A look at some of the things that make urban transit speeds laudable (or laughable) when compared to speeds achieved by other (in)animate beings on planet earth: Sloth speed: 0.12km/h Goldfish speed: 1.38km/h Average human walking speed: 4.5km/h Michael Phelps’ speed during 100m butterfly: 7.1km/h Average vehicle speed in Jakarta: 10km/h Average Toronto streetcar speed:...
A few highlights from around the world of Urban Gondolas, Gondola Transit, and Cable Propelled Transit: An ambitious urban gondola proposal for Annecy, France. Maybe too ambitious? Citizens opposed to the Burnaby Mountain Gondola in Vancouver plan to take their complaints all the way to the provincial government. The Doppelmayr Group announces plans for a...
I want to build on yesterday’s post about how our decisions as human-beings can be and are constantly impacted by our desire for fun: When we sacrifice expediency’s sake for the scenic route, we do so because it’s fun. When we waste hours of productive time playing Angry Birds, we do so because it’s fun....
Despite the paranoid and near-endless calls by come columnists and pundits for economic austerity measures throughout the developed world, there are those in America calling for much-needed upgrades to that nation’s infrastructure as a way to stimulate job-creation and engage in the patriotic act of nation-building by actually building a nation. The New York Times’...
There are somewhere around 20,000 cable systems installed and operating around the world at this very moment. Most of the have no implications or ramifications for the urban environment whatsoever. But some do – and there’s virtually no way to find out. That’s daunting to think about. While I’d like to think The Gondola Project...
Now here’s something I’ve never seen before. Apparently Vienna’s newspaper industry is made up of incredibly trusting folk. In theAustrian capital on-street newspaper boxes are nothing more than open plastic bags strapped to lampposts. Readers are asked to insert their payment into a padlocked black bank. On the banks one often finds a message thanking readers...
A quick look at some of the things that may make the disturbing realities/perceptions of sexual harassment on public transit a serious roadblock to encouraging more transit ridership (or not): Percentage of women in UK who felt unsafe riding public transit: 12.5% Percentage of women who sometimes or frequently feel threat of sexual assault...
A few highlights from around the world of Urban Gondolas, Gondola Transit, and Cable Propelled Transit (lots of good stuff this week, by the way): The Haj Research Centre in Makkah, Saudi Arabia completes the first of two studies exploring the use of cable cars/gondolas to link holy sites throughout to transport Umrah pilgrims throughout...
Last week the Globe and Mail reported on a Statistics Canada study showing that “the vast majority of commuters remain reluctant to use public transit, despite public campaigns encouraging people of its environmental and cost benefits.” The study goes on to state that “commuters who used public transit took considerably longer to get to work...
Thanks to Julia for finding this: We know we’re making progress when a Cable Propelled Transit system makes its way into Google Earth 3D. Apparently the Roosevelt Island Tram can now be found in Google Earth by selecting to show all 3D Buildings. Towers, stations, cables and cabins included: I love living in the future....