The Hub: Clean Air Council’s Weekly Round-Up of Transportation News
“The Hub” is a weekly round-up of transportation related news in the Philadelphia area and beyond. Check back weekly to keep up to date on the issues Clean Air Council’s transportation staff finds important.
Technica.ly Philly: One startup wants to help keep the nostalgia alive at 30th Street Station – Amtrak has announced that the beloved flip train arrivals and departures board at 30th Street Station could be a thing of the past as early as January. Amid public outcry at the removal of the sign, Oat Foundry is hoping to create a new flip sign that is more compatible with modern technology. The Northeast Philly based start up manufactures flip signs for Air France and restaurant chain Honeygrow.
Strong Towns: Why Walkable Streets are More Economically Productive – Safe, walkable streets stimulate economic activity. Thriving downtown commercial districts are generally built to a pedestrian scale. Studies show that business investment in city centers has a drastically higher return on investment then sprawling suburban shopping centers. Car-centric design requires more space to produce the same amount of economic productivity.
Mobility Lab: Understanding the psychological barriers to using public and active transportation – Even when people understand all the benefits of changing commute modes, they are reticent to give up driving alone. Switching to an electric car is an easier change for many to swallow, but the energy that charges these vehicles often comes from fossil fuels. Barriers to active commutes are often psychological, and understanding that can help when working to decrease the one person, one car commute.
Next City: How L.A. Metro Might Pay For Its Ambitious “28 By ‘28” Plan – Los Angeles will host the Summer Olympics in 2028. L.A. Metro has committed to completing 28 projects before the games. 8 of these projects are behind schedule and funding has not been secured for all projects. A significant fare hike, investment from city government, and public private partnerships will all play a role in funding these ambitious goals, but it remains to be seen if the finances will come through.
City Lab: When Self-Driving Cars Meet Florida Drivers – Autonomous Ford Fusions are being deployed on the streets of Miami. Ford is hoping to demonstrate how a congested city like Miami can benefit from AV technology. Cars still have backup drivers and engineers on board, but people can hail AV rides along set routes. Every time a backup driver has to step in, or the car behaves in an unnatural-seeming way, the engineer makes a note of it and studies the event later to improve future results.
Image Source: Next City
