Category Archives: Transportation

The Washington Examiner Editorial Board Doesn’t Understand Mass Transit Or Geometry

Posted on May 22, 2018 by mikethemadbiologist

Over the weekend, the rightwing rag, The Washington Examiner, revealed that it doesn’t understand either mass transit or geometry (boldface mine): What would you do if you controlled an unpopular, unreliable public service that was being displaced by the private … Continue reading →

Posted in DC, Fucking Morons, Transportation | 1 Comment

Will Self-Driving Cars Have Less Than 1,000 Accidents Per Year?

Posted on March 22, 2018 by mikethemadbiologist

This week, the self-driving car contingent has rallied, this time behind the argument that driverless cars will be safer than what we currently have. The event that kicked this off was a self-driving car that killed a pedestrian in Arizona. … Continue reading →

Posted in Automobiles, Transportation | 1 Comment

Democrats Unveil A Good Infrastructure Plan

Posted on March 12, 2018 by mikethemadbiologist

And they didn’t half-ass it either (boldface mine): The proposal unveiled by Democratic leaders Wednesday would plow just over $1 trillion into a wide range of infrastructure needs, including $140 billion for roads and bridges, $115 billion for water and … Continue reading →

Posted in Democrats, Taxes, Transportation | 1 Comment

Since 2009, Weekend Metro Travel Has Dropped 26 Percent

Posted on February 22, 2018 by mikethemadbiologist

One theme we often return to here is that a mass transit system can’t be successful if it’s only used an alternative commuter route. The system needs off-hour and weekend use. Not only does that help pay the bills, but … Continue reading →

Posted in DC, Transportation | Comments Off on Since 2009, Weekend Metro Travel Has Dropped 26 Percent

Geometry And Ride-Sharing

Posted on February 14, 2018 by mikethemadbiologist

And by ‘ride-sharing’, I mean another form of taxis, but with a shiny app and no medallions. This isn’t good news from Boston (boldface mine): Ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft are exacerbating rush-hour traffic jams in Boston, according to … Continue reading →

Posted in Boston, Transportation | Comments Off on Geometry And Ride-Sharing

D.C. Metrorail Ridership Is Plunging

Posted on February 12, 2018 by mikethemadbiologist

A comparison of ridership on the D.C. Metro between October 2014 and October 2016 is ugly (boldface mine): You’ll notice D.C. Metro is at the bottom. When I broke it out by region, there was really no difference: across the … Continue reading →

Posted in DC, Transportation | 1 Comment

Self-Driving Cars, Geometry, And Priority

Posted on February 2, 2018 by mikethemadbiologist

Oh my. There’s an excellent interview with Jarrett Walker about mass transit and self-driving cars. While there’s a lot in there, he notes that geography is really crucial (boldface mine): But we now have enough experience to know what we … Continue reading →

Posted in Transportation | 2 Comments

You Don’t Really Want An Efficient Mass Transit System

Posted on January 9, 2018 by mikethemadbiologist

This story about possible changes to D.C.’s MetroBus system is disturbing (boldface mine): It’s an approach that has been taken around the country by other transit agencies facing similar declines in ridership — specifically Houston, which garnered headlines two years … Continue reading →

Posted in DC, Transportation | 1 Comment

The Problem Self-Driving Cars Would Solve

Posted on December 21, 2017 by mikethemadbiologist

Misanthropic rich people who don’t view themselves as the kind of people who have chauffeurs–or are too cheap to pay for them (boldface mine): “There is this premise that good things must be somehow painful,” he said onstage at a … Continue reading →

Posted in Fucking Morons, Transportation | Comments Off on The Problem Self-Driving Cars Would Solve

Internalizing The Cost Of Roads

Posted on December 13, 2017 by mikethemadbiologist

Recently, Virginia opened a single-passenger occupancy lane on a highway that, during rush hour, is carpool only (I-66). The catch? It’s tolled, and it’s expensive: up to $40 for a ten mile drive (the price is dynamically adjusted every six … Continue reading →

Posted in Transportation | Comments Off on Internalizing The Cost Of Roads