Chicago report shows how growth near PT benefits all

The “Grow Chicago” website includes specific recommendations and support from the Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) and Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) for the City of Chicago to strengthen zoning and financial incentives to increase public transport (PT)-oriented development (TOD), in different types of markets. Grow Chicago also provides a first-of-its-kind calculator, developed by MPC, that allows people to input the location, type and size of a specific development proposal, and calculate the benefits to a local community in terms of additional retail stores, tax revenues, nearby jobs, residents, annual transit rides and affordable housing units.

Grow Chicago’s tools and recommendations are not only great for the city of Chicago, but can and should be applied globally:

• Reform regulations
• Identify financial incentives
• Build capacity and political will  

(via ITDP)

design and urbanism principles to promote traffic safety

The new Guidance and Examples to Promote Traffic Safety through Urban and Street Design by the World Resources Institute Ross Center for Sustainable Cities is now public.

Making urban travel safer is not only about health, but quality of life and creating sustainable, competitive, equitable and smart cities. Providing safe and convenient infrastructure opens up opportunities to all people. Walking and bicycling can thrive, helping curb emissions while offering active, healthy forms of transport. Mass transport can reach more people, helping cut vehicle emissions contributing to global warming and air pollution, while decreasing travel times. These solutions that benefit people also benefit the planet and economic development.

This resource is available on the website (mirror also available). 

cycling: promotion & further uses of the bike

Three ideas to promote cycling in town:

1) Create big events that bring people together to form a supportive community, such as Ciclovías Events

2) Invest in a network of dedicated cycle paths. Not only think about Amsterdam or Copenhagen, but also Seville or Philadelphia.

3) Rely on smartphone applications to offer an enriched cycling experience, such as the Toronto Cycling app.

(further info)

... And another 3 for new uses of pedal power:
1) Charging the mobile phone

2) Washing the laundry

3) Water pump, grinder, thresher or blender (Maya Pedal NGO)

(further info)

why the Saudis are going solar

Saudi Arabia produces (inefficiently) much of its electricity by burning about a quarter of the oil they produce -at current trends, SA would be a net oil importer by 2038. But oil isn’t the only liquid these plant require; they also need freshwater—more than half a million gallons a day, make much of it out of saltwater.


Solar power presents an alluring alternative. The goal is not just to install solar panels across Saudi Arabia but to export them.

Taqnia, a state-owned company, is finalizing a deal to provide solar energy for 5 cents a kilowatt-hour—a price that may be the cheapest in the world.

(source)

electric buses in Australia and the UK

While Melbourne is developing Australia's first electric bus, London will soon have its first all-electric double-decker bus.

Australia
Working in partnership with BusTech and AutoCRC, Swinburne University of Technology has helped develop the first electric bus to be designed, engineered and manufactured in Australia. (source)

UK

Electric double-deckers had previously been thought to be too difficult to build. due to the challenges in efficiently powering something so large. The Mayor’s office said it’s also going to test inductive charging for electric buses beginning in October. This means the buses will be able to recharge wirelessly when parked over charging spots. (source)

OReGO: first US pay-per-mile road charging program

The first US pay-per-mile road charging program went into operation in Oregon last week.

Diminishing fuel tax returns led Oregon decision-makers back to the drawing board to create a fair, reliable source of revenue to fund transportation projects for all Oregonians; OReGO:

• OReGO volunteers will pay a road usage charge for the amount of miles they drive, instead of the fuel tax.
• The OReGO road usage charge is set at 1.5 cents per mile.
• Volunteers will get a credit on their bill to offset the fuel tax they pay at the pump.
• Volunteers will have their choice of secure mileage reporting options offered by OReGO’s private-sector partners.
• Volunteers’ personal information will be kept secure and private.
• The first phase of OReGO is limited to 5,000 cars and light-duty commercial vehicles.

ODOT is asking participants for feedback and suggestions for improving OReGO along the way.

"Oregon is leading the nation to develop a fairer, more sustainable way to fund road maintenance and improvements," said ODOT director Matthew Garrett.

Further info: http://www.myorego.org/

UK funds for autonomous vehicles and connected transport systems

The British Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) is to invest up to £20 million in collaborative R&D projects and feasibility studies (delivered by Innovate UK on behalf of BIS) to stimulate developments in autonomous vehicles and connected transport systems.

 

Building on the government's ‘Introducing driverless cars to UK roads' collaborative research initiative, this competition aims to encourage development of connected and autonomous vehicles, focusing on three themes – connectivity, autonomy and customer interaction – along with catalysing new business models.

The competition opens for both types of project application on 20 July 2015. The deadline for applications is at noon on 30 September 2015. There will be a briefing in London for potential applicants on 4 August 2015.

Full competition brief (opens new pdf window)
Further info: https://interact.innovateuk.org/competition-display-page/-/asset_publisher/RqEt2AKmEBhi/content/connected-and-autonomous-vehicles# 

commuting is increasingly stressful in Europe

The Ford European Commuter Survey showed that across Europe, commuters in Rome were the most likely to say commuting was increasingly stressful (57%), followed by those in London (41%), and Paris (35%). The survey also showed that 49% of those who use three or more forms of transport currently find commuting increasingly stressful, and 38% find commuting increasingly unpredictable.

http://www.at.ford.com/SiteCollectionImages/2015_FordOfEurope/April/HighresCommute11-01.pdf
(mirror: https://goo.gl/McWrnx)

awards: first battery-powered passenger train

The Battery-powered train (first reported in January 2015: first-battery-powered-passenger-train) wins industry award for innovation. Rail technology leader Bombardier Transportation and its key industry partners were recognised at this year’s Railway Industry Innovation Awards, when the first battery-powered train to run on Britain’s rail network in more than half a century picked up the prize for best cross-industry project

http://www.railtechnologymagazine.com/ukria/winners-2014