A new company is bringing battery switch stations to the San Francisco-San Jose corridor, laying the groundwork for an electric vehicle taxi fleet.
Electric vehicles (EV's) usually don't make for practical taxis given the several hours it takes to recharge a car's batteries, writes Timon Singh. However, he says, a new model from a company called Better Place will make electric taxis feasible in the Bay Area. Four new switching stations will allow taxis to swap out weak batteries for fresh ones, giving a "near instant charge" in less than the time it takes to refuel at a gas station.
A similar program has already seen success in Tokyo, writes Singh:
"Better Place has already launched an EV taxi program in Tokyo, which is supported by the Japanese government If this system can be transferred to the US, then it could dramatically impact the US' emissions and oil consumption."
Austin Scores Highest on Pandemic Recovery; Bay Area and Baltimore Lowest
The Bay Area Council and CBRE created an economic tracker to measure how well the nation's 25 largest metropolitan areas have recovered from the public health restrictions imposed on their regions at the onset of the pandemic.
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Bay Area Planners Acknowledge the Need for Regional Housing Solutions
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Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
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The Five Most-Changed American Cities
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San Diego Adopts First Mobility Master Plan
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Housing, Supportive Service Providers Brace for Federal Cuts
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Op-Ed: Why an Effective Passenger Rail Network Needs Government Involvement
An outdated rail network that privileges freight won’t be fixed by privatizing Amtrak.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions