundbreaking pilot programme was only possible through close collaboration …
Continue readingMonday’s Friday Reads – 20 June 2022
• Map of air conditioned London urban rail lines (GeoffMarshall) • Crossrail’s station footprints (MappingLondon) • Have you spotted the Transport Trust Red Wheels plaques? (Londonist) • New pub opens in Lancaster railway station (RailUK) …
Continue readingElectric truck meets London’s ‘Direct Vision Standards’ for US market (AlexPareene)
53-foot semi-trailers are prohibited on the vast majority of the streets of New York City. The city’s rules for trucks can get fairly complex, but this one is simple and unambiguous. The state Department of Transportation …
Continue readingFriday Reads – 17 June 2022
• Barking Riverside new Overground station to open early (RailAdvent) • Cardiff-Northwest Corridor tram-train report published (MetroReport) • Traintrackr LED circuit board display now available for some Tube lines (MappingLondon) • 7 potential New York …
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