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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2009
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NEWS ABOUT: public transportation

public transportation stories: 28 news summaries

1 - 20 of 28 Stories | 1 2 Next >>

 Brothel Goes 'Green' 
 With Bike Discount 

Public transit passengers get a price break, too

(Newser) - A Berlin brothel that offers a discount to patrons who arrive by bicycle or public transportation is touting itself as the first “green” sex stop. Clients simply present their helmet, bike lock, or bus ticket at the Maison d’Envie, which just happens to be in a district where... More »

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climate change prostitution environmentalism Berlin public transportation bicycles brothel

Honolulu Mulls Body-Odor Crackdown

City delays vote barring smelly people from riding public transit

(Newser) - Honolulu's city council has delayed voting on a measure to bar stinky people from public transit, reports the Advertiser. The ordinance would crack down on people with “odors that unreasonably disturb others or interfere with their use of the transit system.” Part of the reason for the delay... More »

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(Newser) - A Berlin brothel is trying to boost business and make the red-light district a greener place with a new discount program, Reuters reports. Patrons who cycle to the brothel or who can prove they got there on public transport will get $7 off the usual $100 price, according to the... More »

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prostitution Berlin public transportation bicycling German brothel

(Newser) - The American South is the most obese region in the country because of a “perfect storm” of factors, Claire Suddath writes for Time. Mississippi, whose 33% adult obesity rate makes it the fattest state, is also the poorest, with 21% of people living under the poverty line. That... More »

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obesity heat Mississippi poverty public transportation excercise South Southern United States physical activity

OPINION

 Michael Moore: 
 9 Ways to Rise 
 From GM's Ashes 

Let's use their facilities to overhaul America's transit

(Newser) - The end of General Motors is an opportunity for an America that now owns 60% of the company, writes Michael Moore. Let’s take advantage of the death of a firm that built poor cars, battled environmental rules, and shipped jobs away by using its facilities to implement a new... More »

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energy environment alternative energy bankruptcy General Motors Michael Moore public transportation electric cars hybrid car



 Avoid Planes, Trains, 
 Closed Spaces: Biden 

It's too late to close Mexico border, he says

(Newser) - Joe Biden is advising his family to avoid confined places where swine flu could spread easily, including airplanes, subways, classrooms, and malls, the VP told the Today Show today. A single sneeze "goes all the way through the aircraft," he noted. Biden also said it's too late to... More »

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Joe Biden public health public transportation virus President Obama swine flu

ANALYSIS

 Human Waste Helps 
 Oslo's Carbon Footprint 

Buses in Norway's capital will run on methane distilled from feces

(Newser) - Norwegian officials have hit on a novel, if gassy, alternative to carbon-spewing gasoline, Dave Demerjian writes in Wired. Starting in September, Oslo will capture methane, a byproduct of the process at its sewage treatment plants, and use it to power city buses. Norway hopes to use the gaseous human contribution... More »

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environment Norway methane Oslo public transportation alternative fuels carbon emissions carbon-neutral

 Inaugural Crowds 
 Strain DC Transport 

Commuters trapped inside station for more than 30 minutes

(Newser) - Washington’s public-transportation system is stretched to breaking today as crowds arriving on the Metro and commuter trains choke the exits at L’Enfant Plaza, the main disembarkation point for the National Mall. At 8:15am, a medical emergency forced officials to slow crowds leaving the station, and packed platforms... More »

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National Mall public transportation Washington Metro inauguration Washington, DC President Obama L'Enfant Plaza

 More Families 
 Ditch the 
 2nd Car 

Analysts see rare year-over-year drop in US vehicle fleet

(Newser) - As more US families give up second vehicles in favor of public transportation, “it’s very likely the fleet will shrink next year,” an industry analyst tells Bloomberg. The number of cars on the road has gone down only nine times in the past century, and another decrease... More »

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public transportation gas prices auto sales financial crisis

Inauguration
Will Overwhelm DC Transport

Even if only 1M show, expect 'a lot of walking, a lot of waiting'

(Newser) - If you’re one of the 2 million to 4 million expected to converge on Washington for Barack Obama’s inauguration, be warned: Neither public transportation nor local roads will be able to handle the influx, the Washington Post reports. With road restrictions and packed subways, “it’s going... More »

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overcrowding driving public transportation inauguration President Obama Inauguration Day

 Transit Ridership 
 Soars—for Now 

Plummeting gas prices haven't driven us back to cars ... but now fewer have jobs to commute to

(Newser) - Dramatic increases in public transportation ridership have outlived sky-high gas prices, but the souring economy could reverse the trend, USA Today reports. Nationwide, third-quarter ridership was up 7% compared to last year, spurred by $4-a-gallon gas in July. Some municipalities saw almost 20% more commuters on their trains and... More »

OPINION

 Goodbye, Autos; Hello, Podcar

Driverless taxis could transform public transit

(Newser) - Forget alternative fuels and dump rusting gas guzzlers altogether for the driverless podcar, which offers "the convenience of an auto without the negatives," Catherine G. Burke writes in the Los Angeles Times. The sleek, electric-powered compartments seat four and use monorail-esque "guideways" to reach select destinations. It... More »

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innovation public transportation cars automobile podcar personal rapid transit public transit

 Desire Named
 Streetcar
 Grips Cities

40 cities considering resurrecting the humble streetcar

(Newser) - Most American cities dismantled their streetcar lines over 50 years ago but a major comeback is gathering speed, the New York Times reports. Cincinnati, Houston, Denver, Salt Lake City and Charlotte have streetcar systems in the works to revive sagging downtown areas. A dozen cities already have streetcars and at... More »

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transit Cincinnati public transportation streetcar system tram system New Orleans streetcar

 US Driving Continues to Brake 

Americans drove 29.8B fewer miles through May '08 than same span in '07

(Newser) - Driving in the United States continued to drop, the Washington Post reports, with May marking the steepest dip in vehicle-miles traveled for that month in the 66 years statistics have been tallied. Americans drove 9.6 billion fewer miles in May 2008 than May ’07; in the first five... More »

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driving public transportation gas tax cars telecommuting

Beijing Launches Pollution Crackdown for Olympics

Officials scramble to clean the air for athletes

(Newser) - Beijing has launched tough new anti-pollution measures this week in a bid to clean the air for Olympic athletes in time for the games. Officials expect to force nearly half of the city's 3.3 million cars off the road, which will drive commuters onto already-crowded public transport, Reuters reports.... More »

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environment pollution 2008 Beijing Olympics public transportation factories taxi driver traffic jam

TRAVEL

 How to Vacation on a Dime 

Stretch your vacation dollar with these tips

(Newser) - With airline and entertainment prices rising, “free stuff isn’t just a bonus, it can be a vacation-saver,” writes Jeryl Brunner in Travel + Leisure, which offers 11 ways to beef up your trip on a budget.
  1. House-swapping: Cancel the hotel, and vacation in someone
... More »

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travel budget lifestyle London tourism Paris air travel public transportation

OPINION

Where Will Cost of Gas Drive Us?

NYT writers ruminate on what the effects of spiraling prices will be

(Newser) - How does really expensive fuel affect you? The New York Times Op-Ed page asked 10 writers to ruminate on that question, and the responses are all over the map:
  • The lure of staying home could have workers demanding tax changes that benefit telecommuters, thinks Nicole Belson Goluboff.
  • Say
... More »

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biking public transportation gas prices commuting tax breaks suburbs energy costs

 Why Everyone in
 Berkeley Owns a Prius 

Development of green political clusters starts at the beach

(Newser) - Nowhere in California is the power of green consumerism more apparent than the Prius-packed city of Berkley. The Economist takes a look at a "greenery by zip code" study that, somewhat unsurprisingly, places Palo Alto near the top and Bakersfield near the bottom of locales packed with certified green... More »

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California environmentalism alternative energy Toyota Prius UCLA public transportation green technology green transportation green products

The New Generational Shift: Suburban Flight

After 50 years of sprawl, suburbanites  gravitate toward cities

(Newser) - Changes in lifestyles, economic conditions, and demographics are leading to a reversal in urban flight, The Wall Street Journal reports. Four-dollar-a-gallon gasoline and the subprime crisis have driven many to cities from suburbs, where commutes are longer and houses have lost the most value. Boomers are simplifying their lives with... More »

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traffic commute public transportation air pollution suburban sprawl light rail

More Riders, Pricier Fuel Stress Out Transit Agencies

Diesel expenses eat up shrinking budgets even as commuters abandon cars

(Newser) - The same agencies that stand to benefit as commuters turn to public transit to escape high gas prices are finding themselves hamstrung by rising fuel costs, the Wall Street Journal reports. Ridership is up by as much as 35% for some bus lines, but the cost of diesel has doubled... More »

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1 - 20 of 28 Stories | 1 2 Next >>