[ move ] archive
CNU’s take on the proposed parking ordinance changes
The following statement concerning the proposed changes to the City of Houston’s Parking Reg’s was posted at CNU-Houston.org today. I helped write the statement, so I thought I’d share it with this audience as well. Feel free to leave comments or questions and I’ll respond (on behalf of myself, not CNU) as much as I [...]
BRT in Austin?
Houstonians should keep a close eye on Austin’s BRT. The nationwide push for conservative government spending may reduce or end Houston’s light rail expansion. If that should come to pass, a stellar BRT will be one of the few remaining ways to prevent gridlock as Houston’s population grows over the next three decades.
Shifting Priorities on Automobiles
An interesting story I found today states that younger people are increasingly likely to put-off purchasing a personal automobile. As the story points out, this is likely to have dire long-term consequences for an automobile industry already devastated by the “Great Recession.” This is not surprising. The downturn in the economy has been especially rough [...]
What will HSR offer and is it worth the cost?
In a comment of his recent article, Tory Gattis asks, “…what will HSR offer that other modes can’t do right now, and is it worth the cost?”  Here are my replies. Rail offers a globally-proven, time-tested, long-lasting, resilient transportation infrastructure that is cost-competitive with paved highways when accounting for operational fuel costs and averaging over their respective designed lifetimes. [...]
World’s Longest Tunnel Completed
The world’s longest tunnel was completed today. The Gotthard Tunnel runs 57 km (35 miles) underneath the Swiss Alps and will provide additional railway capacity for traffic running from Italy, through Switzerland, to Northern Europe.  Trains are expected to travel through the tunnel at 250 km/hr (155 mph) linking Zurich and Milan. The tunnel will [...]
The Return of the Bubble Car
This week’s Economist had an interesting article on the return of the bubble car. I think the article is interesting; especially the bit about automated driving. I also agree that most cars are clearly over engineered for what they are mainly used for on a day to day basis (i.e. daily driving within a city). [...]
The Woodlands’ taxi verde
Did you know The Woodlands has its own electric taxi service?
You must watch this video
A look at How San Francisco is letting the Free-Market solve it’s parking problems. From SFpark on Vimeo.
Reality Check for High-Speed Rail
A recent edition of the Economist had an interesting article on America’s railway system and the possible negative consequences of introducing real high-speed passenger rail transport in the United States. While I am not in total agreement with the article, it raises a few key points I think are important. On the Cheap The “go [...]
METRO removes seats in light rail cars
METRO just posted that they’re performing a 30-day trial on 11 light rail cars that removes two benches (4 seats) to create an open area that increases accessibility. Â This is a boon for bicyclists who can use the open space for their bike while holding on to the new overhead straps. Â The open area can [...]