Category Archives: Mass Transit

Self-driving cars in San Francisco cause accidents, congestion, and more

Cruise robotaxi crashes into firetruck in San Francisco Two companies operate self driving taxis in San Francisco: Waymo and Cruise.  Over 92 problems were reported in 2023, which led to Cruise being suspended, in part due to footage of a … Continue reading

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Why is passenger rail so damned inefficient?

[ This is about passenger rail, not freight rail, which is incredibly efficient. Freight rail is efficient because to reduce aerodynamic drag and diesel fuel use (USDOT 2008), they travel on average  only 23 miles per hour (to reduce aerodynamic … Continue reading

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Most energy efficient: passenger bus, rail, or auto?

Preface. Weight reduces energy efficiency, so one way to make transportation more efficient is to light-weight rail cars, buses, trucks, and cars. For every 10% reduction in weight, up to 7.6% more fuel efficiency can be gained (Joost 2012). While … Continue reading

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