Elmira, NY has a really cool concrete grade separation structure running through downtown. It was built in the 1930s, and restored by the town a few years ago.

High-speed rail increases land values!

With questionable federal support over the next four years, rail & transit project sponsors should think hard about how they can capture more of this value to help fund projects. This is how it works overseas, too. 

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what scalable decarbonization tech actually looks like:

e-bikes and e-cargo bikes
bicycle networks
passivhaus retrofits w/ prefab exterior straw wall panels
bus priority lanes
pedestrian zones

Connecting these routes by high speed rail would dramatically change both traffic-ease and carbon footprint in this country. Heck, you could connect half the country with a Chicago hub. Truly the dream.

Improvements in China’s new homegrown high-speed train vs. prior generation:
- speed up from 217mph to 248mph
- air resistance down 22%
- weight down 10%
- interior noise down 2db
- interior space up 4%

All the top ten metro areas in the US should be building these.

Just about everywhere except the US, future-oriented cities are making huge investments in electric regional rail systems, which connect suburbs and exurbs directly to the city center.

Here’s a list of recent & underway projects—we need more projects like these in the US! 🧵

During my visit earlier this month, I got to see the drill and blast + tunnel lining operation at the Brenner Base Tunnel (and they let me push the button!) 🧵

At the Brenner Base Tunnel, my generous hosts let me see both the TBM lining segment production facility and the drill and blast operations—here’s how they build tunnel lining segments for the TBMs!

Five commuter trains in 10 minutes…could be Boston some day!

Value created by system interface projects (from 1983 report on WMATA's station area development strategy)

I spent yesterday at ADIF’s Chamartin Station project, where they’re tripling high-speed platform space, doubling the station square footage, and constructing a podium for a huge Hudson Yards-style urban development project—all while keeping the station open for 200k riders/day

I spent yesterday at ADIF’s Chamartin Station project, where they’re tripling high-speed platform space, doubling the station square footage, and constructing a podium for a huge Hudson Yards-style urban development project—all while keeping the station open for 200k riders/day

Pretty cool coming across this relatively compact construction site for the Line 8 extension—sounds like they’re building a 40m deep emergency shaft here. I assume the high walls are for noise mitigation?

My ride to Madrid

I like these analog/electronic hybrid information displays—fully digital has obvious advantages, buts it’s nice how these still have useful info when the electronics aren’t working.