Here is a look at some of the transportation headlines gathered by us and the Metro Library. The full list of headlines is posted on the library’s blog.
Good morning, Source readers! Feel like you’re on a train that has no beginning and no end and never stops at your station…well, then watch this!
Climate change to have mixed impact on Western river basins (Department of the Interior)
As the Western U.S. heats up in coming decades, big questions remain about how that will impact precipitation, the timing of snowmelt and how much water will be available for homes, farms, industry — and, of course, natural ecosystems. This report says it will be varied, with some areas getting more rain and snow, but that others will see less, including the San Joaquin in California and the Colorado and Rio Grande. Attentive readers already know that motor vehicles are a significant source of greenhouse gases and that taking mass transit can help those emissions.
Nobody will take mass transit to work unless you build tall buildings next to the stations (Yglesias)
This short blog post makes the case that land near transit stations is limited and therefore should be used to its maximum value — and that means going vertical. Check out the comments — there is an interesting discussion about development near transit in L.A. and not all readers think much has been done. One argues that too many rail lines have been placed in areas where it’s feasible rather than areas where there is actual density.
The world’s first quick-charge hybrid bus (Wired)
The problem with trying to run buses solely on electricity is that either overhead wires are needed (as is common in San Francisco) or the buses have to be sidelined for hours to be charged. This new bus, being tested in Sweden, charges in five to 10 minutes from an overheard power source at the beginning and end of routes. Many agencies, including Metro, are looking at the next wave of clean buses and perhaps this is it.
Categories: Transportation Headlines
Why just the western US? Is the eastern half of the country somehow immune to the effects of climate climate change while the west has all these shifts. It just seems kind of odd that the focus is always on the west but the east is never really discussed.It seems logical that this would effect the whole country.