Transportist: June 2024

Welcome to the latest issue of The Transportist, especially to our new readers. As always you can follow on Mastodon or RSS.

It’s been a busy month at Transportist world HQ. Also I will be attending WSTLUR in Bogota this month.

This month

• Posts: Western Sydney Airport risks becoming our `ghost city’, The Velocity of Knowledge, The Cost of Auto vs. Transit Use, Opportunity Cost is Opportunity Lost, Victim Blaming, Thoughts on Substack.

• Research: The racial composition of road users, traffic citations, and police stops, Transformative Technologies in Transportation, Scheduling optimisation of alcohol test sites.

• News and Links: Many links, sorted by topic.

I will be en Bogotá Colombia, del 17 al 20 de Junio del 2024 at WSTLUR, hope to see some of you there.

Posts

Also the SMH:

• Western Sydney Airport

Sydney University transport professor David Levinson cautions that the airport is a major but as yet unproven investment in western Sydney, saying that it may take decades to become successful. He cites the decades it took for Dulles Airport, about 42 kilometres from the centre of Washington DC, to gain significant use after it opened in 1962.

Research

• Cornell News article is here.

• Sydney media release is here.

News and Links

• Aviation

  • Singapore Airlines Turbulence. Always wear your seatbelt.

  • Jump Seating United Pilot causes drama at Southwest

• Energy

  • What is a Sand Battery

  • Solar Panel owners in Australia to be charged for generating too much power.

  • Batteries are replacing gas plants in California

  • Elon Musk laid off Supercharger Team, now rehiring.

• Bridges

  • Barge collides with Causeway in Texas

• Pedestrians

  • Call for a pedestrian-cyclist corridor from Kyeemagh to Sans Souci [Facebook Group]

WalkSydney member and board advisor, Professor David Levinson said the Kamay Greenway initiative promises to significantly enhance local infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists, offering a safe and scenic route connecting Kyeemagh to Sandringham.

"Its focus on ecological restoration and connectivity across various green spaces showcases a commitment to sustainable urban planning and community health," Mr Levinson said.

"We are particularly supportive of the proposed route's design considerations that respect the natural landscape and community needs."The non-invasive, ecologically sensitive planning principles ensure that the Greenway will serve not just today's community but also future generations.

• Weapon of Choice

  • Drug boss freed and guards shot at toll booth stop reminiscent of The Godfather.

  • Driver of Truck that hit White House Security Barrier pleads guilty

  • Driver dies after vehicle crashes into White House Perimeter Gate.

• Rail

  • Howard Street tunnel project in Baltimore

  • Australia’s Rail Nightmare! Massive Engineering Mistakes [YouTube] … Faithful Transportist reader, and rail engineer and expert witness, Alex Wardrop is there to provide evidence about the 2003 Waterfall Rail Accident. The Waterfall segment starts about 35:40 into the video.