THE French state will provide €30m to modernise rolling stock used on the country’s two remaining overnight trains and ensure their continued operation into the next decade, transport minister Mrs Elisabeth Borne announced during a …
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TfL’s plan for carbon neutral 2050 Tube (Wired)
From using excess heat to warm homes to installing trackside solar panels, here’s how Transport for London is turning the Tube green. Transport for London uses more electricity than anything else in the city. The …
Continue readingStreetside hubs reimagine the public call box (SmartCitiesWorld)
The interactive kiosks will be rolling out across the UK next year. Maximus Networks, a British smart city telecoms company, is investing £150m in a national network of over 2,000 interactive streetside hubs across the …
Continue readingFriday Reads – 30 November 2018
Welcome to Reconnections’ Friday Reads: • Walking & cycling could help save high streets (TfL) • Wayfinding Barbican’s hidden high walks (CityWayfinding) • Colour intersections for safety & fun (Guardian) • Pitfalls of technical utopias …
Continue readingOn-board trolley innovations (OnboardHospitality)
New demands and innovative ideas mean designers are taking a closer look at trolleys, the onboard workhorse whose role is changing fast. If you think some things never change and that the onboard trolley is …
Continue readingDesigning passenger-friendly rail stations with VR (Railway-Technology)
According to the Office of Rail and Road, there were 428 million UK passenger journeys in the first quarter of 2018-19 alone. London Waterloo is by far the busiest station in the country, with 99 …
Continue readingDriving in cities is the new smoking (Wired)
Passive smoking can help fix London’s filthy air pollution crisis – if choking cities are to clean up their act, air pollution will need to become as socially unacceptable as smoking indoors. Are we finally …
Continue readingUS finally legalizes European-style train cars (StreetsBlog)
Rail fans, rejoice. Federal rules no longer bar US passenger rail systems from using modern, lightweight train cars. This week, the Federal Railroad Administration finalized new safety rules that bring American standards more in line …
Continue readingFriday Reads – 23 November 2018
Welcome to Reconnections’ Friday Reads: • Victorian railway viaduct transformed into home (TreeHugger) • Unofficial Paris Metro map improvement process (SmashingMag) • NYC subway mosaics tell visual stories (99%Invisible) • Chicago L card game (MassTransit) …
Continue readingDoes LRT reduce traffic? LA Expo Line case (TransfersMag)
Policymakers can focus too much on congestion relief and not enough on urban mobility and accessibility. Light rail is an attractive idea, especially in famously congested Los Angeles. Why sit stuck in traffic while the …
Continue readingWayfinding greatly helps public space (CityWayfinding)
Public places are essential to the prosperity of sustainable cities. According to the UN they are “the banner of urban civility and our urban commons”. They promote income, investment and wealth creation, enhancing environmental sustainability, …
Continue readingElectric mobility: charging, surges & the grid (Passion4Transport)
With fossil fuel vehicles on the way out and electric on the way in, developing mobility for the 21st century is posing urban challenges. How to develop reliable and efficient charging networks? City authorities or …
Continue readingAre Uber & public transit friends or foes? (UToronto)
Falling transit ridership across big North American cities – including Toronto – has raised concern that Uber, Lyft and other ride-hailing services may be leeching passengers. But a new study in the Journal of Urban …
Continue readingFriday Reads – 16 November 2018
Welcome to Reconnections’ Friday Reads: • Map of London’s 1947 tram & trolleybus routes (MappingLondon) • Will new larger Thames Clipper increase ridership? (BBC) • Thames Path opens between Woolwich & Charlton (FromTheMurkyDepths) • Pay …
Continue readingFirst Ever 3D Printed Bridge In Amsterdam (PopUpCity)
Tech startup MX3D, specialized in robotic additive manufacturing technology, presented the world’s first 3D printed stainless steel bridge at last week’s Dutch Design Week. The groundbreaking technique opens up opportunities for large-scale application of 3D …
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