#transport policy

[zurdta]

#conspiracy theories #15 minute city #uk politics #transport policy #fucking morons

[bansuvs]

In the UK, in 2009, it was revealed that the Department for Transport had previously discouraged green waves as they reduced fuel usage, and thus less revenue was raised from fuel taxes.[7][8] Despite this government Webtag documents were only updated in 2011. It is still unclear if the economic appraisal software used to apply these guidelines has also been updated and if the new guidelines are being applied to new projects.

Ouch. UK transport policy always manages to be even more stupid than expected.

After moving to the UK in 1993 I did wonder why eg coaches into London seem to hit red at every freaking intersection.

#green wave #transport policy #pollution #institutional stupidity

[prose2passion]

more than 1,000

cities, towns and villages in Germany want to introduce generalised 30kmh (20mph) speed limit, but the law doesn't allow it. The second chamber of parliament, Bundesrat has just stopped a change of the law that would have enabled them to set their own speed limits.

here's the list of the places:

#road safety #transport policy #speed limit #germany

[chainreactionpodcast]

SO, WHAT NEXT AFTER HS2?

No longer ‘spades in the ground’. HS2, or High Speed 2, is a high-speed railway line that was supposed to connect London to Birmingham and then extend to Manchester and Leeds in the north of England. In 2012 it was estimated that the full cost would be £32 billion but current estimates show it has escalated to over £100 billion. The project has been plagued by delays and mismanagement, with the…

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#Economic policy #HS2 #Supply Chains #Transport Policy

[biglisbonnews]

Europe burns while the Tories’ net zero plans are set to go up in smoke | Stewart Lee Rishi Sunak needs to understand that investing in green initiatives is a lot cheaper than flying all his hedge fund manager mates to MarsIt’s 2am on Thursday. Wildfires are burning in Greece, Italy, Tunisia, Portugal, Croatia and Algeria. British tourist climate refugees are, ironically, being rescued by friendly locals in small boats. Stop the boats! No! Not those boats! The other ones! The ones with brown people in them!But the main environmental news in the past few weeks has not been about the Giveaway Package Holiday Dante’s Inferno Supa-Deals. Instead, we learn that British political parties are rethinking their commitment to green policies. And all because Labour somehow lost Uxbridge, by a narrow margin, to a Conservative party so corrupt that it is considering setting up an amnesty bucket at the entrance to parliament, where those on the right of the house can vomit out their consciences before taking their seats.Basic Lee tour dates are here. A fun-size ™ ® version of the show is at the Stand’s New Town theatre, Edinburgh, from 11 to 20 August Continue reading... https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/jul/30/europe-burns-while-the-tories-net-zero-plans-are-set-to-go-up-in-smoke

#Climate crisis #Environment #Just Stop Oil #Labour #Keir Starmer #Sadiq Khan #Politics #Conservatives #Transport policy #London #Stewart Lee #The Guardian

[carhatred]

Scientists are “increasingly concerned” by the health impact of air pollution produced by the wear of vehicle tyres. The particles are especially damaging due to the toxic chemicals they are made from, say the scientists from Imperial College London.

The warning follows UK government data that shows significantly more tiny pollution particles now come from tyre erosion than are emitted from vehicle exhausts.

The report estimates 52% of all the small particle pollution from road transport came from tyre and brake wear in 2021, plus a further 24% from abrasion of roads and their paint markings. Just 15% of the emissions came from the exhausts of cars and a further 10% from the exhausts of vans and HGVs.

However, trials of new types of tyres sponsored by Transport for London (TfL) found they could result in up to 35% less emissions. The EU is also due to regulate tyre emissions in a world first, with new standards due to be in force by mid-2025.

(...) The particles may contain toxic chemicals including polyaromatic hydrocarbons and benzothiazoles, and heavy metals such as zinc and lead, the scientists said. But research on tyre wear and its effects had been neglected compared with work on fuel emissions, they said.

“Tyre wear particles pollute the environment, the air we breathe, and the water run-off from roads,” said Dr Zhengchu Tan, at Imperial’s department of mechanical engineering. “Even if all our vehicles eventually become powered by electricity instead of fossil fuels, we will still have harmful pollution from vehicles because of tyre wear.”

Prof Terry Tetley, at Imperial’s National Heart and Lung Institute, said: “We are growing increasingly concerned by the impact of tyre wear on human health. Simply walking on the pavement could expose us to this type of pollution. It is essential that we better understand the effect of these particles on our health.”

The Imperial team urged policymakers and scientists to embark on ambitious research on tyre wear, including solutions such as better tyres, devices that could capture particles and ways to incentivise public transport, cycling and walking. They also called for tighter limits on the harmful chemicals used in tyres.

Tests reported in June found that in the most modern cars, almost 2,000 times more particle pollution could be produced by tyre wear than was pumped out of their exhausts. A specific chemical used in tyres has been linked to salmon deaths in the US, and California has proposed a ban.

#air pollution #automotive emissions #road transport #pollution #transport policy

[thoughtportal]

What if it wasn’t these are policy choices.

#tiktok #public transportation #public transport #public transit #policy choices

[fuck-cars]

Specifically they demolished black neighborhoods, car infrastructure is inherently racist. From here.

#fuck cars #urban planning #public transit #public transportation #orange pilled #not just bikes #walkable cities #racist policies

[polithicc]

umm got asked to be a panelist for an event about public transportation policy

#don’t know if I’ll do it but I’m reallly honored! #also public transportation policy is my niche #baby’s first panel???

[ardri-na-bpiteog]

Anyone who lives in Manhattan and buys a car is just unhinged sorry. You live in one of the few places in the US where it is actively inconvenient to own a car and you choose to get one just because you really love carbon emissions or something?

#this is why I always think people are naive for saying that having good public transportation is enough to discourage car use #and we don't need to also discourage it through policies #the carrot and not the stick #some people will drive even if they live in a place where you do not have to #because they see cars as a status symbol #or just really hate being around 'the poors'

[starscelly]

td garden bag policy trying to get poor innocent local away fans jumped on the t (not clickbait) (true)

#the bag policy gets smaller and smaller every time i see it. it’s changed like 3x in the past few months i SWEAR #was just gonna bring the harls jersey in my tote and throw it on when i got there #on account of belligerent bostonian men on the t #but thankfully my miro jersey is small enough i can just toss a hoodie on top #but what the fuck #6x4 is just a fucking wallet you freaks that’s not a BAG policy #like my wallet is 4x3. get real. don’t piss me off #when ur city relies SO MUCH on public transport u cannot possibly have a bag policy that small that’s insane #yap yap yapping

[diocletion-aint-shit]

I love citing my sources in politics. "These are unproven policies!" Bitch here are studies from multiple universities, and here are some states and municipalities that have implemented them, and their benefits, in numbers. And these examples are all within the United States because I know the idea of doing something Europe does will give you an aneurysm (even though these polcies also exist in Scandinavia)

#and honestly I do get it at times #I am genuinely fed up with dutch public transport discourse #just becaus it often feels less like a good example and more like shaming places that aren't Amsterdam for not being Amsterdam #plus I prefer Copenhagen #policy #politics #urbanism

[energy-5]

Sustainable Development in Singapore: An Exemplar of Modern Urban Ecology

Strategic Advancement in Green Building: In an ambitious endeavor, Singapore aims for 80% of its buildings to be green-certified by 2030, a significant milestone considering its urban density. Changi Airport, an epitome of this initiative, integrates a myriad of eco-friendly features, including the Rain Vortex, the world's tallest indoor waterfall, enhancing its reputation as the "World's Best Airport" for eight consecutive years.

Solar Energy Initiatives: Singapore's commitment to renewable energy is evident in its solar power achievements. Surpassing 820 megawatt-peak (MWp) in solar capacity at the end of 2022, the nation is on track to reach its 2025 target of 1.5 gigawatt- (GWp).

Enhancements in Public Transportation: Singapore's sustainable transport strategy aims for 75% of peak-hour commutes to be via public transport by 2030. The expansion of the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system and the introduction of eco-friendly buses are pivotal in this endeavor, aiming to reduce reliance on private vehicles and lower carbon emissions.

Promotion of Electric Vehicles (EV): The government's extension of the Electric Vehicle Common Charger Grant until December 2025 underscores its commitment to enhancing EV infrastructure. This initiative, covering up to 50% of the cost of smart chargers, has led to the approval of 267 EV charger applications across 107 condominiums since July 2021.

Vision of a "City in a Garden": Singapore's approach to urban development harmoniously blends with environmental stewardship, as seen in its goal to plant one million trees by 2030. The iconic Gardens by the Bay, with its Supertrees, symbolizes this blend of ecological innovation and urban living, integrating features like solar energy collection and rainwater harvesting.

Singapore's multifaceted approach to sustainability is a testament to its visionary leadership, integrating technology, policy, and community involvement to create a living model of a sustainable urban future.

#sustainability #urban ecology #Singapore #renewableenergy #public transport system #electricvehicles #environmentallyfriendly #green building #ev #urban development #green policy #urban greenery #electric cars

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

November 6, 2023

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

NOV 7, 2023

Since taking office, the Biden administration has focused on using diplomacy in foreign affairs and has used it to solve global issues by strengthening regional partnerships.

On Friday, President Biden hosted the first leaders’ summit for the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity (APEP). Biden announced the creation of APEP in June 2022 to establish a forum positioned to improve the economies of countries in the western hemisphere, with the idea that stronger economies will be able to address economic inequality, bolster supply chains, and “restore faith in democracy by delivering for working people across the region.” 

APEP is also designed to strengthen the Los Angeles Declaration for Migration and Protection that established a responsibility-sharing approach to addressing this era’s historic migration flows. Rather than working solely on getting Congress to pass legislation to fix the border—as Biden has urged since the beginning of his term—the administration has focused on the prosperity and security of the countries from which migrants come, so that they feel less pressure to leave. 

The administration has worked hard to develop that strategy. Vice President Kamala Harris took the lead in “diplomatic efforts to address root causes of migration from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras,” and in July 2021 she released a report on strategies to slow migration from the region. In June 2022, at the 9th Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles, the administration helped to bring to reality a long-standing realization among many countries that migration must be addressed on a regional level rather than with patchwork attempts by individual nations. That’s when the U.S. got 21 governments to sign on to “a comprehensive response to irregular migration and forced displacement in the Western Hemisphere,” known as the Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection. 

The Biden administration has emphasized that it wants to work with the region, not dictate to it, and the leaders of APEP are working with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to fund improvements to infrastructure and train skilled workers and entrepreneurs. The IDB is an international financial institution, owned by 48 member states and headquartered in Washington, D.C., that provides development financing for Latin American and Caribbean countries.  

A senior administration official on a background call on Friday noted that “the APEP countries are collectively hosting the majority of refugees and migrants in the Western Hemisphere” and that “each has been significantly impacted by the historic flows in recent years.” The official said that President Biden deeply appreciates how regional partners have offered new legal status to millions of people displaced in the western hemisphere, and noted that APEP is part of stepping up to support those countries and create incentives for other countries to do the same. 

“The bottom line is that President Biden believes that targeted economic investment in top refugee and migrant host countries is critical to stabilizing migration flows,” the official said. 

Today the U.S. State Department announced nearly $485 million in additional humanitarian assistance to address the needs of refugees, migrants, and other vulnerable populations across the western hemisphere. It specified that the funding advanced the goals of the Los Angeles declaration and noted that the U.S. is “the largest single donor of humanitarian assistance for the Western Hemisphere,” providing more than $2.1 billion in humanitarian aid in the past two years. 

“We are committed to working collaboratively with governments, civil society, international organizations, and other partners to help protect displaced persons and migrants in situations of vulnerability, to address the root causes of irregular migration and displacement, and to humanely manage migration in the Western Hemisphere,” the State Department said. “We urge other donors to help support the humanitarian response in the region.”

On November 11–17 the U.S. will host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco, where world leaders from 21 countries that border the Pacific Ocean, along with around 1,200 chief executive officers and about 20,000 other attendees, will meet to facilitate trade in the region. The APEC countries have almost 40% of the world’s population and support almost 50% of the world’s trade. They absorb more than 60% of U.S. exports, while the member states have invested an estimated $1.7 trillion in the U.S. and, as of 2020, employed 2.3 million U.S. workers. 

The U.S. has hosted APEC this year, and Chinese president Xi Jinping is expected to attend this final event, where he will meet with Biden. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters: “Intense competition means intense diplomacy. That’s what you’re going to see.” 

“[P]retty intensive negotiations with all sides relevant to this conflict” were what enabled 300 U.S. citizens, lawful residents, and their families to leave Gaza, according to Jon Finer, the deputy national security adviser, on CBS’s “Face the Nation” on Sunday. More remain as negotiations to gain the release of hostages continue.  

The administration’s focus on diplomacy and regional partnerships contrasts dramatically these days with Pakistan’s expulsion of as many as 1.7 million Afghan, Uyghur, and Rohingya refugees because leaders blame members of the refugee community for terrorist attacks. Some of the Afghans have been in Pakistan since the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979. The Taliban, currently in control of Afghanistan though not the internationally recognized government of the country, is struggling to manage the influx of people who are being pushed back across the border.

In the U.S., in the face of House Republicans’ repeated votes on bills to slash funding far below the amounts Republican leadership agreed to in May as a condition for passing a bipartisan law to raise the debt ceiling and fund the government, the administration on October 30 issued a “statement of administration policy” insisting that the Republicans honor their agreement on funding for transportation, housing, and development.

On Friday the U.S. Department of Transportation announced an investment of more than $653 million to fund 41 port improvement projects across the nation. They are part of the work being done under the nearly $17 billion dedicated to ports and waterways in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, designed to strengthen supply chains, whose weaknesses we discovered the hard way during the pandemic.

This week the Republicans have before the House a bill to cut more than 64%—about a billion dollars—out of Amtrak, as well as other significant parts of the country’s passenger rail system. Most of the cuts would come from the heavily traveled northeast corridor, which carries about 800,000 people a day and serves the region that produces about 20% of the country’s gross domestic product.  

In contrast, President Biden today announced $16.4 billion in railroad investment from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in the northeast corridor. It will rebuild century-old tunnels and bridges and upgrade tracks, power systems, signals, stations, and other infrastructure, enabling higher speeds on the route and cutting delays.

Overall, the administration will invest $66 billion in passenger rail, the largest such investment since Congress founded Amtrak in 1971 under the Nixon administration.

In contrast to the slow, steady work of governance, we had today the pyrotechnics of former president Trump in Manhattan, where he testified in the civil trial in which Judge Arthur Engoron has already found that the Trump Organization, Donald Trump, the two oldest Trump sons, and two organization employees committed fraud. The trial is to determine damages. 

Trump used his time on the stand to shout, accuse the judge and New York Attorney General Letitia James of engaging in a political persecution, and yell about how unfair the whole lawsuit is. Whether or not it will work—he hardly sounded like a strong man while he was complaining that the judge was being mean to him—he was playing to his political base.

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

#history #foreign policy #Biden Administration #Letters from An American #Heather Cox Richardson #transportation #for the people #immigration

[chainreactionpodcast]

Infrastructure Investment A Look at Large Projects With an Emphasis on Rail Networks such as HS2

Photo by David Dibert on Pexels.com High Speed Railways such as HS2 Transport systems are central to moving people and goods around the country, and not only are they central, but the choices we make have implications for CO2 emissions, greenhouse gases and the impact on daily lives. Now the infrastructure investment in these projects is also a key part of driving supply chains, and they have…

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#Birmingham #Capacity #Climate Change #Crewe #Economic policy #Environment #Growth #HS2 #Infrastructure Investment #Leeds #Liverpool #Manchester #NPR #Supply Chains #Transport Policy #UK Government #value

[biglisbonnews]

Greater Manchester ‘worst city in Europe for clean and green transport’, says new report City region is branded worst in Europe for eco-friendly transport“I’d hoped we could take a Bee bike to Salford,” said Sarah Rowe of the Clean Cities Campaign after meeting the Observer at Piccadilly station in Manchester. “But look.”Her app shows that none of the docks nearby has any bicycles, so we take a taxi. The driver gets £12 and the people of Manchester get 15 more minutes of exhaust fumes. Continue reading... https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/jul/02/greater-manchester-worst-city-in-europe-for-clean-and-green-transport-says-new-report

#Transport #Environment #Transport policy #Cities #UK news #Politics #Manchester #Greater Manchester #James Tapper #Transport | The Guardian