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Newsletter (copy 02)
Solarised cycling lanes, 20mph speed limits, and all-electric bus fleets
Good morning!
This week, our newsletter is all about mobility: Bike paths that generate electricity while protecting cyclists; speed limit reductions that don’t prolong commutes; and modern bus networks that are immune to the whims of the world’s oil cartel.
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Solar panels are being deployed in parts of Asia and Europe to improve cycling infrastructure and generate low-cost electricity at the same time.
Sejong, the de facto administrative capital of South Korea, was an early pioneer of this innovative dual-use application. In 2014, it installed a 5.5-mile (8.9 kilometre) double-lane, protected bike path in the middle of a highway, with panels raised about 10-feet off the ground.
The idea is to maximise land use, provide shading and dedicated, car-free lanes for cyclists, and boost clean power generation.
The concept is catching on…
- Continue reading here.
In mid-September 2023, the Welsh government implemented a then-deeply-unpopular policy: A default 20 miles an hour (32km/h) speed limit on roads where cars mix with pedestrians and cyclists. With some exceptions, it applies to all residential areas and cities.
The aim, according to policymakers, is to reduce the number of collisions and severe injuries — in part to take strain off the healthcare system, to encourage more people to walk and cycle for short, every-day journeys, to promote social cohesion, and to improve air quality.
The results so far: Compliance rates are high, yet journey times have barely changed. Still, not everyone’s convinced.
- Continue reading here.
In 2017, Shenzhen, China, became the world’s first major city to have an all-electric bus fleet — a significant milestone in the nation’s “war on pollution” and harmful smog.
By the time it had finished decarbonising its bus fleet, Shenzhen had 16,000 electric buses on its roads, and 510 charging stations.
A number of other cities are on the verge of reaching that milestone, including Oslo and Copenhagen.
Cape Town’s Golden Arrow bus service says full electrification will shield itself and passengers from “fuel price volatility precipitated by oil cartel dynamics.”
- Continue reading here.
Despite the cold and often gloomy weather, studies consistently find that Scandinavia is the world’s epicentre of happiness (or, more accurately put, the region’s population endures less hardship than others).
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