The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has substantially increased the number of surveillance cameras at two stations on the Orange Line. Fifty-eight cameras were added at Forest Hills, which serves as the southern terminus of the subway line as well as a commuter rail station and major bus transfer point. Intrusion-detection systems were also added inRead… Read more »
Washington State school officials are planning to install traffic cameras on school buses to catch drivers who pass the buses illegally. A new law authorizes school districts to install the cameras, which will automatically generate tickets for vehicles that pass school buses when students are boarding or alighting. The revenue from the $394 tickets isRead… Read more »
A Google-branded bus will travel across Egypt seeking the next generation of technology entrepreneurs.”We will put someone’s dream through a seven-month crash course that will help turn it into a commercially viable business,” said Google’s manager in Egypt Wael Fakharany. “We have been working on this concept for nine months. We had signed a contractRead… Read more »
The image of business travelers working productively on intercity trains is a myth according to research conducted for the UK Department for Transport. Despite the availability of wireless connections and cell phone coverage, the report found that business executives were more likely to spend their time on board reading for leisure, looking out the window,Read… Read more »
A new peer-to-peer car-sharing serving that links people to cars via Facebook launched at Stanford University this week. Wheelz hopes to distinguish itself from similar services by using existing social networks on college and university campuses. To help amp up the trust factor, which can make or break the decision to lend a car toRead… Read more »
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority is testing 10 plug-in hybrid electric pickup trucks as part of a national test with Chrysler. In return for the vehicles, the MBTA has agreed to drive the Ram trucks at least 1,500 miles per month and to share data with Chrysler for the next three years. A $48 millionRead… Read more »
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (NY) plans to introduce a bus rapid transit route in midtown Manhattan starting in November. The route will replace existing service on 34th Street between Second Avenue and Ninth Avenue. The Select Bus Service routes use wireless technology to extend green lights for approaching buses and operate in bus-only lanes (enforcedRead… Read more »
PATCO, which provides rail service between Philadelphia (PA) and South New Jersey, is testing a contactless credit card that customers can use for fare payments and other purchases. To participate in the program, commuters can get a Wave and Pay Anywhere Visa card from PATCO and add value at a designated kiosk. For the firstRead… Read more »
Looking like bus rapid transit vehicle on steroids, the German AutoTram is described as a fully electric, zero-emission light-train on wheels. Said to be as long as a streetcar but as maneuverable as a bus, a new propulsion system sets the vehicle apart. Instead of running on a single charge, Fast Company writes, the prototypeRead… Read more »
As the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (NY) rolls out wireless service at six subway stations, the debate begins. Is the ability to text, talk, tweet, and surf underground a sign of progress or the end of civilization? The New York Times likens it to a “vast social experiment.” Michael M. Grynbaum writes: The contemplative commute couldRead… Read more »