Nighttime is much more than a source of danger or an occasion to party – it’s a portal into a different world, with rhythms, challenges and lifestyles of its own.
Rural public transit has important economic and social benefits. So why does Canada fail so badly on providing it to rural residents?
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Around the world, very few public transport agencies make money, while ride-sharing companies are making huge losses. So why partner up, and how do those partnerships work?
When land is publicly owned, it can be used to build the kind of housing the market is unwilling, or unable, to build.
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In a housing crisis, publicly owned land should never be sold to private developers and should instead be used to build the kind of housing the market is unwilling and unable to build.
Ridership on public transit had been declining even before the spread of the virus.
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Public buses, subways and trains are relatively safe, fast and cheap. But competition from rideshares and concerns over COVID-19 will soon see some local agencies short of funds.
Future transportation design should address inequality and not exacerbate it.
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Moving around cities will change in the future as new technologies like self-driving cars gain wider adoption. Science fiction can give us a glimpse into these futures.
Minibus taxis ferry millions of South Africans around each day.
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Images of water gushing into subway stations filled social media following heavy rain in New York City. Solutions are at hand – but it takes money and political will, an expert explains.
Greyhound has permanently shut down its intercity bus service in Canada.
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Many communities in Canada currently lack intercity and regional transportation. A national public transportation system would improve connectedness between cities and access to essential services.
Surface parking in downtown San Jose, California.
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When Buffalo, New York, changed its zoning code so that developers no longer had to provide specified amounts of parking, space was freed up for public transit and people.
New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority was hit hard by a 79% ridership reduction during the pandemic. It needs an extra $8 billion through 2024 to avoid service cuts and layoffs.
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Transit agencies could use the money to buy new subway cars, buses and maintain rails. The funding is designed to build on last year’s emergency aid, which kept transit operating through the pandemic.
Coronavirus has changed population projections and behaviours across society. With fewer commuters we need to shift transport planning based on a hub-and-spoke network to focus on more local travel.
As COVID-19 restrictions are eased, cities face crippling congestion if people shun crowded public transport. More frequent and faster services, using innovations like pop-up bus lanes, can avoid this.
Mass transit ridership in Los Angeles and elsewhere has plummeted during the crisis.
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Australia can learn from what has been done overseas, especially in China, to keep public transport running while containing the spread of coronavirus.
Homeless people at the 42nd Street and Bryant Park subway station in New York City, March 9, 2020.
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