Center for Transportation Research News

Stolen and vandalized rental bikes challenge a system designed to reduce congestion in France.
Vélib’, Paris’s bicycle rental system, inspired a new urban ethos for the era of climate change.
Renters of Vélib’ bicycles in Paris say it can be a challenge to find functioning ones among those that have been vandalized. In Paris 80 percent of [...]

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National Geographic has posted an informative article on the history and evolution of “daylight savings time” in the U.S.
The Dawn of Daylight Saving Time
The U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C., sets what is known as standard time in the country through its maintenance of atomic clocks. But the observatory has nothing to do with [...]

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A new research study conducted at Queensland University of Technology’s International Laboratory for Air Quality and Health found that ultrafine particles can become concentrated inside of roadway tunnels at levels sufficiently high enough to potentially to drivers and passengers.
Study co-author and director of Queensland University of Technology’s International Laboratory for Air Quality and Health, Professor [...]

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YouTube Video.
A brief introduction to jobs in public transportation. Produced by the National Center for Transit Research at the Center for Urban Transportation Research at the University of South Florida in conjunction with the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority in Tampa, Florida.

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Cities are organized much like brains, and evolve in a similar way, according to a new study led by Mark Changizi, a neurobiologist at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Rhode Island.

Just as advanced brains require a robust net work of cell connections to achieve more complex thought, large cities need advanced highways and transportation systems to [...]

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According to a study commissioned by the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM), different strategies are needed to get more drivers cycling.
Neil Greig, IAM director of policy and research, said that most cite exercise and fun as reasons for switching to pedal power. Twice as many male motorists than women cycle. The mountain bike is [...]

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According to a new study, “Green Drivers or Free Riders? An Analysis of Tax Rebates for Hybrid Vehicles,” from the University of British Columbia (UBC), the U.S. government rebates for hybrids are not reducing greenhouse gases as much as hoped.
Amarish Chandra, a professor at UBC’s Sauder School of Business and co-author of the study [...]

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Racing goes green with a car developed in Britain that runs on biofuels.
With its belching exhausts, acres of tarmac track and tendency to truck tons of cars and equipment around the globe to compete, motor racing could easily take pole position as the world’s least environmentally friendly sport.
Potato fuselage?: A look down into the cockpit [...]

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It pays to do the right thing(Youtube/Google Video)
Youtube/Google posted the Tech Talk, “It Pays To Do The Right Thing: Incentivizing Responsible Commuting.” Video shows traffic congestion around the world and proposed solutions from researchers from Stanford University.
We describe a different approach to combat road congestion: Rather than just charging congestors, we advocate paying money to [...]

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Transporting good and people into space may not be so much “rocket science” if, instead of propelling airships up into space, vehicle were able to ride a space elevator composed of nanotubes.
See All Things Science for a compelling video illustration of how this may be done in the future.
http://www.allthingsscience.com/video/654/European-Union-will-build-Space-elevator
From the Web page:
Ribbon is built [...]

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