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Portland Transport Audio – Complex Systems and Lifecycles
No, we’re not starting a podcast (at least not yet). But we will from time to time point our readers to interesting content we come across in audio form. This week’s Tech Nation radio program features a fascinating discussion (MP3, about 10MB) with John Thackara on the design of complex systems. Included is a discussion…
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More on Peak Oil
The New York Times Business Section had a long and interesting article a few weeks ago on oil consumption in the US. The Oil Uproar That Isn’t A few interesting quotes: The most visible element of this new equation is that relative to demand, oil is no longer in plentiful supply. The time when we…
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Relative Energy Use of Various Modes
In response to a question on another thread some time ago, here is the data on energy usage of TriMet vehicles, compared to representative numbers for autos, measured in BTUs per passenger mile: TriMet MAX646 TriMet Bus 3,792 Auto (17 mpg)6,712 SUV (14 mpg)8,150
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Guest Column: Fare Increases for Honored Citizens
Joel Weishaus is a neighborhood activist in NW Portland and a member of the Northwest Elder Advisory Team, a program of Friendly House. He writes that he has sent this letter to TriMet (PDF) [linked document removed at request of author] regarding the impact of fare increases on senior citizens. The letter was copied to…
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Transportation on the Cheap
A common criticism of Portland’s Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) is that it drives up housing costs. While I believe there is ample evidence that housing costs have risen even more dramatically in many sprawling regions, a new report offers evidence that Portland’s compact urban form generates an economic benefit in reduced transportation costs. Driven to…