Transportation
Electric Buses Are Struggling to Gain Traction Worldwide
What prevents cities from adopting electric buses en masse is a mix of technological, financial, and institutional challenges, according to a pair of reports from the World Resource Institute looking at efforts in 16 cities at various stages of adopting e-buses.
How Cities Can Serve Citizens Best Amid a Glut of New Transport Technology
City planners will need to focus on equity and flexibility, while refusing to buckle to venture capital.
Could Banning Bird Scooters Leave Behind a City's Most Economically Vulnerable Citizens?
Though scooter-shares have led to sidewalk safety concerns, they're also an accessible transportation option.
Immigrant Rights Groups Are at Odds With Greyhound Over Its Right to Forbid Immigration Enforcement From Entering Buses
The bus company argues it has no choice but to cooperate with Customs and Border Protection agents' searches and interrogation of its passengers.
Viewfinder: A New Sea Bridge Opens in Hong Kong
Police patrol ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping's arrival for the official opening of the world's longest sea bridge on October 23rd, 2018, in Hong Kong.
Uber Increases Mass Transit Ridership
New research finds the ride-sharing service is more of a complement to public transportation than a substitute.
Viewfinder: Protest Against Diesel Cars in Germany
Activists hold a demonstration against diesel cars in front of the Transport Ministry in Berlin, Germany, on March 14th, 2018.
Viewfinder: A Railway Union Demonstration in France
Members of a railway union hold flares during a protest against the reform of the French state-owned railway company SNCF in Paris, France, on March 12th, 2018.
Viewfinder: A Car-Free Day in Colombia
A woman takes a picture while riding her bike during a car-free day in Bogotá, Colombia, on February 1st, 2018.
The Trump Administration Backs Away From Its Plan to Suspend the Transportation Greenhouse Gas Rule
Lawsuits by states and advocacy groups are effectively blocking some of the most egregious attacks on environmental regulations.
Revolutionary Objects: The Transcontinental Railroad System That Almost Wasn't
Boats were, in fact, a proposed alternative solution.
Next Stop, Less Obesity
New research provides the best evidence yet linking public transportation usage with lower obesity rates.
Sometimes a Slow Train Is a Good Thing
A traffic model incorporating subway and street traffic suggests faster trains aren't always good for congestion.
What Cheating Emissions Standards Tells Us About Ourselves
To understand the outrage over the Volkswagen scandal and recall, consider the meat industry.
The New York City Subway to a Person Using a Wheelchair
We have a long way to go before the Americans With Disabilities Act is actually realized.
Self-Driving Cars Won’t Fix Our Transit Woes
Real transportation futurism looks more like a fleet of self-driving buses.
Uphill Both Ways
Why getting to school has gotten harder for kids in the Big Easy.
How a Start-Up That Wouldn't Break the Rules Was Forced to Fail
Night School just wanted to provide a modest, low-cost bus service from San Francisco to the East Bay. Without expensive lobbyists and venture capital, the rule-abiding company folded after hitting bureaucratic roadblocks.
Fare Money: Trapped on the Beijing Subway Without a Ticket
Public transportation passes are one of the most common forms of non-bank money that we interact with on a daily basis, but it’s easy—perhaps too easy—not to think of them as such, until something goes wrong.
Climate Change Will Make Your Commute a Nightmare
Extreme weather and rising seas are starting to wreak havoc on our transportation systems.
The 30 Top Thinkers Under 30: John T. Kennedy, 28, Public Affairs
For the month of April we're profiling the individuals who made our inaugural list of the 30 top thinkers under 30, the young men and women we predict will have a serious impact on the social, political, and economic issues we cover every day here at Pacific Standard.
An Accident Waiting to Happen: The Peril of Transporting Crude by Rail
As oil trains derail across the United States, a windswept—and vulnerable—stretch of Montana’s Glacier National Park underscores the folly of transporting crude by rail.
Flipping Over Lids: Inside the Debate About Compulsory Cycling Helmets
Should you be required to wear a helmet when riding a bike? What if they actually make you more likely to be injured?
How Do We Get More Women Cycling?
The number of women on bikes is an indicator of a city’s cycle-friendliness and -safety. Improve those and you'll get more people out of their cars.