London Reconnections

Friday Reads – 9 April 2021

On 9 April 2021 By Long Branch Mike In Design, Electrification, Friday Reads, London Overground, New York, Overground, Trams/Streetcars/LRT, Tunnels, Vertical transport

• London Overground could finally get individual line names (IanVisits) • The partly-abandoned Tooting, Merton & Wimbledon Railway (JagoHazzard) • Cars are no longer welcome in Heidelberg (NYTimes) • A short history of the ‘upstairs …

Monday’s Friday Reads – 5 April 2021

On 5 April 2021 By Long Branch Mike In Bridges, Design, Friday Reads, New York, Stations, Waterways

• A short, squat history of Underground tiles (Caroline’sMisc) • Urban waterways & the dynamics of canal architecture (ArchDaily) • KLM to offer train connections up to 700km (NLTimes) • Metro Works: The art and …

Friday Reads – 2 April 2021

On 4 April 2021 By Long Branch Mike In Friday Reads, Logistics, New York, Pedestrians, Roads, Trams/Streetcars/LRT, Uber

• NUMTOT transit nerds now have their own dating app! (Atlantic) • TfL bus services innovation has slowed considerably (Freewheeling) • Pedestrianisation plans for Bank junction in the City (IanVisits) • Uber’s own public transit …

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 …