We just finished covering California’s Parking Cash-Out program, which encourages commuters not to drive. To go along with that incentive, Los Angeles is becoming more bike-friendly, thanks to City Council President Eric Garcetti. Recently, the Councilman oversaw the installation of showers, lockers, and additional bike racks at the Downtown Civic Center to encourage city personnel to ride to work.
From Garcetti’s blog:
If we’re going to reduce traffic in this city, then people need to have real alternatives to driving a car to work everyday. A few city employees already bike to work, but today we announced new facilities that I hope will make it possible for more people to do so.
…I encourage city employees who have ever thought about biking to work to give it a try. It helps reduce traffic. It helps our environment. And it’s great exercise.
The new facilities uphold a city code that requires bike parking and showers in new buildings over 10,000 feet.
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They’d definitely change the game for short haul airlines. For that shanghai one, when I was there, they were saying it shortens a 60 minute drive to an 8 minute train ride. They’re also thinking about building a maglev from like shanghai to beijing, which is something like 15 hours by car. With the train, it would be a fraction of that. Displace the plane!
The oil, gas, coal, and auto lobbies have our Congress (especially Republicans) by the balls. So, of course, we have no high speed rail.
Watching a segment of C-Span the other morning there was a gentleman being interviewed on the ins and outs including costs of air travel safety. Towards the end the mention of the loser AMTRACK came up. Unpopular, money looser, etc. He then mentioned the Acela as very popular and making money too. So, build it right and they will come.
I think there’s a problem with the figures on display: The High Speed Rail shows 1180-1200 BTU and .47-.48 lbs CO2/passenger mile, while Diesel Rail shows over twice the BTUs (2709) yet a very similar CO2 figure of .46/passenger mile.
The figures need to be checked and probably corrected.