transportation

July is smart-car-sighting month.

ellen — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 05:21:00 -0400

The Smart Car finally made its debut in the U.S. this past January and they're all over the place!

We've been starting to see them Brooklyn (we love when we see them parked perpendicular to the curb!) Although it took a little while to reach the US, they have been more than commonplace in Europe for years. Its great to see this compact, highly efficient and eco-friendly transportation buggy here, brought to you by the inventor of the Swatch watch, Nicolas Hayek.

Some of the future-friendly features of the smart car include: 41 miles to the gallon, use of only water-soluble paints for its three basic colors – black, white and yellow, and its molded-in color body panels are fully recyclable. I know it looks like it would be smashed like a tin can in an accident but it actually has a 4-star crash rating in the US.

If you're in Japan, you may even see a Smart Car in one of these vending machines. No, unfortunately a quarter won't buy you one of these from the dispenser, but you can get information about the car, and where you can purchase one.

Let us know if you see a smart car! Send us your photo, and we'll add it to our list of Smart Car sightings in the month of July.

Ready ... smart.... go!

Drive It? No, WALK IT!

Julia — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

So I spent last semester in London, which was lovely but got really overwhelming at times. My biggest complaint about the city was the failing transportation system. Your best bet when trying to get around was to walk everywhere you could- otherwise, you could quite possibly find yourself waiting forever until the tube showed up. Which is precisely why Walkit.com, a new London-based website, is a must-see not only for eco-conscious commuters, but for everyone who has ever been frustrated by the inconsistency of public transportation.

To use Walkit.com, you simply enter your starting and ending locations, and the site does the rest. Based on the data you’ve entered, Walkit.com creates a personalized walking map to quickly and efficiently get you where you need to go. This, in my humble opinion, is genius. Why waste your money on a taxi and contribute to air pollution when you can walk?

You can also find out approximately how long the walk will take AND how many calories you will burn doing it! By utilizing Walkit.com, you’re not just reducing your carbon footprint- you’re getting some exercise, and maybe even enjoying yourself in the process.

Walkit.com was just shortlisted for The 2007 National Energy Efficiency Award, and is starting to make headlines across the globe.

“We want to get people walking more,” reads Walkit.com’s mission statement. “We think walking in and around town can be a smart choice. No timetables to keep to, no journey delays, no overcrowding, healthy, green, free, direct, access to services (and sunlight!) en route. We're a tiny outfit but we've got big ambitions and plan to launch the service in other UK cities as soon as we can.” Sounds good to me.

I love this idea because it tackles multiple issues at once. It’s an environmentally conscious act that positively impacts your health. We are so lazy sometimes, and this is an ideal way to get motivated to exercise and feel good and accomplished at the same time. Heck, I’m not saying you need to walk miles to get to where you belong, but think about all the places you drive out of convenience when you could easily go for a quick jaunt on foot. Once the snow kicks in here in Ithaca, it’s sometimes a much better idea to just start walking in the first place, because it could be ages before you can even get your car out of the driveway!

Support Walkit.com so that it can eventually make its way to your city. And get walking, friends!

No Cars Go

Marcus — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0500

If you haven’t gotten the memo yet, bikes are taking the world by storm. And not just ‘cause they’re an environmentally-friendly, efficient way to get around town. They’re also cool. Really cool. Bicycles have not only moved to the forefront as a primary form of alternative transportation, they’ve also become a symbol of urban youth culture, representing a hip, bohemian way of life.

I’m talking primarily about cities here. Bicycles have always had their place outside of urban centers, whether they’re used for an invigorating mountain bike adventure through Yellowstone, or a lazy meander on a beach cruiser along a boardwalk on the Atlantic Seaboard. Bikes in cities have been prevalent for some time now, but it’s only recently that we’ve really started to see initiatives that promote the bicycle as a primary form of transportation. Just recently, I blogged about a potential San Francisco bike sharing program, as well as a Parisian initiative that has been quite successful thus far. Additionally, major cities like Chicago and New York have pledged to allot more space on major roads to bike paths in the years ahead. As the reality of climate change and the effects of pollution generated by urban transportation become major focal points for the sustainable future of cities, bicycles are becoming more glamorous by virtue of the fact that they represent a commitment to reducing carbon emissions and inducing change.

This commitment to the climate crisis should be all the reason you need to hop on a bike straight away. But, allow me to reiterate the following: bicycles are real hip right now. So, if you’re thinking that you can just take the bus and still be reducing your carbon footprint, you’re right. But again, bikes are cool. If you’re skeptical about this, check out any Critical Mass event across the country (if you haven’t heard about Critical Mass, click on this link immediately). It’s probably the coolest thing I’ve ever done. Bike culture has somehow merged with “hipster” culture nationwide, which has in turn made its way into mainstream culture. Why do you think brands like Timbuk2 and Chrome are so trendy right now? There isn’t a massive influx of people switching careers to become bike messengers, I’ll tell you that. No, dude. Riding a bike means something. So, if you’re interested in offsetting this little problem we’ve got called global warming, and you want to look like a bona fide bad-ass in the process, get yourself a two-wheeler, son. Do it.

A Ride on the Wild Side

jchatraw — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0500

After living in a city where reducing your commute strictly meant becoming unemployed and paying for carbon offsets meant taking out a second mortgage on your home, my wife and I decided to move to a community that understands green living. And we found it in Boise, Idaho. However, I also discovered my idyllic commute wasn't always as serene as I dreamed.

Upon moving to Boise, we sold one of our two cars and I made the lifestyle switch to bike to work. Not only is it better for the environment, it's also better on my heart and lungs. In my mind, I pictured myself joining Corinne Bailey Rae in her “Put Your Records On” video, where I meandered along the Green Belt adjacent to the Boise River. It was going to be wonderful. Suddenly, I learned just how dangerous commutes in Boise can be.

Face to Face

Instead of defensively driving around those businessmen who don't get up in time to read the Wall Street Journal or trim their nose hairs—and feel the unction to do it in stop-and-go traffic—I was trying to avoid a peril of commutes in the Northwest ... an elk.

Yes, one morning on my way to work, an elk wandered down from the mountains and found his way onto the Boise Green Belt as he dashed and pranced between city parks. That morning, I began thinking newspaper-driving readers weren't so bad. What would I do if I came face to face with an elk? I didn't have a clue. Fortunately, I avoided him, but things weren't so fortunate for the elk. I won't break your heart with the full details of this story that involves Mr. Fife in the park with a rifle, but it wasn't happy.

My commute is definitely green, but it's not always dreamy. Nobody ever said pedaling 12 miles a day was easy. It's always something.

A Speedy, Compact, Fuel Efficient Car? Sounds Smart To Us

RiverWired.com — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0500

It's Good: Starting in 2008, The Smart Car (which has been around in Europe for donkeys years, and don't ask us how long that is) will finally be available in the US. This tiny automotive genius is only nine feet long and five feet wide -- but it still received a 4-star crash rating. It also goes up to 90 mph -- but that wouldn't be a fuel-smart way to drive, now would it?

It's Green: The Smart Car gets 42 miles per gallon, which is not only more efficient than the 2020 standards recently passed in the US Energy Bill, it'll also save you some significant green at the gas station. So the car makes you feel smarter, too.

It's Here: www.SmartUSA.com - reserve yours now for only $99.

It's: $11,000- $17,000, depending on model and package options.