ITS Monday: Edition 30, 2022

The influence of working from home on the number of commuting and non-commuting trips by workers during 2020 and 2021 pre- and post-lockdown in Australia

The title of this new academic paper says it all! It’s co-authored by Camil Balbontin, David Hensher, and Matthew Beck, all of the Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies.

See all of iMOVE’s content in this area, in our Working from Home section.

Australia is failing on electric vehicles. California shows it’s possible to pick up the pace

“Among the many similarities between California and Australia, both are impacted by bushfires and climate change, and both are home to larger cars and trucks than is the norm in developed countries. They are dissimilar, though, when it comes to electric vehicles and vehicle regulations. While California has been pursuing low-carbon and electric vehicles for decades, Australia has trailed most developed nations.”

Related iMOVE project: Electric vehicles: Supporting uptake, investigating smart charging

Alstom’s Coradia iLint makes a record-breaking hydrogen journey!

A Coradia iLint train recently made a 1,175 kilometre journey from Bremervorde to Munich on a single hydrogen fuel cell.

“We are pleased to be leading innovation in this area as the first railway manufacturer in the world to offer a passenger train based on hydrogen technology. With this journey, we have provided further proof that our hydrogen trains have all the prerequisites to replace diesel vehicles.”

‘Beautiful and Deadly’: Rural roads have disproportionate share of traffic deaths

This story, and its focus, is on roads in the United States, but the the issue of road safety on rural roads is universal. “In a 73-page study released last week by the Governor’s Highway Safety Association, America’s Rural Roads: Beautiful and Deadly, researchers found that about 48% of U.S. traffic deaths occurred on rural roads from 2016-20 even though only about 19% of the population lives in rural areas.”

Hundreds fined as police crack down on e-scooters

Share e-scooter and e-bikes have most definitely arrived, in a limited fashion, but it’s fair to say that the implementation in Australian cities and towns has been controversial. Down here in Melbourne I’ve seen them being used safely and sensibly, but I’ve also seen some staggeringly cavalier and careless riding. Judging by this article, and the quotes within, Melbourne police are about to watch micromobility use a little more closely. Not only the share vehicles, but also privately-owned e-scooters.

Bike Lanes Don’t Make Cycling Safe

This one is bound to generate some debate! “It’s time to rethink the concept of bike lanes as a safe space for cyclists. Why? Because it’s impossible to structure bike lanes without vehicles turning into these lanes to get to underground garages, above-ground parking lots, and to make right or left turns at intersections.”

Experts Say Walk Far and Walk Quickly to Reduce Your Risk of Dementia

This article is generated by a recent study published in the neurology section of the Journal of the American Medical Association. The study was informed by “… data from more than 78,000 people between the ages of 40 and 79 who wore accelerometers, and then followed up on these participants 7 years after their data was collected.