• Edinburgh-London 4 hour rail journeys ‘to be confirmed within weeks’ (The Scotsman) • London sees dramatic 63% increase in cargo bikes (Clean Cities Campaign) • The Unbuilt Tube Line to Sanderstead: Video (Jago Hazzard) …
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Solar panels added to railway noise barrier (RailwayGazette)
LITHUANIA: A lineside noise barrier incorporating solar panels to generate electricity has been installed at Juodšiliai to the south of Vilnius. The 22·2 kW solar power plant installed by infrastructure manager LTG Infra and SoliTek …
Continue readingPollution levels fall 20% in Glasgow after launch of low-emission zone LEZ (CitiesToday)
Air pollution levels in Glasgow’s low-emission zone (LEZ) fell by an average of 20 percent last year according to a newly released report. The city council’s air quality report for 2023 also revealed an overall average drop …
Continue readingStudy finds online shopping worsens air quality in minority & low-income communities (Nature)
Regulators, environmental advocates, and community groups in the United States are concerned about air pollution associated with the proliferating e-commerce and warehousing industries. Nationwide datasets of warehouse locations, traffic, and satellite observations of the traffic-related …
Continue reading35 cities to introduce zero-emission freight zones (CitiesToday)
Clean transport group Clean Cities, has identified 35 cities which have committed to phase-in zero-emission zones for freight ahead of the introduction of the very first zero-emission zones in Europe in 2025. The majority of the cities are …
Continue readingPlanes still bad: Modern carbon-efficient models worse for climate change than older types (E+T)
A study has found that even though modern commercial aircraft emit less carbon than their predecessors, they could be contributing more to climate change due to their longer-lived planet-warming contrails. Contrails, or vapour trails, are …
Continue readingCity of London launches online air quality measurement tool (CitiesToday)
The City of London has launched a new online tool that allows residents to check air quality levels in real time. Air Aware – developed with funding from the UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural …
Continue readingLiving near an airport can make you ill (Transport&Environment)
Aviation emissions are a climate concern, and also have a serious impact on air quality. Yet, this issue has not received much attention from regulators or the aviation industry. When jet fuel is burnt, it …
Continue readingSale of diesel in London falls 40% in 4 years (AirQualityNews)
Transport & Environment UK are today reporting that analysis of Department for Energy Security and Net Zero statistics shows that the sale of diesel fuel in London is falling twice as fast as the national …
Continue readingChilling Effects: The Hidden Environmental Cost of Transport Refrigeration (AirQualityNews)
Every day, thousands of trucks traverse our cities, delivering the perishable goods we rely on, from fresh vegetables to frozen dinners. However, there’s a dirty secret hiding behind this essential service: the diesel engines that …
Continue readingTire Dust Makes Up the Majority of Ocean Microplastics: Study (TheDrive)
Researchers say tire emissions pose a threat to global health, and EVs could make the problem worse. When contemplating the emissions from road vehicles, our first thought is often about the various gases coming out of the …
Continue readingMonday’s Friday Reads – 11 March 2024
• New report reveals dramatic improvements in London’s air quality since 2016 (London City Hall) • Embark on a quirky commute through TfL’s history (TfL Corporate Archives) • Designer sought for St Pancras International growth …
Continue readingTackling the Tube’s Roar: TfL’s battle against tube tunnel noise (IanVisits)
Transport for London (TfL) is exploring new ideas to reduce screeching noise from trains inside tube tunnels. Most of the noise comes from wear and tear on the top of the rail where the surface …
Continue readingHow building more urban rail could slash CO₂ emissions (WorldBank)
The climate crisis is getting worse, with both the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and COP28 in its final agreement emphasizing the urgency of steep greenhouse gas emissions reductions to keep global warming below 1.5°C as …
Continue readingFriday Reads – 26 January 2024
• German union calls longest train strike in Deutsche Bahn’s history (Reuters) • Zurich 2040 plan approved to expand public transport network significantly (Urban Transport) • The Southern Heights Light Railway: Video (Jago Hazzard) • …
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