Breakfast links: Click, beep, dig
Car sharing: the next generation
Today’s car sharing is very useful, but requires you to return the car to the same spot you found it. The cars spend a lot of their time parked at the driver’s destination before making the return trip. Is a car sharing feasible where people simply drop off cars anywhere? Ulm, Germany is trying that, and the Mercedes-owned car2go next hopes to try the program in Austin, Texas. (CoolTown Studios)
Cleveland replaces quiet with false safety
After a bus driver hit and killed a pedestrian in Cleveland, all buses now have to honk their horns every time they turn. How about just looking? And this will surely irritate anyone who lives or works near a turn in the bus route. Tipster Rob P. also writes, “I can’t imagine the same response if the pedestrian had been hit by a car rather than a bus.” (AP/Plain Dealer) (Tip: Rob P.)
Potomac Yard station on the “wrong side of the tracks”?
The Arlandrian examines options for the Potomac Yard Metro station. Unfortunately, the current line runs on the opposite side of the freight tracks from proposed development. Moving them to an underground tunnel would, of course, be very expensive. Can developers pay some of the cost of the enhanced value a more central station would bring?
European annoyed by Metro broken ticket machines, escalators
One European visitor was very disappointed to find four ticket machines unable to trade in a farecard, not to mention the oft-broken escalators. (Unsuck DC Metro) The farecards really do make Metro tough for tourists: they demagnetize easily, creating confusion and lost money, and the machines are very confusing to operate. In fact, Metro keeps a staff member at National Airport to help visitors buy farecards.
Amtrak underspending on marketing
Amtrak spends proportionately less on advertising than most businesses, argues the pro-rail but Amtrak-critical United Rail Passenger Alliance. That gap contributes to underutilization of Amtrak services and increased need for public subsidies.