Until recently, the idea of fully electric commercial flight wasn’t even on my radar. But as battery costs come down dramatically, this prospect is moving from (ahem) pie-in-the-sky to a very real possibility within the …
Continue readingAuthor: Long Branch Mike
Friday Reads – December 8, 2017
Welcome to Reconnections’ Friday Reads. This week’s lineup: • Average journey times of trains into London in 1968 (Spatial.ly) • Capacity Relief at Camden Town station – Talk 9 Jan 2018 (LURS) • UPS making …
Continue readingElectric black cabs hit London’s streets (Engineering & Technology)
Electric versions of London’s famous black cabs are hitting the capital’s streets today in preparation for the introduction of the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) next year. The vehicles come with a range of new …
Continue readingOriginal Birmingham tram fleet auction (Transport for West Midlands)
The West Midlands Combined Authority/Transport for West Midlands (WMCA) is delighted to announce an exciting one-time opportunity to own not only a piece of transport history, but also a fleet of 15 type T-69 light …
Continue readingTfL hopes tunnel WiFi will help fund transport system (Wired)
TfL planning document reveals the transport body’s hopes that all three plans — mobile coverage underground, the fibre network, and 5G support — would help fund the transport system: “Our expectation is that the commercial …
Continue readingSmart Mobility & Open Data (ITDP)
Many major cities around the world are seeing rapid population growth, resulting in increased strain on existing road and public transportation network infrastructure as the numbers on the daily commute swell. Smart mobility – putting …
Continue readingSNCF designs monster train doors to boost safety (Global Rail News)
Operator SNCF Transilien has had a novel idea to increasing passenger safety in France. On the Île-de-France région’s suburban rail network, the train company has revealed a specially designed train that has a red “monster” …
Continue readingFriday Reads – December 1, 2017
Welcome to Reconnections’ Friday Reads. This week’s lineup: • Visualising the daily pulse of the Tube (Tube Heartbeat) • TfL claims public transport users subsidise London’s roads (CityMetric) • Disused passenger tunnels to reopen at …
Continue readingNYC’s other Transit Crisis: the Bus System (NYC Comptroller)
The bus system is the workhorse of New York City public transit, serving residents of all ages, ethnicities, and income levels across all five boroughs. Its size and scope is unparalleled, with 5,700 buses, 330 …
Continue readingLondon to Outlaw Parking Construction to reduce congestion & pollution (Streetsblog)
To Reduce Pollution, London Will Outlaw Parking Construction Saying London needs to get “bolder” about reducing reliance on cars, London Mayor Sadiq Khan announced today that the city will ban the construction of new parking …
Continue readingUK commits £400m for electric vehicle charging infrastructure (Tree Hugger)
That wasn’t the only green measure in the latest budget either. As predicted, the UK’s Conservative government’s new budget includes a “call for evidence” for how taxes and other mechanisms could be used to reduce …
Continue readingLondon bus blind legibility redesign (Doug Rose)
This piece investigates what I believe has gone wrong with London’s bus blinds in recent years and seeks to explain the solutions I put forward when asked by Leon Daniels, TfL Managing Director Surface Transport. …
Continue readingFriday Reads – November 24, 2017
Welcome to Reconnections’ Friday Reads. This week’s lineup: • DLR Conductor monologue (Londonist) • Soviet maps of London & other cities (CityLab) • Paris closed a major road & half its traffic disappeared (Fast Company) …
Continue readingTfL measuring ‘me-time’ on-board satisfaction (Research Live)
Transport for London (TfL) has undertaken a body of research to better understand how customers spend their time on journeys on the network. The findings highlight the rise of the ‘me-time’ commuter, and have helped …
Continue readingSNC-Lavalin to integrate Atkins in 2018 (Global Rail News)
SNC-Lavalin has announced a new global structure following its Atkins integration plan. The Canadian engineering giant said it had become a “true global player” when it confirmed the $3.6 billion acquisition of UK rival Atkins …
Continue reading