Is there a worldwide parking problem?
Following our recent post on Eran Ben-Joseph’s book, ‘Rethinking a Lot’, The BBC have also picked up on the story. They summarise some of Ben-Joseph’s key recommendations for improving parking lots to make them more ‘environmentally responsible’ and ‘aesthetically pleasing’ as follows: Better design. Citing Miami’s car park as a prime example, drawing on great design […]
…as Monorail’s planned demolition calls for higher line
Due to be demolished to make way for the redevelopment of Darling Harbour, Sydney’s monorail has seen significant debate over what should happen to the structure once dismantled. Landscape architect David Vago has drawn up a plan to take inspiration from New York’s famous High Line (see our blog post about the High Line here!), […]
Parking for bikes in private car parks in BA
In Buenos Aires, a city where bicycle theft is rampant, the provision of secure parking facilities is almost as important as the supporting infrastructure. The city is currently embracing cycling, under a scheme called “Mejor en Bici”, with a number of laws and construction projects designed to provide several bike parking facilities. Of these laws, […]
Music video with amazing intersection animations
Thanks to Andrew Morse, our resident Senior Traffic Engineer, we came across this fantastic music clip, called ‘Got More’, by a band called Eskmo. It’s a stunning animation totally created from footage filmed at a New York intersection. We highly recommend watching through as the animation becomes ever more Escher-like.
Why cyclists are better customers for local businesses
A recent post on the DC Streets Blog examined the economic effects of cycling, and specifically exploring the notion that an investment in cycling infrastructure generally will limit car parking. The article quotes a few numbers, statistics and pieces of information around the economic benefits of the bicycle over the car. We’ve summarised some of the […]
London 2012 sets out venue parking plans
The world’s biggest transportation and parking challenge (the Olympics) has seen the London 2012 Organising Committee publish proposals for parking management and parking plans around all Olympic and Paralympic venues in London. According to the Organising Committee’s press release, the proposed plans would see a number of traffic alterations and parking restrictions in the vicinity […]
Incompetent bike thief caught on camera in NYC
We came across a great video this week on TreeHugger, showing a hooded bandit’s unsuccessful attempts to steal the handlebars from a locked bike in New York. Watch the video below.
France grants cyclists the right to run red lights
Following a nationwide pro-cycling campaign, the French government has issued a decree allowing cyclists in some cities to disregard red lights at certain intersections. Until now cyclists have been subject to the same rules of the road as other vehicles. According to TreeHugger, the newly relaxed road rules for cyclists are now being tested across […]
Dutch bicycle congestion
The Dutch are facing the consequences of their own cycling success, including congestion, lack of parking and infrastructure. In a country where bicycles outnumber people by 1.2 million, the Dutch have simply run out of space to accommodate the 5 million cyclists who take to the road every day. In Amsterdam alone, 490,000 cyclists travel […]
Avoiding storefront crashes
We came across an incredible video this week caught on the CCTV of a car crashing through the front window of a store. Amazingly, no one was hurt other than a few scratches and bruises. Watch the video above and here. The International Parking Institute has recently published an article written by Mark Wright on […]
Cycling in the world’s greatest cities
London’s Cycle Hire bikes are seeing significant popularity, with now more than 8.6 million trips made on the ‘Boris Bikes’ since the scheme opened one year ago. The number of bikes means that they’re near ubiquitous – with 6,000 bikes available through 400 docking stations around central London, according to smh.com.au. Their popularity is due […]
Ok, I’m selling the Porsche!
A guest blog post from Parking & Traffic Consultants’ Senior Traffic Engineer and resident bicycle enthusiast, Andrew Morse. Well, I would if I owned one and here are two reasons why I would sell mine. Firstly, people who buy exotic cars will justify their purchase because they claim to want exquisite quality and exhilarating […]
Promising parking policies for India
Paul Barter is Assistant Professor of LKY School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore. He recently delivered a keynote presentation in Delhi on some of the promising parking policies worldwide, with lessons for India highlighted for the delegation. From his observations, the dire parking problems in India (caused by an explosion in wealth and […]
For heaven’s sake can we stop queuing through intersections?
A guest post by Andrew Morse, our senior traffic engineering consultant There, I’ve said it and I feel much better. Well not really because every day I am astounded by the number of drivers who think it’s perfectly acceptable to enter an intersection (typically on amber) knowing full well that they can’t clear the intersection […]
Pods from the car park at Heathrow Airport
London’s Heathrow Airport has recently launched a commercial personal rapid transit system, with 22 electric autopilot pods now shuttling 800 passengers a day back and forth from parking lots to the British Airways terminal. Called ULTra, or Urban Light Transport, the pods are a self-driving, electric-powered pods which can carry four to six passengers plus […]
New York to create a pedestrian wayfinding system
This week, New York City’s Department of Transportation announced that they were planning to add signage to the streets to help pedestrians navigate the city more easily. The wayfinding system will provide clear signs that tell people their location, how long it takes to walk to key locations and gives a map of the area. […]
Melbourne police bicycling blitz
Last week, Melbourne police launched Operation Compass, a ‘bike blitz’ on Melbourne’s key bicycle arterials coming in to the city. The planned crackdown focuses on cyclists who disobey traffic lights and road signs, and those who fail to wear helmets or have lights on their bike. Similarly, motorists who put cyclists at risk will also […]
Enforcing New York City’s bike lane laws
Further to the previous article, increased usage of bicycles in New York City has resulted in the New York Police Department now stepping up enforcement of the rules and regulations governing the use of bicycles and the lanes throughout the city. We came across this video this week which highlights some of the challenges that […]
Why is Melbourne’s bike sharing scheme underperforming?
After one year of operation, the Melbourne bike sharing scheme is running into trouble, with apparent underutilisation and rider numbers falling short of projections. A number of issues have been identified as possible reasons for the lack of enthusiasm – including awkward pick-up points, a wet summer, compulsory helmet laws (with riders being forced to […]
Federal Government launches first national urban policy
The Federal Government’s first national urban policy was launched yesterday by the Infrastructure and Transport Minister Mr. Albanese. The policy, called “Our Cities, Our Future” underlines the relationship between funding for projects with specific criteria relating to productivity and sustainability. The areas in which the Government intends to get involved in includes water, rail, urban […]
Sydney’s mayor says that the critics are wrong on cycle lanes
An article this week in the Sydney Morning Herald summarises a lecture delivered by the Lord Mayor at the University of NSW on Wednesday April 6th about the city’s cycle lanes, currently in construction along several key corridors to and through the CBD. She argues that NSW has been held back due to little interest in […]
Parking mobile technology takes off
This week we have come across three new mobile phone applications, all designed to assist with parking in some form or another. Help2Park is an Android smart phone app that allows users to locate nearby parking stations. The user can set the radius within which to search from their current location, and they receive a […]
Study on parking space management finds Europe leads the way
A study released late last year by the Institute of Transportation and Development Policy in New York has found that ‘parking management is a critical and often overlooked tool for achieving a variety of social goals.’ The study, titled ‘Europe’s Parking U-Turn: From Accommodation to Regulation’, cited improved air quality, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, reduced […]
Cycling movement gathers momentum… expect perhaps in Rome
We have noticed a significant increase in the number of articles about cycling, and the infrastructure being installed around the world to support this mode of transport making it a more attractive form of commuting and transportation. We’ve come across a debate In the US on building standards, with one critic claiming that giving building […]
Parking rangers continue to be the targets of public abuse
In June 2010, following statistics published in July 2009, the United Services Union of Australia sent a survey to each council in NSW relating to council rangers, parking patrol officers and animal control officers. The survey requested a range of information, including the number and role of the officers, whether risk assessments have been carried out […]
More than half of British drivers don’t expect a red light
PCI’s UK correspondent, Kelvin Worthington, spied this week a somewhat alarming article in the Telegraph, stating that 52% of British drivers cannot see red traffic lights coming at signals at junctions and pedestrian crossings. The problem stems from the differing sequence of traffic lights. Whilst in Australia, the ‘amber’ (orange) light is used only before […]
The benefits of the bicycle
Bicycle Victoria, a self-funded community organisation, has been working with the Victorian Department of Transport to integrate infrastructure for bicycle riders with the public transport network in Melbourne. As a result, the Department of Transport has recently rolled out free, undercover bike parking cages at stations across Victoria.Secure access is provided by a card system […]
Karma for bicycle road rager
Our favourite Green website, TreeHugger, has delivered one of the best (or rather worst) stories we’ve read thus far in 2010. A driver in the UK recently had an attack of cyclist road rage. And attack he did! The teenage driver pulled up alongside the cyclist, sounded his horn and yelled “Get off the road. […]
Parking ‘Black Friday’
As thanksgiving approaches in the US, parking operators are bracing for ‘Black Friday’ – one of the busiest parking days of the year. As shoppers venture out to do their holiday shopping, filling their vehicles with turkey and holiday festive stuffings, and families fly around the country to reunite with loved ones, airport and shopping […]
Cars being rude to pedestrians in New York City
New York City at the moment is undergoing an urban planning evolution project, called ‘livable streets’. However, just because there’s an evolution underway doesn’t mean that drivers have gotten the message. Cars blocking crosswalks, drivers failing to yield to pedestrians, unnecessary honking and a slew of other quality-of-walking violations are still a routine occurrence on […]