Bike manufacturers have answered the call to the increased population of bike commuters by designing full lines of commuter specific bikes. Though many of these commuter bikes aren’t cheap, if you’re giving up the car in favor of the most efficient form of transportation, you will of course save money. It is recommended that if […]
The Best Commuter Bikes Read More »
Most lists of the top bike-friendly towns include major metropolitan areas, but small towns, those with a population under 100,000, actually pull in higher percentages of bike commuters. Small towns have the advantage of smaller road grids, easier commutes, and local government support. The most bike-friendly small towns are typically college towns where bicycling is
Top 5 Bike-Friendly Small Towns Read More »
The airline industry is one of the nation’s biggest consumers of fuel – no surprise there – but new aircraft technology has dramatically improved planes’ fuel efficiency. Besides drastically cutting carbon emissions, more efficient jetliners have proven critical for airlines’ financial bottom lines, and companies clinging to outdated technology are paying the price, as evidenced
Efficient Planes Good For Business; Gas Guzzlers Get Left Behind Read More »
For bicycle commuters, continuing to pedal through the winter months can be a daunting task, especially if one lives in a northern city. Often the decision for winter bicycle commuting comes down to perspective: Is cycling a sport or a viable form of transportation that offers a multitude of advantages such as saving money and
Top U.S. Cities For Winter Bicycle Commuting Read More »
Car-free bicycle routes in the Northeast can be found on rail trails and local town greenways. With 392 open trails encompassing 3,233 miles, the Northeast region can rival the rail trails of the Midwest, where the rail-trail movement began. With heavily traveled and traffic-congested roads, cyclists and other transportation advocates embrace the development of bicycle
The Longest Car-Free Bicycle Routes In The Northeast Read More »
Bike sharing programs are sprouting up in cities across the globe. From Dublin to Minneapolis, Barcelona to Tulsa, and Washington D.C. to Hangzhou, China bike sharing has become a viable transportation alternative. After seeing the success of other U.S. cities, New York City is set to have a bike sharing up and running in April
Bike Helmet Laws Discourage Bike Sharing Read More »
The East Coast Greenway is an urban network of trails stretching 3,000 miles from Key West, Florida to Calais, Maine on the Canadian border. Founded in 1991 by a group of trail advocates, the East Coast Greenway (ECG) began as a vision to provide cyclists and pedestrians with a safe and continuous, traffic-free route connecting
Longest Urban Bicycle Route In U.S. Sees Record Growth Read More »
China is leading the world in miles of high speed rail lines with 2,813 miles in operation and another 5,312 under construction. Spain, France, and Japan are all vying for 2nd place. Germany and Italy each have around 600 miles of high speed rail. The U.S.? Zero. But that could soon change. President Obama’s proposed
High Speed Rail: Coming To A City Near You? Read More »
What could make bike riding even more efficient? How about a bike path embedded with solar panels to produce clean energy while encouraging people to get on their bikes? The town of Krommenie in the Netherlands, just north of Amsterdam, will be receiving the SolaRoad bike path, scheduled to open in 2012.
Amazing Dutch Bike Path Embedded With Solar Panels Read More »
With the high speed rail debate officially jumping the tracks into the political arena, American citizens are left to sort through the onslaught of bureaucratic bantering which so often leads to misinformation. The question that’s causing tempers to flare on both sides is whether the government should be funding high speed rail projects across the
High Speed Trains In The U.S.: A Matter Of Efficiency Read More »
Efficiency abounds in China as the world’s largest building integrated photovoltaic project prepares to power the railway station where some of the world’s fastest high speed trains pass through. China Sunergy, a solar cell and module manufacturer based in Nanjing, China, has recently signed a deal with CEEG (Nanjing) Solar Energy Research Institute to supply
World’s Largest Solar Roof To Power High Speed Rail Station in China Read More »
The past year has seen an abundance of bike manufacturers entering into the electric bike arena with slick, lightweight and powerful bikes. Despite misconceptions, electric bikes allow commuters to increase their range safely and arrive to the office smelling fresh, while still getting exercise (yes, you still have to pedal an electric bike) and reducing
Best Electric Bikes Read More »
Since the release of our 2011 electric car review, Ford has unveiled the new 2012 Focus Electric, first at the recent 2011 International Consumer Electronics Show, and currently at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Though showing up a little late to the electric vehicle party, Ford is flaunting the new Focus’ ability
New Ford Focus Electric Aims to Blow Nissan Leaf Away Read More »
Shai Agassi, founder and CEO of Better Place, has a vision — a vision for a world free of oil dependency. Mr. Agassi, who is well on his way to making this vision a reality, has what he believes is the solution for making electric vehicles efficient and affordable. He theorizes that the only way
Better Place Shows Electric Taxis Working in the Real World Read More »
Light rail is a type of electric railway that runs on right-of-way railroad tracks or on tracks in city streets. Using their own lanes and able to go anywhere, light rail cars mix well in urban settings by not getting caught up in traffic congestion. Though the United States operates the largest and most efficient
3 Reasons Light Rail is an Efficient Transportation Option for U.S. Cities Read More »
Train travel is one of the most efficient forms of transportation. However, in North America, traveling by rail is not particularly systematic or comprehensive. It’s difficult to get an overview of what’s available. Thankfully, there are several good books on North American train travel, which I read recently. Here’s a brief review:
Efficient: Books That Explain Train Travel In North America Read More »
Xtracycle is a 15-inch bike extender with dual racks. It turns standard bikes into practical transportation devices, capable of carrying sizable loads. The inventor, Ross Evans, realized that by lengthening the wheelbase of an ordinary bike he could increase the portage capacity without significantly hindering handling. He arrived at a simple, elegant modification: Remove the
Xtracycle: Efficient Bike Extender Read More »
