Posts in the 'Sustainable Mobility' category
Medellín’s Metrocable is the centerpiece of an inclusive urban upgrading strategy that has improved mobility and economic opportunity, while reducing violence in disadvantaged areas. Photo by Gabinete/Flickr.
Medellín Metrocable improves mobility for residents of informal settlements
In 2004, Medellín – the second largest city in Colombia – introduced the Medellín Metrocable system to connect low-income residents to public transport. As the world’s first modern urban aerial cable car transport system, this innovative addition to Medellín’s existing ...
São Paulo has improved sustainable mobility through new bike and bus lanes, a revised master plan, and an innovative approach to support developers creating mobility solutions. Photo by Stanley Calderelli/Flickr.
São Paulo wins 2014 City/State MobiPrize by empowering citizens and fostering innovation
The city of São Paulo has won the 2014 Enterprising City/State MobiPrize following its support of user information and public participation platforms to advance sustainable transport solutions. MobiPrize was launched in 2012 by the University of Michigan SMART (Sustainable Mobility ...
Do you enjoy your commute? Innovative bike infrastructure can make cycling a fast, fun transport option. Photo by Justin Swan/Flickr.
Friday Fun: Cycling innovations make bikeable cities worldwide
Instead of sitting in gridlock on a busy road at 8:30 am, imagine cycling safely in dedicated lanes for a quick, pleasant commute. Many cities around the world are making investments that will give residents a faster, safer cycling experience ...
Car-sharing is beginning to take hold in Chinese cities, and can help reduce car ownership, congestion, and air pollution. Photo via gaoloumi.com.
Car-sharing grows in China as an alternative to vehicle ownership
China’s increasing overall wealth makes it unlikely that the country’s growth in car ownership will stop any time soon. However, severe air pollution and traffic congestion have led several large Chinese cities to take action to stem the rising tide ...
Both public and private sector investments play an important role in supporting sustainable urban mobility and minimizing the costs of private automobile use. Photo by Mariana Gil/EMBARQ Brasil.
What does public and private sector investment in transport look like?
Congestion, high levels of air pollution, and traffic crashes are consequences of a culture of investment that has focused for decades on the automobile. These externalities can cost up to 10 percent of a country’s GDP, and the world’s vehicle fleet is ...
Personal rapid transit could help cities reduce car use and support sustainable transport. Photo via Treehugger.com.
Friday Fun: Can personal rapid transit replace 90% of cars on the road?
Sustainable urban mobility can come from multiple sources. Personal rapid transit (PRT) combines public transport with personalized routing. Though their designs vary, PRT systems generally consist of four- to six-passenger pods that are autonomously controlled while traveling along guide-ways. Instead ...
Transport demand management strategies help wane commuters off the private car and make sustainable transport alternatives more viable, easing congestion and improving quality of life in cities. Photo by Mariana Gil/EMBARQ Brasil.
People-oriented Cities: Smarter driving, smarter cities
The “People-oriented Cities” series – exclusive to TheCityFix and Insights – explores how cities can become more sustainable and livable through transit-oriented development (TOD). The nine-part series addresses different urban design techniques and trends that reorient cities around people rather ...
Streetcars are one of multiple public transport options for cities to consider when investing in sustainable urban mobility. Photo by Sean Davis/Flickr.
Are streetcars worth the investment?
The Economist recently argued that streetcars are “a waste of money,” citing their high capital costs and inefficiencies as a means of transport. Others have argued that streetcars can be a catalyst for creating dynamic, vibrant urban environments. Both arguments ...
Mexico City’s new mobility law prioritizes alternatives to car transport. Photo by karmacamilleeon/Flickr.
Mexico City’s new mobility law shifts focus towards people, not cars
Sustainable mobility is a key challenge for city leaders. Mexico City – the world’s fourth most populous city, with more than 20 million inhabitants in its metropolitan area – is no different. The city must overcome a long history of urban ...
São Paulo’s new master plan prioritizes people, not cars. Photo by mlsirac/Flickr.
São Paulo’s new master plan prioritizes sustainable urban development
The largest city in Latin America has prioritized curbing car culture and making streets more pedestrian friendly. São Paulo’s new strategic master plan, unveiled on July 31, 2014, focuses on people-oriented development and improved public and non-motorized transport. The new ...
The BIG bus network in Bangalore is an example of an integrated transport solution that offers better accessibility through connectivity between transport modes and networks. Photo by Benoit Colin/EMBARQ.
From the director's chair: Sustainable urban transport solutions worth spreading
Holger Dalkmann, Director of EMBARQ – the producer of TheCityFix – wrote about the importance of developed and emerging cities improving sustainable transport in the 2014 Commonwealth Ministers Reference Book. Read his thoughts on growing trends contributing to sustainable cities worldwide. ...
E-rickshaws offer multiple advantages over more common auto-rickshaws, but require increased regulation to ensure passenger safety. Photo by Subhash Barolia/Flickr.
Regulation can help e-rickshaws transform urban mobility across India
As one of the most widely used forms of intermediate public transport or paratransit – services that connect users to mass transport systems like buses or metro – auto-rickshaws are ubiquitous in Indian cities. The electric rickshaw (e-rickshaw), however, emerged ...
Transport systems play an important role in shaping the character of an urban environment. Photo by Trey Ratcliff/Flickr.
Friday Fun: Are automated roads the next transport revolution?
Fresh off our discussion of the latest advances in solar-powered roadways, TheCityFix brings you the next future-oriented innovation in road technology: electric roadways. The Tracked Electrical Vehicle (TEV) Project is a radical new concept looking to transform the look, feel, ...
Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo must focus on sustainable transport options to the harmful effects of traffic congestion. Photo by Bruno Baccalon/Flickr.
Study: Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo lost USD 43 billion from traffic congestion in 2013
Traffic congestion has wide ranging costs, from increasing stress and pollution levels to wasting commuters’ time. A new study released by the Industry Federation of the State of Rio de Janeiro (FIRJAN) confirms that traffic congestion has tremendous economic costs ...
Doñas Adelaida (left) and Estela ended their first trip on the teleférico at Taypi Uta (central station in the local Aymara language). Estela found the trip “very beautiful.” Adelaida added, “and very fast! On normal transit, it would have taken us an hour or an hour and a half!” Photo by Gwen Kash.
In photos: Cable car system takes transport to new heights in Bolivia
Residents of the La Paz/El Alto Metropolitan area now have a new option for navigating the region’s mountainous geography. The first line of the Mi Teleférico (My Cable Car) system opened May 30, 2014, and interviews with new riders show ...
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