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Articles on Transportation

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Ant colonies direct traffic flows of millions of individuals along the best routes – army ants even manage inbound and outbound lanes – but how? Geoff Gallice/Wikimedia

Nature’s traffic engineers have come up with many simple but effective solutions

Insects aren’t known for having big brains, and slime moulds and fungi don’t have any. So how do they solve challenges that test the ingenuity of human transport engineers?
Pay attention! Wikimedia

Are there two pilots in the cockpit?

In the cockpit of an aircraft, the hierarchy between captain and co-pilot is strictly respected. At the risk, sometimes, of poor decision-making.
Fuel economy and air pollution regulations have lowered pollution and pushed industry to innovate. Mike Roberts

Why EPA’s U-turn on auto efficiency rules gives China the upper hand

The Trump administration announced a plan to relax fuel economy standards, but well-designed regulations can drive clean car innovations that make U.S. industry globally competitive.
Riders on San Francisco’s Muni light rail system. David Lytle

What public transit can learn from Uber and Lyft

Millions of Americans rely on public transit to get to school, work or stores, but many can’t get the service they need. ‘Uberizing’ transit by offering more options on demand could fill the gaps.
How will we react when cars start driving themselves? Patramansky Oleg/Shutterstock.com

Self-driving cars are coming – but are we ready?

How might we, and our nation’s roads and highways, need to change as autonomous vehicles become more ubiquitous? We know a lot of the answers, but not all of them.
Sales of electric vehicles are growing fast, especially in Europe. Sopotnicki/Shutterstock.com

How electric vehicles could take a bite out of the oil market

Shifting to plug-in cars wouldn’t be enough to max out global oil consumption by 2040. But it could help make that happen if cities pitch in and ride-sharing doesn’t crowd out public transportation.
Many Americans need reliable public transit to get to school or work. Frank Hank

Stranded in our own communities: Transit deserts make it hard for people to find jobs and stay healthy

Many Americans live in transit deserts – areas where demand for transit exceeds the supply. To fix these gaps, we need to find and map them so agencies can add transit options in the right places.
Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck, left, and Mayor Eric Garcetti pose next to an all-electric car in this 2015 photo. AP Photo/Nick Ut

Cities can jump-start climate progress by plugging in their vehicles

More than 200 mayors have committed their cities to stick with the Paris climate deal no matter what the US does. Electric vehicles offer a promising route to making good on that pledge.

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