tingilinde

what happens when a city center goes car-free?

What happened in Ghent.  This is something of a trend in European cities.. expect more to go car-free as the decade rolls on.

 

a gyroscope stabilized monorail

One of those many inventions that never made it to the innovation stage -  a gyro-stabilized monorail that wowed many including Winston Churchill, who become a strong supporter of the inventor.

 

automobile navigation 100 years ago

Mechanical contraptions beyond maps.

snip

...

The Live Map was a glass-enclosed brass dial attached to the outer edge of the driver's side of the car and linked via a cable to a car’s odometer. Before leaving on your drive, you would purchase one of the company’s 8-inch paper discs with a trip’s directions, put together by The Touring Club of America. Each disc contained a trip’s mileage on the edge of the disc, with each tick mark symbolizing one mile, and supplementary tick marks for every fifth of a mile. Directions were printed alongside key mileage points like spokes on a wheel, describing road surfaces (paved or dirt), intersections, and rail crossings.

The disc was placed on the dial’s turntable. The driver would put the disc in the machine at the trip’s starting point. As the driver progressed, the disc rotated proportionally to your car’s speed, telling you what to do, what to look for, and where to turn. Each disc covered about 100 miles, at which point you pulled over and stopped to replace the disc with the next one. Of course, the device wasn’t accurate if drivers didn’t precisely follow the centerline of the road. So Joseph’s brother Ernest, to keep the mileage exact, introduced an improvement for 1913 that reduced the amount of rotation transmitted to the device if the driver was steering erratically.

...

 

 

the yellow light

A bizarre tale about a path through regulations and obstacles .. on the timing of the yellow light on a traffic signal. And what if you claim you're an engineer with just an engineering degree?

a tip of the hat to Bjarne

 

boeing and losing it

Boeing lost its engineering culture years ago .. probably when the suits took over after the McDonnell Douglas merger.  More evidence of what is wrong.  Many systems are damaged or broken including the FAA.  This isn't a "software" fix.  There are other companies that do the same.  Many get away with it as poor performance isn't a big deal.  But some involve human safety.  Tesla is worrisome. 

 

 

 

 

cargo bike basics

If you live in an area with good enough streets, shifting some of your local commuting and brands to a cargo bike is much "greener" than getting an electric car. It's also healthy and modern cargo bikes often have electric assist - you still get exercise, but hills flatten and you can haul more.

Arleigh -aka Bikeshop girl - in one of the experts on the subject. Here she gives some basics.  If you're in the market and within a day from Denver you should schedule a visit. 

 

as über ceases to become a bargain

Fare increases can be startling.  (via The New York Times)

What happens if the company is finally expected to turn a profit?

 

driver assistance systems may increase distracted driving

It wouldn't be a big surprise though.  A big issue with distracted driving is it takes a long time for the driver to assess the situation and take control in the event of an emergency.  

 

 

 

micro mobility

For a few decades walking and cycling has been called active transport..  a person supplies some (battery assisted bikes) or all of the power required.  More recently people have been talking about small, light and inexpensive transport.  What makes sense in cities and suburbs ..  it doesn't include mass transit, but rather can dovetail with it.  The general definition is any lightweight, small vehicle under 500kg empty.  It can be used on public roads, but isn't intended for long range high speed travel. So anything from roller skates to minicars..  

And there are vehicles that push the boundaries.  This one is light enough, but ...

a practical ebike

Electric bikes- the type where your pedaling is matched and ampler by an electric motor (sometimes called human-electric hybrids) are becoming enormously poplar in Europe.  Most of the ones in the US are set up as commuter bikes - get to and from work if it's within range, get some exercise and avoid the sweat plus the operating costs and pollution are very low compared to a car.   In Europe many of them see broader use - errands may be mixed with work.  The travel patterns of men and women tend to be very different with women having much more complex paths. 

Arleigh Greenwald is a serious expert on practical bikes for errands.  She has a shop near Denver and posts very honest reviews.  If you're in the market and within a state of her shop you may want to make a visit.  The reviews are worth reading too - here's one that would be practical for many.