Blog
March 15, 2017
Is Uber Still the Transportation Company of Tomorrow?
In the future, TNC services (Transportation Network Companies) may well be the most competitive mode of transportation for many trips. With the cost of operation greatly decreased through automation, prices could fall below the cost of owning a car. While talking about about automated mobility services, it is often suggested that it would be a company like Uber…
March 12, 2017
Bike Sharing: A New Battle Begins in China?
The competition of Uber and Didi Chuxing, which were the leading Transportation Network Companies in China, just came to an end. But another battle, now between bike sharing companies, has begun recently in the country’s biggest transportation markets. The bike sharing market research report found that through the end of 2016, there were 18.86 million users…
March 9, 2017
Why California is the linchpin of fuel economy regulation
Major automobile manufacturers have been lobbying the Trump administration to relax automotive fuel economy and greenhouse gas (GHG) standards that were established – with broad industry support – by the Obama administration in 2011. While the Trump administration may be able to rescind the federal standards (as long as such rescission is not arbitrary and…
March 6, 2017
Is the sun setting on bikesharing in Seattle?
Before the New Year, bikeshare enthusiasts in the Seattle area were buzzing about what could be, with talk of a new improved bikeshare system. This new system sought to address many of Pronto’s shortcomings, including using electric pedal-assisted bikes to attract more users that would not otherwise ride on Seattle’s hilly terrain. With that said,…
February 7, 2017
Cutting down aviation emissions with biofuels
Recently, Alaska Airlines piloted the first ever passenger flight using a 20 percent blend of sustainable biofuel. These efforts were accomplished with the help of Washington State’s Northwest Advanced Renewables Alliance (NARA). This passenger flight flew across the country from Seatac Airport to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The biofuel was produced using byproducts from…
January 31, 2017
Habitat III and Seattle Urban Village Strategy
In 2016, cities occupied only 2% of the earth’s total land but they are home to 54.5% of its population. Transportation and mobility are important factors shaping urbanization. Habitat III was the 3rd United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development which took place in Quito, Ecuador, last fall with the goal to “reinvigorate…
January 19, 2017
The future of the first and last mile in Seattle
By Eric Barber With the passing of Sound Transit 3 via Proposition 1, many alternate routes of transportation will be made available to Seattleites. In return, an adult in the region can expect to see about a $169 increase in taxes each year. This is in addition to a region wide $303 already approved in…
January 5, 2017
What p-values tell us and what they don’t
Joe Janes from the UW’s Information School has an ongoing podcast series on “Documents that Changed the World.” His latest topic, Sir Ronald Fisher’s work establishing today’s standard threshold for statistical significance, definitely rises to that level. The podcast talks about the “surprisingly offhand manner” in which Fisher originally proposed a significance level of 0.05,…
December 6, 2016
Sustainable Transportation Lab visits the White House
Last week, I was honored to attend a roundtable convened by the White House to address the topic of vehicle automation and how it may affect future energy and environmental outcomes. Participants included officials from the Department of Transportation, Department of Energy, the EPA, and the Executive Office of the President, as well as representatives…
December 5, 2016
Contextual engineering – why a greater appreciation for the role of conflict and peace studies is key to the success of infrastructure projects
Recently I had the opportunity to sit on a panel at a symposium hosted by my undergraduate alma mater, Marquette University. The symposium – What was Achieved? Migration, Impunity, and Social Justice after the Peace Accords in El Salvador and Guatemala – was organized by professors of history, Spanish, philosophy, and business with the support…
Previous page Next page
Recent Comments