London Reconnections

Reconnections’ Transport Miscellany – March 2021

On 30 March 2021 By Long Branch Mike In Miscellany

As in any field, a specialised lexicon of shorthand, nicknames, jargon, personality types, and rules of thumb have developed for transport and the places it connects. This new column collects some of the more interesting …

Monday’s Friday Reads – 29 March 2021

On 29 March 2021 By Long Branch Mike In Arts, Friday Reads, New York, Pedestrians, Roads

• Low Traffic Neighbourhoods: who will win the battle for city streets? (Guardian) • Hungary plans to increase transit ridership 80% by 2040, Budapest role (IntlRailJ) • Only in Montréal: REM elevated rail so ugly …

Friday Reads – 26 March 2021

On 26 March 2021 By Long Branch Mike In Arts, Buses, Electric Vehicles (EVs), Eurostar, Friday Reads, Maps

• SNCF: State aid for Eurostar needed within the month to survive (RailTech) • Ex-TfL Bus Boss Leon Daniels on the National Bus Strategy (FreeWheeling) • There’s one big problem with electric cars (NYTimes) • …

Monday’s Friday Reads – 22 March 2021

On 22 March 2021 By Long Branch Mike In Accessibility, Cable Car, Friday Reads, Maps, Micromobility, New York, Stations

• The man who sacked Harry Beck: Rethinking Harold Hutchison (Bryars&Bryars) • Scotland’s railways to be nationalised next year (Guardian) • What’s next for NYC Penn Station? Penn South (RegionalPlanAssoc) • How car-centric street networks …

Friday Reads – 19 March 2021

On 19 March 2021 By Long Branch Mike In Cable Car, Cycles, Friday Reads, Kings Cross, London Underground, Pedestrians, Piccadilly line, Pollution

• Design launch of the new London Underground Piccadilly line trains (RailEngineer) • Now is the time for road pricing (FreeWheeling) • 100 year old cart & rails found sticking out of Cornish cliff (CornwallLive) …

London’s First Highway: Part 3 – Evolution of River Passenger Transport Policy

On 18 March 2021 By Long Branch Mike In Design, Long reads, Maps, River

Its roads and trains clogged, ‎London has made a strong effort to bring passengers back to the Thames over the last two decades, as a return to its future past. TfL’s 2013 River Action Plan …

Monday’s Friday Reads – 15 March 2021

On 15 March 2021 By Long Branch Mike In COVID, Friday Reads, Logistics, Roads, Trams/Streetcars/LRT, Tube lines

• TfL’s Lane Rental scheme for utility works expanding (IanVisits) • Which is London’s fastest Underground line? (OnLondon) • Karlsruhe transforming last mile logistics with trams (RailFreight) • Can Amtrak Joe revolutionize US public transport? …

Friday Reads – 12 March 2021

On 12 March 2021 By Long Branch Mike In Buses, Cycles, Friday Reads, Funiculars, Tunnels

• Let’s look within Sir Peter Hendy’s Union Connectivity Review (FreeWheeling) • The case for Manchester bus re-regulation (CityMonitor) • The cycling prescription for better health (Guardian) • Norway’s ship tunnel approved: the world’s first …

Monday’s Friday Reads – 8 March 2021

On 8 March 2021 By Long Branch Mike In Cycles, Design, Friday Reads, Micromobility, Pedestrians, Pollution

• Top court confirms UK has broken air pollution law (AirQualityNews) • London Cycle Routes YouTube channel shows safe routes (Road.CC) • Strap hanger advertising, & some unused concepts (LTMuseum) • Berlin gets Germany’s first …

Friday Reads – 5 March 2021

On 5 March 2021 By Long Branch Mike In Arts, Bakerloo Line, Bridges, Design, Garden Bridge Review, Pedestrians, Stations, Thames crossings

• More spent on failed Garden Bridge than on TfL crossings in 10 years (NewCivilEng) • Safeguarding the Bakerloo Line Extension (IanVisits) • Hammersmith High Line competition ideas (HydeParkNow) • Trans Europe Express 2017 video …

A Measure of Urban Connection: Cable Cars Part 2

On 4 March 2021 By Long Branch Mike In Cable Car

Urban cable cars are more widespread than you’d think – and they go back long before the celebrated South American lines. And like any decent, flexible public transport mode, they have evolved and improved. Nowadays, …

Monday’s Friday Reads – 1 March 2021

On 1 March 2021 By Long Branch Mike In Cycles, Data, Friday Reads, History, Micromobility, New York, Pedestrians, Trams/Streetcars/LRT

• History of British railway freight control from telegraphs to TOPS (NewcomenSoc) • Why some bike shares work & others don’t (BBC) • Graham F’s video pick: Zürich snowplow tram cab ride (ZürichTramVideos) • Locomotive …

Friday Reads – 26 February 2021

On 26 February 2021 By Long Branch Mike In Arts, COVID, Friday Reads, London Overground, New York, Overground, Sleeper Trains

• Video: Development of TfL’s Overground (LTMuseumFriends) • Public transport moves the invisible workers of society (Atlantic) • Air rights above tracks in midtown Manhattan (OldStructures) • Chicago Metra fights switch icing with fire (RT&S) …

Monday’s Friday Reads – 22 February 2021

On 22 February 2021 By Long Branch Mike In Cable Car, COVID, Friday Reads, Pedestrians, Pollution, Stations

• Traffic & plane noise is a silent killer (Atlantic) • Necropolis Railway station to be turned into flats (IanVisits) • Crashes cut by a third after 20mph limit introduced in Edinburgh (EdinburghNews) • France …

Uber Loses Appeal against ruling on UK Worker rights

On 19 February 2021 By John Bull In Long reads, Uber

Uber has lost its Supreme Court Appeal on whether drivers are self-employed or workers, directly employed by Uber itself. The appeal was Uber’s fourth, and final attempt to overturn the judgement. That it took the …