On Monday, February 15th an older man and a young man engaged in a fistfight on a public transit bus in Oakland, California. The fight left the young man bloodied, bruised and asking for an ambulance. The incident – as is so characteristic of our world today – was videotaped via cell phone and then...
For most of the 20th century, the cable industry had been a hodge-podge of European, Japanese and American companies each jockeying for their piece of the blossoming ski industry. Some companies specialized in manufacturing, others in operations and maintenance. Privately owned and maintained systems were common. There were dozens of players but few titans. Like...
Back in 1990 Grace Manufacturing had a lot of scrap steel lying around and it was sharp. Instead of throwing the steel out, they decided to turn that waste into revenue. So was born the Microplane, an incredibly sharp wood shaving tool. It sold fine, but nothing special. Then along came Lorraine Lee of Ottawa,...
I’m in transit today, traveling back to Toronto and it’s lovely minus 10 degree February temperatures. In the meantime, check out the Spokane Falls Skyride (video below). Given its urban/natural setting, this should be a fascinating system to discover more about. Any information on this installation would be greatly appreciated!
There are hundreds of ways public transit could pay for itself. Public transit operators have simply chosen the least effective and most out-dated of them all: Fares. The thing about fares is this: They always go up and customers are never happy about it. The airlines realized this years ago and stopped worrying about fares....
Last month I toured Whistler’s Peak 2 Peak cable gondola system. This is Part 3 of a 3-part series on the system. Click on the following links to view Part 1 and Part 2. Most aerial cable systems offer a smooth ride. What little friction there is, is rarely felt by the rider. Except,...
Last month I toured Whistler’s Peak 2 Peak cable gondola system. This is Part 2 of a 3-part series on the system. Click on the following link to view Part 1. The very first thing one notices about the Peak 2 Peak is the sheer scale of it. Everything is bigger, flashier and a little...
The Hotel Palafitte is what the tourism industry calls an “overwater bungalow.” For those who don’t know (and I certainly didn’t), overwater bungalows are a rare commodity in the resort industry. That rarity commands top dollar. Rooms at the Hotel Palafitte can easily eclipse (US)$1,000 per night. The hotel receives unanimously positive reviews and reservations...
Transit is about people. It’s as pure and simple as that. Start with the user, the rider, the people and go from there. Figure out your machines after you’ve figured out your people.
Probably one of the single biggest counter-points to urban cable systems is the stations. People are quick to argue that the stations are large, ugly and imposing. It’s a difficult point to argue with because most cable stations are just that: Large, ugly and imposing. But then again, so are many of our traditional transit...