Thursday, October 9, 2025

Transport in the Middle East: Let’s go together

RIYADH, the Saudi capital, is no easy place to navigate. It sprawls over 1,500 square kilometres (580 square miles) and, but for a few...

A streetcar in the mire: Washington, DC’s pointless streetcar service finally opens

“LATE and over budget, streetcars are finally rumbling to life in Washington, DC. The long-awaited service, which has cost at least $135m to build,...

A muddled train of thought: Some Americans are upset at the prospect of free...

IT MAY be pantomime season, but unlike Cinderella revelers in Washington, DC, who stay out past the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve...

Ethiopia: Sub-Saharan Africa gets its first metro

GETTING around African cities is famously stressful. Whether in Nairobi, Lagos or Johannesburg most journeys involve negotiating roads clogged with honking cars and choked...

Subways in America: Gangway, please

IN LATE 2013, New York's Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) released a comprehensive report on its capital investment needs for the next two decades. Buried...

Vancouver: More tax, less traffic?

VANCOUVER is the best place to live in the Americas, according to a quality-of-life ranking published earlier this month by Mercer, a consulting firm....

Etiquette on public transport: Spread ’em

THERE is a reason why men tend to spread their legs as wide as they can when they ride on public transport. It’s just...

Atlanta’s new trams: All aboard!

A TINY scarlet hut on Auburn Avenue in Atlanta, Thelma’s Kitchen and Rib Shack, serves up world-beating catfish and grits. Demand for its grub...

The Second Avenue Subway: I'm from the government, and I'm here to help

I WON'T lie: the newsletter drew me in. I was interested as soon as I saw it lying on the counter at a relative's...

Sharing a lift: Carpooling uber alles

“MARK my word,” Henry Ford declared in 1940, “A combination of airplane and motorcar is coming. You may smile, but it will come.” No...

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Lessons from Jinan, China’s Electric Transformation

In recent years, China has emerged as a global leader in public transport electrification. From megacities like Shenzhen and Beijing to provincial capitals, the...

How to Keep SUVs Out of Emerging Economies

Car-centric transportation systems have seriously damaged the environment, safety, and livability of cities around the world. Fossil-fuel-based passenger transport is a major contributor to...

In Brazil, This Project is Improving Public Transport with Data and Technology

The impacts of urban passenger transport are not just a growing concern in Brazil, but an increasingly problematic source of GHG emissions, responsible for...

A More Walkable, Cyclable, and Accessible Future for Addis Ababa

As Ethiopia’s capital and largest city experiences rapid growth, the need for a safe, efficient, and sustainable transport system has never been greater for...