The hottest Transportation Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Technology Topics

TfL's AI Tube Station experiment is amazing and slightly terrifying

Odds and Ends of History • 2278 implied HN points • 12 Feb 24
🕹 Technology AI Surveillance Transportation Data Analysis Digital innovation
  1. AI technology, like the one used in TfL's Tube Station experiment, is rapidly changing and being implemented in various sectors.
  2. AI cameras at stations can have a wide range of uses, from enhancing security to improving passenger welfare and gathering statistical data.
  3. While AI technology offers numerous benefits, there are also concerns about privacy, surveillance, and potential misuse of the technology.

Walking the Netherlands: From Amsterdam to The Hague

Chris Arnade Walks the World • 770 implied HN points • 14 Mar 24
🏝 Travel Adventure Transportation Sustainability Culture Infrastructure
  1. The Dutch culture emphasizes good citizenship, seen in how they are thoughtful, friendly, and helpful to strangers.
  2. The Netherlands is clean and functional due to being a high-trust society, which allows for nice things without fear of them being misused.
  3. Placing a focus on pedestrians and cyclists over cars has made Dutch cities more livable and charming, contrasting with the struggles in the US.

All the arguments against EVs are wrong

Noahpinion • 26118 implied HN points • 14 May 23
🕹 Technology Transportation Energy Environment Social Impact Innovation
  1. Electric vehicles are rapidly becoming more popular worldwide, supported by improved technology and falling battery prices.
  2. There are concerns about the availability of minerals for EV production, but advancements in mining technology and growing lithium reserves offer hope.
  3. EVs have environmental benefits compared to gas cars, including reducing carbon emissions and offering more efficient energy use.

KidCrusher 350s Are Very Legal and Very Cool

Systematic Hatreds • 746 implied HN points • 22 Jan 24
🎭️ Culture Transportation Society Safety Gender Environment
  1. The term "mature content" in movies often glamorizes adulthood but really means responsibility like taxes and laundry.
  2. Contemporary U.S. pickup trucks like the KidCrusher 350s are criticized for being oversized and causing safety concerns, especially for children.
  3. Owning and driving large trucks like the KidCrushers reflects a toxic mix of legal freedom and appealing power that may not match practicality or safety.
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To eradicate deaths on the road, Greater Manchester looks to Sweden

The Mill • 648 implied HN points • 22 Jan 24
📰 News Transportation Local government Community Entertainment Crime
  1. Greater Manchester aims to completely eliminate road deaths and serious injuries by 2040 using a Swedish road safety model
  2. The new strategy 'Vision Zero' focuses on changing attitudes towards road safety and preventing collisions
  3. Data shows the high cost and disparities of road casualties in Greater Manchester, with a goal of reducing them by 50% by 2030 and eradicating them by 2040

How Starship Will Change Humanity Soon

Uncharted Territories • 4481 implied HN points • 25 Apr 23
🕹 Technology Space Transportation Communication Imagery Innovation
  1. SpaceX's Starship rocket is set to significantly reduce space transportation costs, potentially shifting civilizations and economies.
  2. Decreasing transportation costs can lead to increased trade, wealth, and societal growth, similar to the impact of navigable rivers in history.
  3. Starship's impact goes beyond satellite communications, enabling possibilities like real-time, detailed Earth imaging for various applications and businesses.

Ante Up, SUV Drivers: Paris Triples Parking Rates

The Micromobility Newsletter • 275 implied HN points • 06 Feb 24
💼 Business Transportation Electric Vehicles Bankruptcy Investment Logistics
  1. Paris has tripled parking rates for SUVs over 1.6 tonnes and electric vehicles over 2 tonnes to promote a bike-able and walk-able city.
  2. Cake, an e-motorcycle manufacturer, filed for bankruptcy after facing challenges with recalls and losing an investor in funding.
  3. DYU, a prominent e-bike manufacturer in China, raised $14M in a funding round, planning to expand operations and enhance supply chain.

Congress in Rare Agreement on E-Bike Battery Bill

The Micromobility Newsletter • 235 implied HN points • 30 Jan 24
💼 Business Transportation Manufacturing Sustainability Regulation Investment
  1. A new bill for lithium-ion battery safety standards in the US has rare bipartisan support in Congress.
  2. Jersey City is implementing a system for secure charging and storage of electric bikes.
  3. Several companies worldwide are ramping up electric vehicle production and investing in sustainable practices.

A road conundrum in Ballantyne

The Charlotte Ledger • 176 implied HN points • 01 Feb 24
📰 News Transportation Infrastructure Urban planning
  1. Traffic on U.S. 521 in Ballantyne is increasing, and transportation planners are exploring complex solutions like new intersections and even a possible tunnel.
  2. The widening of U.S. 521 is facing challenges due to rapid area growth, making it trickier and more costly to find effective traffic solutions.
  3. State officials are considering various comprehensive solutions, such as flyover intersections or tunnels, to accommodate the expected increase in traffic volumes in the future.

BREAKING: Frontier adds flights to 7 cities from CLT

The Charlotte Ledger • 196 implied HN points • 23 Jan 24
💼 Business Transportation Air Travel Competition
  1. Frontier Airlines is adding flights to 7 new cities from Charlotte, becoming the No. 2 airline in terms of destinations served.
  2. Fares on new routes will start as low as $19, focusing on underserved and overpriced routes from CLT.
  3. Frontier's expansion in Charlotte could potentially help lower airfares in a historically high-priced market.

Demystifying the Contraflow Transit Lanes

Italian (urban) Letters • 235 implied HN points • 08 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Transportation Urban planning
  1. Contraflow transit lanes are essentially two-way streets with one direction reserved for transit, simplifying traffic flow for buses and minimizing conflicts.
  2. These lanes can significantly reduce conflicts at intersections and curb-side encroachments, making public transit more efficient and reliable.
  3. Strategically deploying contraflow transit lanes can optimize transit routes, prioritize public transportation, and improve traffic flow within cities.

E-scooters are good and Britain should legalise them

Odds and Ends of History • 1072 implied HN points • 17 Apr 23
💼 Business Transportation Urban planning Regulation Environment Infrastructure
  1. E-scooters can help reduce car usage and congestion in cities due to their compact design and ability to take up less space.
  2. Legalizing e-scooters can lead to positive downstream consequences, such as reducing car dependence, reshaping urban geography, and creating a more sustainable environment.
  3. Regulating e-scooters through legalization can improve safety standards, encourage responsible riding behavior, and prompt the development of infrastructure to accommodate different modes of transportation.

Age of Invention: Freight Expectations

Age of Invention, by Anton Howes • 736 implied HN points • 23 Jun 23
🕹 Technology Transportation Infrastructure Energy History Innovation
  1. Transport infrastructure plays a key role in boosting economic growth by providing access to energy and markets.
  2. Historically, the primary focus of early transport infrastructure like canals and railways was to transport goods, especially coal and grain.
  3. While passenger transportation is beneficial for connecting cities and improving labor market efficiency, access to energy and markets are more crucial for economic growth.

BREAKING: Norfolk Southern says it's willing to deal on the Red Line

The Charlotte Ledger • 275 implied HN points • 18 Oct 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Infrastructure Transportation Legislation Economy Government
  1. Norfolk Southern is now considering allowing commuter rail on its tracks in Mecklenburg after a 20-year impasse
  2. The change in Norfolk Southern's stance could give momentum to Charlotte's regional transit system plans
  3. The city leaders hope that a deal with Norfolk Southern for the Red Line could help secure support for a larger transit plan

Kyiv Metro vs the World: An Exploration

S(ubstack)-Bahn • 341 implied HN points • 22 Sep 23
🌐 International Transportation Labor Infrastructure War Innovation
  1. Kyiv Metro managed to run high frequency trains during wartime, which was a challenge for other systems.
  2. The success of Kyiv Metro can be attributed to infrastructural choices, like station typology, and organizational practices, like a Soviet-era philosophy of train throughput.
  3. Kyiv Metro's ability to operate effectively and maintain high frequencies is also due to having a surplus of labor, contributing to its resilience.

Micromobility: An Urban Transportation Revolution

Need to Know by Stephen Leahy • 58 implied HN points • 02 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Transportation Electric Vehicles Urban living Sustainability Decarbonization
  1. Nearly 300 million electric two- and three-wheelers are in use today, showing a global shift towards micromobility.
  2. Micromobility has the potential to significantly reduce oil demand and improve air quality in cities.
  3. Micromobility addresses traffic congestion by providing low-cost, sustainable transportation options for short urban trips.

Amtrak is still riding the nostalgia train

Urben Field Notes • 32 implied HN points • 26 Feb 24
💼 Business Transportation Finances Government Infrastructure Policy
  1. Long-distance trains are nostalgic but may not be the most efficient way to provide rail service to small towns and neglected regions.
  2. Expanding long-distance train routes could reach more Americans, but issues include unreliable trip durations, inconvenient schedules, and high costs.
  3. Optimizing rail routes by focusing on shorter, higher-demand trips could be a more cost-effective and efficient way to improve passenger rail service in America.

When poor people occupy land without paying, it’s squatting. When the rich do it, it’s parking

The Newsletter of (Not Quite) Everything • 491 implied HN points • 01 Jul 23
🎭️ Culture Books Society Global Issues Transportation Environment
  1. When poor people occupy land without paying, it's called squatting. When the rich do it, it's labeled as parking.
  2. The growth of cars and road infrastructure in cities like Mumbai mirrors past mistakes made in the West.
  3. Car ownership, particularly in developing countries, poses environmental and economic challenges that need addressing.

Biofuels: the US could switch to electric cars and solar power on just a fraction of the land

Sustainability by numbers • 296 implied HN points • 05 Sep 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Energy Sustainability Renewables Transportation Land use
  1. Growing biofuels in the US is a poor use of land, especially when solar energy needs much less land and could power the country three times over.
  2. Biofuels may not have as positive an impact on the environment as initially assumed, with some studies suggesting they could increase emissions.
  3. Switching from biofuels to solar power for electric cars in the US could significantly reduce land use and still meet transportation needs.

The perils of freeway caps

Urben Field Notes • 32 implied HN points • 15 Feb 24
🌍 World Politics Urban planning Transportation
  1. Covering urban freeways with parks through freeway caps is a popular urban planning trend, but it may not fully address the deeper issues of routing heavy traffic through dense neighborhoods.
  2. Freeway caps can be politically attractive solutions, especially in high-traffic areas, but may not be the most imaginative or effective options in all cases, potentially entrenching urban freeways for generations.
  3. Transportation planning often prioritizes vehicles over transit alternatives, showcasing a need for a shift towards more comprehensive approaches like full freeway removal projects, leading to better urban planning and community connectivity.

The Assassination of HS2 by the Coward Rishi Sunak

S(ubstack)-Bahn • 180 implied HN points • 08 Oct 23
🌍 World Politics Infrastructure Transportation Government Costs Legislation
  1. HS2 was a major rail project in the UK, but was dramatically cancelled by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
  2. Political will is crucial in controlling the costs and completing high-speed rail projects.
  3. Comparison drawn between the cancelled HS2 project in the UK and the challenges faced by the California High-Speed Rail project.

What if we treated car crashes like plane crashes?

The Charlotte Ledger • 137 implied HN points • 31 Aug 23
📰 News Transportation Analysis Safety Urban planning
  1. When investigating plane crashes, every piece of evidence is examined to prevent future incidents. Car crash investigations should also focus on prevention rather than just assigning blame.
  2. A group of urbanists is analyzing car crashes like plane crashes, suggesting changes to prevent future accidents based on detailed analysis.
  3. Factors like lack of mid-crossing pedestrian refuges, long traffic signal cycles, and high speed limits contribute to car crashes, highlighting the need for changes in infrastructure and traffic management.

Car Rentals and Electric Cars are filing for Divorce, for now...

Startupology • 19 implied HN points • 05 Feb 24
💼 Business Transportation Financials Consumer behavior Sustainability Market Analysis
  1. Rental car companies and EVs face challenges like high repair costs and poor infrastructure.
  2. Hertz faced bankruptcy, then aimed to boost business with an EV fleet but is now selling off a third of it due to low demand and high repair costs.
  3. Issues with rental companies and EVs include maintenance costs, customer education, charging infrastructure, and consumer familiarity.