Tag: Transportation
Denise Hamet Discusses Trends in Creative Transportation Strategies
Transportation drives economic development. As roadways become more congested, the capacity to move people and goods efficiently will be key for residents selecting where to live, and for businesses choosing where to expand. Technological advances in recent years have provided new opportunities for strategic approaches to congestion and have improved environmental outcomes related to mass transportation. Momentum is building, resulting in large-scale, long-term transportation plans. Public/private partnership strategies are forming to speed development and save money. Citizens are voting to help fund these far-reaching programs since efficient transportation promotes employment opportunities for people who otherwise would be excluded from many job options. In this article, Denise Hamet discusses some of the recent trends in transportation strategies around the United States. Autonomous (“Driverless”) Public Transportation: Self-driving vehicles have quickly moved from the realm of science fiction into the real world of transportation. Public transportation agencies have been closely watching the advances in this market from companies like Google and Intel. As a result, technologies are currently being developed for vehicles on preset routes that operate autonomously. Las Vegas is leading the testing of driverless buses in partnership with Keolis, a private company that has developed autonomous bus technology for use on public roads. The Keolis autonomous shuttle is equipped with LiDAR technology, GPS, cameras, and safety belts and is designed to communicate with traffic signals, operate on open roads, and navigate around pedestrians and moving traffic. Following this model, several companies are developing driverless shuttles for use across the country. Some cities, such as Phoenix, are currently combining traditional bus service with autonomous shuttles. Public transit authorities are dealing with the same issues surrounding the use of autonomous vehicles on public roadways throughout the nation. This rapidly developing technology is pressing our legal and regulatory system to move forward on liability, insurance, and safety issues that are new to our systems. Mobility as a Service (MaaS): Developments in networking and artificial intelligence are driving a new concept for public transit--Mobility as a Service, or MaaS. The idea behind MaaS is that bundling all available transportation options for consumers in urban and metropolitan areas will provide more opportunities for users and maximize cost efficiency. Ideally, customers will be able to make travel choices based on current traffic conditions, and electronic payments will be seamless and efficient. Transit services in lower demand can be downscaled, while resources can be quickly moved to the areas of greatest consumer needs. This system will theoretically reduce costs and environmental impacts while relieving pressure on infrastructures. Electric and Hybrid Public Transportation: Increased urban development around the world and increased awareness of carbon emissions are placing a greater focus on electric and hybrid transportation options. The City of Los Angeles, for example, is changing over its entire fleet of buses to electric vehicles by 2030. Many cities and metro areas find that the initial cost of electric buses and trolleys is the most prohibitive aspect of their development. Electric buses can cost as much as twice that of traditional diesel buses; however, hybrid buses are much more in line with traditional costs. Advances in production technology will likely result in reduced acquisition costs, which, in conjunction with reduced fuel costs and reduced emissions, will make electric and hybrid options more attractive in the near future. Putting it All Together: Many cities are implementing long-term, multi-modal strategies. Denver, for example, is moving forward with multiple phases of the multi-billion-dollar FasTracks Program. At completion, the program will add more than 120 miles of commuter rail tracks, 18 miles of bus rapid transit (BRT), and 21,000 parking spaces at rail and bus stations. A crucial part of the program was the Denver Transit Partners (DTP) public/private partnership formed to implement the 36-mile Eagle P3 project. DTP is a private consortium led by Fluor Corp. The team entered into a 34-year agreement with RTD for the 5-year design and build of the Eagle P3 project, followed by 29 years to operate and maintain the system. Meanwhile, Sacramento continues to roll out its Green City Initiative, a partnership with Electrify America. The company is investing $44 million in Sacramento to catalyze a shift to zero-emission technologies by installing charging infrastructure, conducting outreach and education, and implementing programs designed to increase access to and use of Zero-Emission Vehicles (ZEVs). New programs and services--including two new car-sharing services, new ZEV routes, and state-of-the-art electric vehicle charging systems--are anticipated to launch throughout 2019. The Future – the Need for Federal Funding: With so much potential for improved transportation, funding is essential. Attention is currently focused on Congress’s approach to a new transportation bill, as the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST) expires in 2020. Infrastructure improvements are one of the unusual areas where bipartisan cooperation and compromise are possible in the course of legislating for the country’s needs. One area of concern is funding for the federal Highway Trust Fund, which is based on federal fuel taxes on gasoline and diesel. These tax rates have not been modified in over 25 years, and unless funding is modified, economists project insolvency for the fund within two years. Many options are being considered to alter financing, and many of the developing local mass transit trends are going to be potentially funded by private investment. With the impending expiration of the FAST Act, all manner of funding options will inevitably be on the table for discussion. The bottom line is: Collaboration, creativity, and certainty of funding will all be essential to drive us forward. Read Also: Will Self-Driving Cars Replace Human Error? Cab Transportation Never Got More Luxurious At Affordable Prices, Than In Houston
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The Latest Way of Transportation: Electric Motor Scooters
Transportation is forever changing. The world is ready for its first electric car, its first driverless car and now the electric motor scooters. The desire to ride two wheels has made the scooter become a legitimate mode of transport and is no longer looked at as a toy reserved for children and young adventurous adults. With their increased popularity, they will be fully embraced world over in no time. This is especially so with most countries looking to decongest cities from the many vehicles that clog up cities and leave them paralyzed due to traffic snarl-ups. They are convenient, easy to ride and fast. They save so much time that would have otherwise been spent stuck in traffic. They offer little pollution as they are not run on fuel but rather electricity. They are run on a rechargeable battery and are ideally charged the conventional way by plugging into a direct power source. There are many different types of scooters for adults. Some may opt for the traditional one without a seat but for adults looking for comfort, there are some newer comfortable models that have seats. In this article, we shall highlight why electric scooter is fast becoming an ideal mode of transport for many. Electric powered scooters have little to no noise as compared to their gas-powered counterparts. This is a good thing because the rider can hear danger coming when they are on the road. It is also easy to maintain because one does not have to worry about oiling, greasing and tuning that entails the maintenance of a gas-powered scooter. All that one has to take care of are the consumables like the brake pads and tires. To maintain an electric scooter one has to just ensure that the battery is charged. As mentioned earlier, using electricity to power scooters reduces pollution that is caused by fuel on either gas-powered scooters or even vehicles. The reduction of noise also reduces noise pollution and keeps the environment clean. In the world today where many manufacturers and people are environments conscious, this is a great advantage of the electric scooter. Some of the few adult scooters that have seats for comfort and have been reviewed are: Ojo Electric Scooter : Some of the features that make this one of the good models of scooters are: Strong aluminum chassis Both headlight and tail light Horn Both rear and front disc brakes Onboard charger with plug and retractable cord Waterproof dual speakers Gigabyke Groove : This scooter looks like a motorbike and if that is not appealing enough, then these features will definitely grow the appeal. Only 6 hours for the battery to be full LED headlights, turn signal and rearview mirrors UberScoot 1000W : This is the scooter with the longest range of all the scooters and is designed for long-distance commuters. It is easily foldable, making it easy to be transported It has both front and rear suspensions making the ride comfortable even on bumpy roads. After all, is said and done, there are more than enough reasons to make the electric scooter the regular mode of transport for the person looking for convenience and also looking to save time. Read More : Cab Transportation Never Got More Luxurious At Affordable Prices, Than In Houston Finding The Right Moving Company
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