Decades ago, all you needed to hitch a ride was a wayward thumb and a willingness to walk a few miles. Today, thanks to text messaging, cell phones, and advanced computer networks, hitchhiking is making a comeback—sans the sketchy side effects of picking up a stranger.
Goose Networks is a forerunner in wireless hitchhiking. It helps members literally pimp their rides to nearby pedestrians who need a lift along their planned route. Big employers in Seattle and Boston are piloting the Goose plan (think: “birds of a feather flock together”). Employers engage in real-time ride sharing by sending a text message to the system’s main computer, which then searches for a ride along the rider’s designated route. The service, funded by the employer, is free for both the rider and the driver, and drivers are compensated for a fair fraction of gas and mileage costs. If Goose and its compatriots enjoy success on this scale, they plan to take their text messaging carpools for a longer, grander ride.
Goose reduces emissions and, for many commuters, dependence on cars. Motor vehicles are hardly good for the planet, regardless of how many passengers they carry, but a packed back seat is better than a single passenger behind the wheel. Goose and its compatriots offer a real, salable solution to creating a more sustainable, eco-friendly, and convenient commute.
For more on the nitty gritty of how Goose works, read this review by the Seattle Times.
Sources: Goose Networks, Seattle Times, and Sightline Daily.
Photos via flickr by Gregory Williams and massdistraction.
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{ 27 comments… read them below or add one }
don’t despair!! High speed rail may still reach the US!! This November 2008, Californians will vote on whether or not to approve a HSR connection between LA and SF…spread the word!
what does “a French…company LINK ” mean ??
Europe, Japan and China to some extent are geographically much smaller than the Americas. The cost of laying down enough track for a single line across Canada or the US likely outweighs the cost of the entire rail networks of several European countries.
It’s easy for Europe to introduce mass transit, when space is a premium and distance isn’t an issue. North Americans will continue to rely on cars (Green ones, hopefully), since it will be prohibitively expensive to build a rail network that can get us almost anywhere we want to go (i.e. many destinations).
I’m all for the rail – travelling to Europe, one can just buy an unlimited rail pass that will let you easily go between countries. I just don’t think the money will be spent.
That’s why a state should have a certain sovereignty similar to that of an EU nation.I believe that is the original intent of the Founding Fathers.
E.g., France = California
Although I could foresee that the EU is going to be a lot like the US in term of federalism in say two centuries or less.
China is the same size as the U.S., yet has inexpensive and efficient trains that travel from one side of the country to the other. Most notably the controversial Beijing – Tibet train.
Taken as a whole, yes, the difference in scale between the US and Europe is quite large. When broken down and compared by corridor though comparisons could be made.
Take the North East Corridor, home of 55 million Americans, which contains the Political, Historic, Financial, and Educational capitals of the United States. Here it makes sense to interconnect these important population centers with the latest most efficient rail systems. Each center should support its own hub extending outward and linking to the main corridor.
Compare this to TGV linking London and Paris. In this comparison it seems quite viable.
The same ability to move people in the exchange of trade and ideas could presumably benefit Mid-Western cities as they struggle to transform their role in an era of post-industrial decline.
The opportunity to for a cleaner travel on the smog choked California coast would also offer crucial environmental relief there.
More and more is being written lately about the need for the North America to catch up to the rest of the world in terms of clean, efficient rail travel. As awareness and momentum is built, it becomes more and more a reality. Dugg.
The photo is from the Taiwan High Speed Rail. I’m currently traveling around the island and I use it all the time instead of flying between major cities. I’m from California where I wish we have something like this. It’s wildly successful here in Taiwan, although apparently to the detriment of the domestic airline industry– an excellent sign/trend for the environment. It totally makes sense.
Glad to see America is following the trend of mass transit…ohh wait…we aren’t. Kudos to South America.
To Kev,
China and the US are not the same size.
Like most Americans you have not been or even looked outside your small world.
To Kate,
Japan is leading the way in Asia, not China. Japan has has the ‘Bullet Train’ for many years now.
stop whining guys. you’re all liberal whinos.
Dean,
China = 9,326,410 SQ KM
US = 9,161,923 SQ KM
And most of the billion is in the eastern half.
ps. I’m an American whose been to most of China (by rail of course)
Europe and Japan’s high speed transit systems show how high speed rail links are the way forward for providing clean and fast travel amongst tight conurbations, I cant see why highly populated areas of the states cant implement such a system. It doesnt have to be a country -wide thing, why not have an east coast line and a west coast line?
America doesn’t need high speed rail, it needs large scale steam trains. Steam trains can move freight and people cost effectively, using cheap and plentiful coal resources.
It is not “Sao Paolo”. It is “São Paulo”.
Hi, i’m from Argentina, and can assure you this train its kind of joke.
The president has been announcing stuff like this from years, but the projects never gets executed. Previous presidents even announced an airplane that will travel from Argentina to China in 1 hour, through the stratosphere. Yeah, it’s true.
Actually this is a smoke curtain to keep people talking about unimportant things, and to stole some money…
First High Speed Rail system will be opened in 2008. First high speed line will be operated between capital Ankara and Eskisehir. This line will be expanded to Istanbul in near future. Also Ankara-Konya High Speed Rail is under construction too.
Also Edirne which is a border city with Greece and Bulgaria, will be connected to Istanbul. Construction of this line is in early stage.
The corporations that make money from oil-based fuels have to much influence and control to allow efficient high-speed rail to succeed in the US.
Its somewhat ironic that Treehugger or anyone else for that matter believes that high speed rail is inherently green. It is only as green as the energy used to power it, and going 300km/h on land requires a lot of power. A survey done by the Economist a few years back found that a modern passenger (saloon) car with 4 passengers (1 driver 3 riders) is more energy efficient per passenger over long distances than trains. A highly utilized bus or airplane is more energy efficient and therefore clean as well.
Until a TGV or Bullet train is powered by all nuke, geothermal or what not, they will continue to appear green by polluting elsewhere
.
That being said, they are convenient and personally I prefer riding a fast train for a few hours as opposed to dealing with airports or traffic.
a-rod is right, the fact that the train will traval hundreds of miles its gonna cost alot and take alot to keep it going
We already have the Acela high speed rail (well, sort of)in the Northeast corridor. The State of Connecticut has already purchased a bunch of used cars from Virginia. They have been refurbished and activated. Every seat they put out there is filled. There is another couple dozen new cars on order. The time is right.
We’ll probably build one in Iraq soon.
Actually it takes 10 hours to go from cordoba to BA by bus, not 14.
Posted this link in http://www.surfurls.com
our country is so poor that, it even does not have good road transport than how can it go for such fastest rail. will you help.if yes, then please send me your reply
Great !!! Its really beneficial for a professional people,,The other should also follow this technology and try to develop their transportation.
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brianna
Link Building
Those high speed trains are cool.
Very fast and very smooth.
thanks from tony
Its good to implement the high speed trains in the same way they should not forget about the fares , if the fare are so high only the officials can use it what about the coomom man?