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By:
nrudibaugh
On:
11/10/2009 1:35 PM
Why do some people use public transportation, and why do others avoid it?
This is a question that has spawned an entire field of research. And a study from the latest issue of the Journal of Public Transportation entitled "Psychological Determinants of the Intention to Use the Bus in Ho Chi Minh City" [PDF] aims to help provide some answers.
Ho Chi Minh City vs. American Cities
Before getting to the meat of the study, I feel that a comparison...
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By:
nrudibaugh
On:
11/9/2009 1:57 PM
The answer to that question should be obvious. Cities are places where people live, work, eat, and play. So one would assume that cities are constructed with people in mind. Unfortunately, vehicles seem to get priority over humans when it comes to urban planning. That's the bad news.
The good news is that the tide may be turning. Groups in several major cities have created plans to reclaim cities for their human inhabitants. Here is a look at two metropolitan areas that are trying to put...
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By:
nrudibaugh
On:
10/22/2009 1:32 PM
This part three of my three-part series on cold weather bicycling, and it covers some techniques and strategies for riding your bike on snowy and icy terrain. Part one discussed proper attire for winter bike treks. And Part two dealt with preparing and maintaining your bike in the winter.
Once you and your bike are properly equipped, you're ready to hit winter's streets. But when you're on the streets you need to stay upright. That's where knowing how to handle you bike in...
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By:
nrudibaugh
On:
10/15/2009 6:28 PM
This part two of my three-part series on cold weather bicycling, and it deals with preparing and maintaining your bike in the winter. Part one discussed proper attire for winter bike treks. And Part 3 will deliver some tricks and tips for making snowy bike treks safer and easier.
Last time I wrote about how to prepare your body for winter bike rides. This time I'm covering how to prepare your bike for the rough weather that stands between you and work, the grocery store, or where...
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By:
nrudibaugh
On:
10/12/2009 6:25 AM
This first part of the of my three-part series on cold weather bicycling discusses proper attire for winter bike treks. Part two will cover the preparation and maintenance of your wintertime bicycle. And Part 3 will deliver some tricks and tips for making snowy bike treks safer and easier.
The weather in my part of the country has already taken a turn for the frigid. As much as I love the monetary, physical, and psychological benefits I get from riding my bike, the thought of 5 months...
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By:
nrudibaugh
On:
10/6/2009 10:42 AM
Although the idea of pushing a button and rising above rush hour congestion is a staple of science fiction writers and frustrated commuters alike, flying cars have always seemed like a terrible idea to me.
Flying cars would move all of the distracted driving, stalled engines, and vehicular collisions from the ground to hundreds of feet in the air. That hardly seems like an improvement. And what about the considerable amount of energy required to keep a car aloft? In an age of declining...
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By:
nrudibaugh
On:
9/28/2009 11:35 AM
Public transportation has made headlines for a few of weeks now, but for all the wrong reasons. That's because the FBI has been revealing the details of their investigation into a group of people suspected of planning to detonate explosives on New York's public transit system.
This particular story has a local component for me because one the the main figures of the investigation, Afghan immigrant Najibullah Zazi, lives just a few miles me here in Denver. The FBI believes that Zazi had been...
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By:
nrudibaugh
On:
9/23/2009 12:05 PM
In reaction to a Cleveland, Ohio bus driver who was talking on his cell phone when he struck and killed a pedestrian in August, Cleveland's Regional Transit Authority has joined Chicago, Washington D.C. and Baltimore on the list of RTAs that have banned public transit operators from carrying cell phones on the job.
All RTAs have rules that disallow the use of cell phones while operating a mass transit vehicle, and breaking those rules usually results in a reprimand or suspension. But this...
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By:
nrudibaugh
On:
9/21/2009 12:40 PM
The average American car commuter can save around $762 per month by choosing public transportation over driving. That's according to American Public Transportation Association's (APTA) recently released estimate called, The Transit Savings Report.
The report takes into account fixed and variable costs like "gas, maintenance, tires...insurance, license registration, depreciation and finance charges," and the "average mileage of a mid-size auto."
$762 is the average, but if you live in...
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By:
nrudibaugh
On:
9/17/2009 9:34 AM
California's plan to institute a civilian review board for the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Police Department has been delayed until at least next year, according to The San Francisco Chronicle.
The call for greater civilian oversight came after BART officer Johannes Mehserle shot and killed an unarmed man named Oscar Grant in January 2009. Since then, BART's board of directors had moved forward with plans to create a civilian police conduct review board and hire independent investigators...
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