Slime mold models Tokyo rail network
Researchers in Japan and the UK have modelled the complex Tokyo rail network with remarkable accuracy by enlisting the services of the humble slime mold. The single cell, brainless yellow mold, Physarum polycephalum is able to build highly efficient networks of nutrient channeling tubes between food sources. The researchers created a food network of oat […]
Transport NSW trials CITS technology for truckies
In an initiative aimed at improving traffic flow and reducing heavy vehicle collisions, Transport NSW has announced a trial of a high-tech early warning system for truck drivers. As reported in the Illawarra Mercury, heavy vehicles will be fitted with Co-operative Intelligent Transport Systems (CITS) technology which allows trucks to transmit and receive warnings about […]
UK invests in green vehicles and their drivers
The UK has taken a bold stand for a greener future with the recent announcement of a £500 m investment in the growing electric car movement, as reported in The Yorkshire Post recently. Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg unveiled the initiative saying “This is about creating a culture change in our towns and cities so […]
Controversial plans for transport overhaul in Melbourne CBD
The Napthine government has announced major changes to the transport system in Melbourne ahead of the November election, including the capping of fares at Zone 1 level, and the commencement of free trams in the CBD from Jan 1, 2015. As reported in The Age, the scheme is expected to cost $100 million per year, […]
Congestion to cost economy $15bn per year by 2030
According to an article last week in the Australian Financial Review, the Abbott government was unmoved by the arguments of the Tourism and Transport Forum, whose members are urging the government to reconsider its position not to invest in public transport. The Tourism Transport forum is an industry group of the CEOs of 200 companies […]
Australia well-positioned after V2V technology given green light in US
Australian technology companies look to be well placed in what could become the future of road safety for light vehicles. The US Department of Transportation (DOT) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have recently announced that the US will begin taking steps to facilitate the introduction of vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication technology. V2V technology […]
Audi’s Intelligent Assist predicts parking availability
A recent story from Wired has showcased the latest in intelligent technology from Audi. By using “big data”, wireless connectivity and the car’s on-board navigation system, an Audi-developed phone app will not only find parking, but also uses “intelligence” to predict when other spots might open up! Branded as Audi’s Urban Intelligent Assist, the project […]
The Greening of Hamburg
A team of 30 city planners in Hamburg, Germany are working on a massive project that is sure to keep Hamburg in the list of one of Europe’s most sustainable cities. A previous winner of the European Green Capital award in 2011, Hamburg has recently announced ambitious plans for reshaping the city centre over the next […]
Equality the goal in planning cities of the future
We came across another great TED talk in December, featuring the former mayor of Bogotá, Colombia, Enrique Peñalosa, who suggests a new yardstick by which to measure our cities of the future. “An advanced city is not one where even the poor use cars, but rather one where even the rich use public transport.” Peñalosa […]
Brisbane’s UBAT project addresses congestion issues
As reported by the ABC news, the Queensland government recently announced a 5.4 km tunnel project in Brisbane, designed to ease the city’s congestion problems at a cost of $5 billion. Dubbed the UBAT (Underground Bus and Train), the double-decker tunnel will accommodate buses on the upper level and trains below. The combined project replaces […]
Electric scooter with boot space
For the latest in electric transport options, Treehugger recently featured this prototype scooter, the Kubo. After you figure out which end is up, you will see that the space underneath is designed to give you ample carrying capacity for your groceries, shopping, briefcase or other precious cargo (not children, however!). The scooter has a weight […]
Smartphone option for ticketless transport
The city of Rio de Janeiro has recently launched a pilot program allowing travellers to use their smartphones as a mobile wallet for public transportation, reports Techworld. The phones are equipped with NFC (Near Field Communication) technology which allows safe, contactless data exchange between devices. A collaborative project between RioCard Tecnologia da Informação, Gemalto, Motorola […]
$36 billion Transport Plan unveiled for South Australia
Making news this week is the South Australian government’s announcement of a new 30 year, $36 billion Transport Plan, as reported in the Adelaide Advertiser. It is the State’s first Integrated Transport and Land Use Plan, and it is now open for public comment. A collaborative effort between planning, transport and various interest groups, South […]
Reclaiming your city – lessons from the transformation of NYC
Here’s an inspiring and interesting TED talk from Janette Sadik-Khan, the Transportation Commissioner of New York City, sharing her strategy for transforming urban areas into a place for people. In the space of five years, New York has been reclaimed by the people thanks to some bold moves in the area of transport and planning. […]
Sydney bike lanes to absorb some parking spaces
Not everyone will be happy with the NSW government’s new City Centre Access Strategy, and that is expected when dealing with complex transport issues, multiple stakeholders, and the fixed infrastructure in a city the size of Sydney. The Sydney Morning Herald reports this week that planned expansion of bike lanes will be particularly detrimental to […]
Profit squeeze for Melbourne Airport off-site parking operators
An article last week in The Australian reported complaints of off-site parking operators being squeezed out of the market by the new seven-storey car park at Melbourne Airport. With construction only just commencing and the car park’s scheduled opening in 2015, the complaint surely couldn’t be about the pricing of car parking (yet). The issue […]
The Hyperloop transportation project open for collaboration
Plans have now been unveiled. As promised in last month’s blog, Elon Musk, head of Telsa Motors and Space X, has now released a document outlining the details of his vision for a new form of transportation, the Hyperloop. The 57-page document reveals Musk’s plans for transporting passengers in a low-pressure tube along blankets of […]
(Un) expected fallout from UK workplace parking levy
The introduction of Britain’s first workplace parking levy has been causing a spot of bother in the UK. The City of Nottingham was the first in the UK to introduce the levy in 2012 in an attempt to reduce congestion in the city. Employers are being charged £334 for each parking space offered to employees, […]
Traffic fumes identified as cancer risk factor
Every week cities around the world bemoan their traffic problems and look for ways to solve them. Reports abound on the knock-on effects that traffic chaos has on our stress levels and the health and wealth of our economies. The typical debate surrounding investment in public transport vs new roads tends to focus largely on […]
Auckland tolls to fund infrastructure crisis
Auckland is easily New Zealand’s largest city, and like many big cities it is suffering from a dearth of roads and transport infrastructure. Conservatively, traffic congestion is costing the city more than $1B in productivity per annum, a figure that is growing. In a high level report released recently “Funding Auckland’s Transport Future”, we’re told […]
The Hyperloop – a new era of transport
Following on from last weeks’ Wayfinding Blog which offered a glimpse of the future of transport, we bring you one step closer to that reality with the upcoming unveiling of The Hyperloop. Brainchild of Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX and Tesla Motors, Musk announced this month that “alpha” plans for the revolutionary transportation […]
The impact of driverless cars on our cities
As we posted in last week’s Wayfinding Forum, auto companies are now striving beyond the development of self-parking cars. They are building self-DRIVING cars. Whilst the technology has advanced rapidly in recent years, public acceptance and understanding is still in its infancy. This week, an interesting perspective was offered by The New York Times. The […]
Remember the Jetsons?
We complain about traffic snarls. We complain about transport links. We complain about airport processing queues. Well, it seems the creators of the imagined “Horizon System” had all this in mind when they submitted their winning entry to the Glasgow School of Art creative competition, offering a vision of the future of aviation. Watch their […]
Driverless trains are headed for Sydney
The NSW budget handed down last week delivered significantly on transport, with over $6 billion pledged towards infrastructure projects. Along with the light rail project previously mentioned on Wayfinding Forum, heavy rail was the big winner with funding confirmed along the north-west corridor of Sydney. The NSW Government describes The North West Rail Link as […]
Japan’s underground bike parking solution
Tokyo is a metropolis of over 13 million people, all trying to get around by the best means possible. Overwhelming congestion means that car travel is sluggish and we’ve all seen images of “train pushers” (or oshiya) cramming passengers onto Japan’s subway system. As a result, cycling is trending as a preference for many commuters. […]
Brazilian people power leads to transport policy review
In a follow up to last week’s blog article on the protests in Brazil, the country’s President, Dilma Rousseff, has held discussions with ‘peaceful protest leaders’ in an attempt to end days of nationwide unrest. The dialogue has led to the President unveiling a series of reforms including creating a national plan for urban public […]
Cyclists take over the streets of Colombia
Bogotá, Colombia is the second most populous city in South America and one of the highest capitals in the world at a lofty 2625m above sea level. From Monday to Friday it is not unusual to hear ‘Bogotanos’ complaining about heavy traffic, pot-holed roads and an overburdened public transport network. However each Sunday and most […]
Woes over public transport fare increases in Brazil
Still in South America, scenes have turned ugly in Brazil this week as citizens continued their protests that started out as a demonstration about an increase in local bus fares. The rise from R$3.00 to R$3.20 (the equivalent of 10c) may seem miniscule on the surface, however the country’s poorest felt they had no option […]
Opal expands to Sydney’s rail network
The NSW Government will extend the trial of its Opal smartcard ticketing system to some of Sydney’s trains from the end of this week. The trial, which has previously been introduced on two of Sydney’s ferry routes, will now include train stations on the City Circle and Bondi Junction lines. The rollout brings Sydney closer […]
Melbourne’s parking squeeze to tighten
As with many of the world’s big cities, Melbourne’s CBD is experiencing a chronic shortage of parking spaces, an issue that is likely to worsen in the coming years. According to The Age, over the past 13 years only 9551 car spaces have been added to the CBD’s supply of 38,085 commercial places while the […]