PDX Transit

Hawaii Endorses Plan for Electric Cars

Wednesday, 12. 3. 2008  –  Category: Driving, Technology

"The Hawaiian Electric Company on Tuesday endorsed an effort to build an alternative transportation system based on electric vehicles with swappable batteries and an “intelligent” battery recharging network."
Hawaii endorces plan for electric vehicles

Speech, a new kind of engine for Ford automobiles

Monday, 12. 1. 2008  –  Category: Driving, Technology

Ford Motor Company's Sync system is a microchip located in the dash of 21 new cars, trucks, and crossovers that delivers a fully integrated, voice-activated in-car communications and entertainment system. Sync can read incoming text messages, and accurately translate emoticons and messaging expressions such as "LOL."

Read the entire article, Ford introduces speech engine

Love = Volkswagen Jetta TDI sedan

Friday, 11. 21. 2008  –  Category: Biking, Travel

The 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI sedan, with its four-cylinder turbocharged diesel, 140-horsepower engine, offers a spirited drive. Though it offers plenty of torque and acceleration, it averages only 36 miles per gallon in the city and 42 mpg on the highway, which is as good as many subcompacts and gas-electric hybrid cars.
 
THe TDI does this [...]

Chrysler’s Green SUV plans die with bad economy

Wednesday, 11. 19. 2008  –  Category: Driving

This article by Ann Job describes how Chrysler's financial woes have caused them to terminate production of the new Durango and Aspen hybrid SUVs, closing the only plant that produces them as part of an effort to curtail expenses. Job takes the view that this is an unfortunate occurence, given that these two hybrids compare [...]

Bike required, clothing optional for Portland cyclist

Saturday, 11. 15. 2008  –  Category: Uncategorized

Multnomah County Judge Jerome LaBarre dismissed a nudity charge against Michael "Bobby" Hammond on Wednesday.  Bobby was cycling as part of the city's annual World Naked Bike Ride.  Judge LaBarre stated that "cycling naked has become a "well-established tradition" in Portland and understood as a form of "symbolic protest."
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Photo from Oregonlive.com
Judge clears nude [...]

Improving Seattle Transportation

Thursday, 11. 13. 2008  –  Category: Driving

Washington gubernatorial candidate Dino Rossi is trying to win votes from the incumbent Gov. Chris Gregoire on the topic of infrastructure improvements. Gregoire supports removing Seattle's waterfront highway by 2012 and will decide after the election whether she supports replacing it with a tunnel, surface street or elevated highway. Rossi supports a tunnel. Rossi blames [...]

New York Taxis going green

Wednesday, 11. 12. 2008  –  Category: Driving

New York's Mayor Bloomburg had pushed to make all taxis in New York fuel-efficient to help create a "greener" New York. But federal judge Paul Crotty ruled that only the Federal Government can set standards for cars' gas mileage. However, Bloomberg is now pushing to have the Taxi and Limousine Commission come up with other [...]

Promoting alternate transportation at work

Friday, 11. 7. 2008  –  Category: Biking, Driving, Walk

The high price of gasoline and increasing congestion on the roads make it more attractive for workers to look for alternate means of transport.   There are a number of incentives and promotions employers can use to encourage alternate forms of transportation to the office. Some are as simple as having a designated place for bike parking [...]

City of Mishawaka saving money with hybrid vehicles

Saturday, 11. 1. 2008  –  Category: Driving

The city of Mishawaka is taking aggressive steps to use hybrid vehicles in efforts to save money on gas. They have put in orders for a number of hybrids and have already received three Toyota Prius. The city of Mishawaka has a fleet of around 300 vehicles it uses. The city only replaces the vehicles [...]

Squeezing out miles per gallon using electric fields

Thursday, 09. 25. 2008  –  Category: Driving, Technology

A simple device has been developed by Temple University to significantly increase the fuel economy of larger internal combustion engines. The device uses electrical fields to reduce the viscosity of fuel, allowing it to separate into smaller droplets. Six months of road testing in a diesel-powered Mercedes-Benz automobile showed that the device increased highway fuel [...]