On a chilly mid-December morning, an oversized, slow-moving vehicle rattled to a halt in front of my house. As I ran outside to see what all the racket was, a smiling man wearing a brightly colored vest emerged, cradling a large red octagon. “Merry Christmas,” he said. And it was. After four years of asking… Continue reading Fix your intersection, fix your city
Author: Curbed Online News
How Paris became a cycling success story—and built a roadmap for other cities
For cyclists in Paris, the last few years have been nothing short of revelatory. New protected bike lanes have led to a doubling, and even tripling, of the number of riders on some busy main roads. The Champs Elysées is lined with segregated cycling lanes, and more residents of the greater Paris region cycle today… Continue reading How Paris became a cycling success story—and built a roadmap for other cities
Kansas City becomes first major U.S. city to make public transit free
Could offering free fares boost ridership on U.S. transit systems? Kansas City is about to find out. This week, Kansas City, Missouri’s City Council voted unanimously to make the city’s bus system fare-free. The plan was a priority of recently elected Mayor Quinton Lucas, whose “Zero Fare Transit” proposal was touted to increase transportation equity… Continue reading Kansas City becomes first major U.S. city to make public transit free
What it’s really like to give up plane travel
When 16-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg sailed across the Atlantic in late August to attend the United Nations Climate Action Summit in New York City, it was perhaps the most high-profile case yet of “flight shaming,” a growing movement urging people to avoid air travel and the greenhouse gas emissions that come with taking planes.… Continue reading What it’s really like to give up plane travel
New housing development in Arizona won’t allow residents to bring cars
All around the world, cities are contending with traffic, pollution, and pedestrian danger related to cars. While cities have taken various efforts to curb cars on the road, a new housing development in Tempe, Arizona, is trying a novel approach: banning residents from bringing their own cars altogether. As the Wall Street Journal reports, Culdesac… Continue reading New housing development in Arizona won’t allow residents to bring cars
Strava’s new tool lets smaller cities unlock their transportation data
Strava is a fitness app used by more than 47 million runners and bikers, who use to it to track their routes, mileage, or even commutes to work. What those runners and bikers may not realize is that by using the app, they’re arming city planners and researchers with the data they need to help… Continue reading Strava’s new tool lets smaller cities unlock their transportation data
Repurposing abandoned shared bikes into furniture
Cities love bike sharing. Since 2014, the number of shared bikes has doubled, climbing to more than 18 million shared bikes worldwide. While this is a net positive for building multi-modal cities, bike sharing isn’t without its complications. For instance: What happens to all the bikes when they get old? Or are simply abandoned? If… Continue reading Repurposing abandoned shared bikes into furniture
France’s solar roadway experiment has failed
Solar power highways are hitting a roadblock. Nearly three years after France built a 0.6-mile stretch of photovoltaic road in Normandy, the government is deeming it a disappointing experiment. In 2016, France announced its bold plan to “pave” 1,000 kilometers (around 620 miles) with photovoltaic panels, which would generate 790kWh per day. When completed, the… Continue reading France’s solar roadway experiment has failed
Bird unveils Cruiser minibike for two
Bird, the multibillion-dollar electric scooter startup credited with helping jumpstart the micromobilty movement around the world, bills itself as a “disruptor.” But the company’s newest vehicle, a two-seater Cruiser minibike, shows Bird adapting a more familiar idea to its playbook. The seated electric vehicle, which boasts padded seats, hydraulic disc breaks, and an LCD matrix… Continue reading Bird unveils Cruiser minibike for two
Women on wheels
The bicycle’s place on city streets has been contentious from the beginning. At once vulnerable and menacing—fragile in the face of oncoming traffic, but with the power to flatten unwary pedestrians—bikes provoke extreme reactions. In urban settings especially, they inspire cults of allegiance and waves of opposition. This intensity of feeling dates back to America’s… Continue reading Women on wheels