Metro D.C.'s plan to reduce the price of SmarTrip cards by half has encountered major obstacles: the agency's concern that people would use cheaper cards to avoid paying millions of dollars each year and the possibility that the agency will run out of the electronic cards, Metro officials said Thursday. Washington Post
Return of New York City Streetcars?
There are some really quite rational reasons why most American cities abandoned their street railroads in favor of buses beginning in the 1930s. The Transportation Politic
Android-Based Handsets Transform into Car Navigation Devices
Dim the Lights, the Party's Over
We often don’t think of how we light our cities, but lighting in urban environments is an important piece of city design and residential safety. Our relationship with space and each other is largely influenced by light. It provides safety; it is a source of visual interest; it displays ads, art and information; and it directs movement and access to certain spaces. But outdoor light is also a huge user of energy. The City Fix
Los Angeles County Teams Up With Beijing to Fight Traffic
What do the one of the world’s most populous cities and the car capital of the world have in common? Three guesses: traffic, traffic and even more traffic to come. To that end, the Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority are teaming up to better manage urban congestion. The Source
Jay Leno's Green Garage (Video)
Stylin' Folding Bike
The folding bike has got big wheels to make navigation easier. When you fold it up, there’s no chain to muck things up; instead, it uses free wheel gear, and rolls behind you like futuristic luggage. Inhabitat
Mayors Applaud Passage of Small Business Jobs and Credit Act
U.S. Conference of Mayors President Elizabeth B. Kautz said , in a press release: “The U.S. Conference of Mayors looks forward to working with the administration to ensure the successful implementation of this program.” The Small Business Jobs and Credit Act of 2010 (H.R. 5297) was sponsored by Rep. Barney Frank.
County Officials Want OK to Shoot Wolves
Officials in Idaho County want Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter to declare an ongoing disaster that will allow wolves to be shot on sight, citing attacks on livestock and wildlife. County commissioners declared a local disaster Thursday. Idaho Statesman
Cab Drivers Protest Natural Gas-Powered Perks
Independent cab drivers gathered at City Hall on Wednesday to protest a Dallas ordinance that allows taxis powered by natural gas to jump to the front of the line at Love Field. Dallas Morning News
Pilot Project to Store Solar Energy in Tesla Batteries
one company in California, SolarCity, was just awarded $1.8 million by the California Public Utilities Commission to research storing residential solar energy in Tesla Motors’ car batteries. The owner of SolarCity, Pete Rive, already has a system rigged up in his garage that he says is working like a charm. Inhabitat
Mayor Says Parking Program Successful
The paid parking portion of Ventura, Calif.'s, parking management program had gone into effect said the mayor, and it is already showing results. "People who park all day downtown have moved into the lots and the upper levels of the parking garage. Spaces on the street are now available for shoppers, diners, and others who were running short-term errands. In other words, only 30 minutes after we instituted the parking management program, it is working." Ventura Mayor's Blog
Hydropower Returns
Hydropower, shunned just a few years ago as an environmental scourge, is experiencing a remarkable resurgence in the U.S. Dams are still viewed warily; in fact, Congress is considering dismantling four hydroelectric dams blamed for depleting salmon in the Klamath River basin in southern Oregon and northern California.But engineers and entrepreneurs are pressing an alternative view of hydropower that doesn't involve new dams. Wall Street Journal
State-By-State Renewable Energy Report
The American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) released a report: http://www.acore.org/publications/50states "Renewable Energy in America" on September 14 that compiles data on renewable energy developments, resource potentials, and financial, market and policy information on a state-by-state basis. USDOE
