Like systems used in electric vehicles like the Prius, an energy company think it could attach flywheels to subway trains and use the kinetic energy of their movement to generate energy that would feed back into the system.
Subway trains use a significant amount of energy to get going, up to 4 megawatts, writes Timon Singh:
"That's enough energy to power 1,300 average U.S. homes. The power usage is so great that train departures are staggered in order to accomdate the availability of power."
Vykon, the company developing the flywheels, thinks it can generate up to 4 megawatts from the subway's kinetic energy and send it back into the system.
San Francisco Muni Sees Highest Ridership Since Start of Pandemic
The SFMTA is improving service at off-peak hours and on weekends to accommodate new travel patterns that rely less on weekday commuters. Ridership has increased accordingly.
D.C. Leads the Nation for Transit Recovery
Ridership on the region’s rail systems is rebounding faster than other major transit systems.
Subway Ridership Still Lagging as Cities Come Back to Life
While other aspects of urban life are starting to recover to pre-pandemic ‘normals,’ ridership on the nation’s subway systems is still well below average levels.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Vehicle-related Deaths Drop 29% in Richmond, VA
The seventh year of the city's Vision Zero strategy also cut the number of people killed in alcohol-related crashes by half.
Can We Please Give Communities the Design They Deserve?
Often an afterthought, graphic design impacts everything from how we navigate a city to how we feel about it. One designer argues: the people deserve better.
Southern Californians Survey Trees for Destructive Oak Pest
Hundreds of volunteers across five counties participated in the first Goldspotted Oak Borer Blitz, surveying oak trees for signs of the invasive beetle and contributing valuable data to help protect Southern California’s native woodlands.
Opinion: How Geothermal HVAC Lowers Costs, Improves Grid Resilience
Geothermal heating and cooling systems can reduce energy costs and dramatically improve efficiency.
Tenant Screening: A Billion-Dollar Industry with Little Oversight. What’s Being Done to Protect Renters?
Reports show that the data tenant screening companies use is often riddled with errors and relies on information that has no bearing on whether someone will be a good tenant.
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.
Borough of Carlisle
Smith Gee Studio
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)