Finding a better way to move people in a metropolis

On this day in 1904, the New York City subway system opened for the first time.

In those days, the streets of Manhattan were crowded with all kinds of horse-drawn vehicles and congestion was the order of the day. So New Yorkers thronged to try this new underground railroad. When the subway opened to the public at 7 PM that day, more than 100,000 people rode the line. It cost a nickel to board the train.

The first line traveled about 15 kilometres and stopped at 28 stations. It ran from City Hall in lower Manhattan to Grand Central Terminal and then on to Times Square and north all the way to Harlem. New York City mayor George McLellan was invited to inaugurate the line that afternoon of October 27th, and he was given the opportunity to drive the train. History.com reports that he liked the experience so much, he stayed at the controls from City Hall all the way to 103rd street.

The New York subway has now grown to 26 lines, operates 24 hours a day, and carries more than 4 million people every day.


For more information see:

http://www.nycsubway.org/index.html.
This site has a lot of information about the history of the subway, but also about what goes on in the subway system every day. It's more than just a transportation system, with many activities for New Yorkers and visitors alike.

For maps of the system and other information, here is the Metropolitan Transportation Authority site...also quite interesting:
http://www.mta.info/nyct/maps/submap.htm

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Photo courtesy of humdizzy
From...The stock.xchange (www.sxc.hu)

A great way to get around

As the price of gasoline has risen, people have been shopping around for alternative forms of transportation, particularly environmentally-friendly ones.

In North America, this summer's big success story has been the growing popularity of the Italian scooter, commonly known as the "Vespa." A lot of people (particularly women, in some markets) are buying the scooter to reduce expenses, limit harmful emissions and generally improve their commuting experience.

It's excellent on fuel consumption...and improvements keep coming. The manufacturer, Piaggio, has just introduced a gasoline-electric hybrid prototype that promises 60 kilometres on a single litre of fuel. (!)

The Vespa won acclaim right from its introduction in Italy in the late 1940s as a sturdy utility motorcycle, and then it became fashionable a decade later when Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn were featured riding together in the film "Roman Holiday."

According to company literature, the Vespa got it's name when company president Enrico Piaggio first saw a finished model, and said, "Sembra una vespa!" ("It looks like a wasp.")


For more information, try these sites:

http://www.vespacanada.com/company/history.cfm

http://www.dolcevita.com/design/vespa/vespa.htm

Vespa photo from http://www.cepolina.com/

Public transportation in Paris

Further to my note in favour of better public transportation, read the item below that appeared in the New York Times in July.

Editorial writer Serge Schmemann describes how the city of Paris is providing incentives for people to use public transportation and bicycles in an effort to reduce automobile congestion and pollution.

The French have adopted novel solutions to problems before, and gridlock is another problem that is attracting special attention.

City officials have made tens of thousands of bicycles available to commuters and have built special lanes for public transit.

These are bold moves that should inspire other municipalities around the world.

Click here to read Schmemann's article called "I Love Paris on a Bus, a Bike, a Train and in Anything but a Car."

My pitch for free transportation

I wrote this item for an on-line debate on Helium.com

If we can agree that government has some role to play in our lives, then let's at least make it a positive one.

Consider the benefits of free, fully-subsidized public transportation: first, it will motivate more people to leave their cars at home. Think of the reduction in pollution and traffic congestion and insurance costs due to accidents. Greener cities, safer cities, more livable cities. More room for parks and trees. Think of the money we'll all save by consuming less gas, spending less frequently on car repairs, and so on. That money will stay in our wallets and we could then turn around and give the economy a boost by spending it on other consumer goods or services. More jobs.

Secondly, we must consider the health benefits. We'll all walk a little more. This will reduce visits to doctors' offices and hospitals because we'll be healthier. We'll have improved blood pressure, lower stress and possibly a better complexion.

In addition, free transportation will encourage us to enjoy the company of our friends and family. It will become much more feasible to safely drink another glass of wine at the restaurant or have that extra beer at the family gathering. We'll avoid the worry of getting behind the wheel with a blood-alcohol level that's above the legal limit. Fewer accidents, fewer tragedies, lower costs of policing and reduced court backlogs. The increased public expense in transportation should pay off in the form of reduced health care costs and a safer society.

Then think about some of the other social benefits: imagine how much we'll learn from each other when we share rides instead of sitting in isolation in our cars. Talking to the neighbors might come back into fashion. More people will meet and talk and maybe even help each other. What a concept!

Having someone else drive us will also give us more time for reading books and newspapers. We'll be more informed and perhaps make better decisions come election time.

So.. park your car and use it for your dream vacation.

No more fumbling for change...just hop on and off the streetcar or bus wherever and whenever you like. What a great idea, especially for those who live in congested, polluted cities. It will renew life on our streets.

So I can't agree more with this proposition. Let's go for it!