Moovit, which we’ve written about here, is a social transit app. Much in the same way that Waze crowdsources traffic information, Moovit uses social tools to help you move around public transportation. For most people, unless you are Swiss where the trains and buses run like clockwork, taking public transportation puts your arrival time somewhat in the hands of fate.

Now Moovit lets you track and find when the nxt bus, subway, train or even ferry will arrive, as users logged into the app bring this data with them. It connects with timetable data for better results, and in some destination cities even lets users buy bus and train tickets through the app.

If a bus or train is running behind, is overly crowded (or has a smelly passenger?), the app helps people choose what public situation to “ride” with. This also helps companies that run the lines know if there are certain troubles along the train or bus routes.

Founded in 2012, the company has about 3 million users in 100 cities, mainly in the US, Latin America and Europe. Next up is Asia.

A Waze co-founder sits on the board so we can imagine Moovit will go far, in light speed, even if it is taking the bus.

The post Moovit raises $28 million for public transportation app appeared first on Green Prophet.

Elon Musk is known as the founder of SpaceX, a pioneer in the commercialization of space travel and Tesla, a company named after a brilliantly mad high-voltage inventor of the nineteenth century and known for its electric cars. So what happens when this visionary sets his eyes on America’s decaying public transportation infrastructure?

The result is hyperloop, a futuristic type of tube transportation which combines the best of air travel with the best of rail.

That’s right you saw the phrase rail, tube transportation and futuristic in the same sentence. No, I’m not talking about the sweaty London Underground or the smelly New York subway system or even Turkey’s impressive Marmaray undersea tunnel. I’m talking about something that combines the magic of The Polar Express with the sleek practicalities of an iPhone.

If you’ve ever visited a drive-up bank, you’ve seen a small-scale version of hyperloop technology. That pint-sized cylindrical vehicle which carries your checks, identification, cash and IOUs quickly and safely to and from you bank teller via pneumatic tubes is the basis for the hyperloop concept.

Buildings in New York and other great cities relied on such pneumatic networks long before the age of Facebook and email. Scale everything up so that it can carry passengers the 570 kilometers from Los Angeles to San Francisco at a speed of at least 962kph (almost 600mph) and you have what Elon Musk calls Hyperloop, a fifth mode of transportation.

The idea itself isn’t entirely new. Anyone who has stood on a subway platform has noticed the wind that announces the arrival of each train. It turns out that air friction is one of the primary limitations on subway speed and efficiency.

By pumping air out in front of the train and compressing it behind the train, you not only reduce friction, you can actually propel the train through the tube. Back in 1868, Alfred Ely Beach, then editor of Scientific American magazine, designed and built a pneumatic passenger transport under Broadway in New York City.

To avoid hassles with building permits, “The Beach Pneumatic Transit Company” project was developed in secrecy under the false premise that it would only transport packages and mail.

The company eventually failed but fast forward 145 years and Elon Musk believes the concept can be brought back to life on a much grander scale. But even Musk knows it limitations.

The design intentionally limits speed to mach 0.98 to limit noise, turbulence and environmental damage. Musk admits that over very long distances, air travel would probably be more efficient but that hyperloop’s sweet spot is “high-traffic city pairs that are less than about 1,500 km or 900 miles apart.”

Video on how Hyperloop Travel works

Los Angeles and San Francisco fit into this range. But so do many of the great cities of the Middle East. Will we one day be able to travel from Tel Aviv to Cairo, Istanbul to Ankara or Riyadh to Abu Dhabi in less time than it takes for city traffic to get across town?

The post Hyperloop, Elon Musk dreams of a fifth mode of transportation [video] appeared first on Green Prophet.

Qatar has promised a carbon neutral 2022 World Cup, but we know from the Masdar City experiment how hard that is to achieve. Still, here are five dubious steps AECOM and Zaha Hadid Architects are reported to be taking to support that goal with their joint design – Al-Wakrah Stadium.

Shaped like a dhow out of deference to Qatar’s long fishing history, the Al-Wakrah stadium will incorporate shading,  along with aerodynamic and mechanical cooling components to ensure that the spectator stands and the grass pitch never rise above 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit.)

Slated for construction in Al-Wakrah, the southernmost host city for the 2022 World Cup less than 10 miles outside of the capital Doha, the stadium will seat up to 40,000 spectators; half of those modular seats will be removed and shipped to developing countries at the tournament’s close.

But how – pray tell – does the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee imagine that they will achieve a carbon neutral sporting event? Well, that depends. It turns out that there are varying degrees of carbon neutrality.

Some carbon neutral standards require only that a building produces no greenhouse gas emissions while operating, but this fails to consider the energy required to produce materials (such as concrete, which has a high embodied energy footprint), transport materials, and construct the building.

Other standards are more rigorous and take into account the entire cycle of a building, along with the surrounding transportation infrastructure. In order to be truly carbon neutral, according to the Stern Review published by the British government in 2006, a building must generate 80 percent less greenhouse gas emissions than a conventional one. 

Based on the following five steps that the design team will take to edge towards carbon neutrality with the Al-Wakrah stadium,  as outlined by Trade Arabia, we suspect that if Qatar can come even close to carbon neutrality, they will do so by observing the most lenient standards.

1. 15 percent of the tournament’s energy will be generated by on-site renewable energy sources.
2. Water use will be reduced by 60 percent.
3. 15 percent of the permanent structures will be built using reused or recycled material.
4. A full 90 percent of construction waste will be diverted through smart design and waste management. 
5. Structural timber will be sourced sustainably.

Admittedly, these will be admirable achievements if attained, and with AECOM on board they may well be.

But Qatar has a very immature supply chain of green building materials, which means the majority required to build nine stadiums, along with $140 billion in additional infrastructure such as a new airport, rail system, roads, and a new seaport, will have to be shipped in. This greatly increases the embodied energy footprint.

Construction is expected to break ground in early 2014.

:: Trade Arabia

The post 5 Steps to a Carbon Neutral World Cup in Qatar appeared first on Green Prophet.

The National reports that Abu Dhabi’s Executive Council approved a plan to develop a multibillion dollar, state-of-the art public transportation system.

Mostly they are motivated by the money lost when residents stay stuck in traffic for hours every day, but there are a host of other benefits associated with public transportation including greater happiness and productivity, and less pollution.

Still, the $1.61 billion dollar savings estimated by Abu Dhabi’s Department of Transportation by 2030 is nothing to scoff at, so the National Transport Authority will oversee five different rail projects worth $22.41 billion over the next several years.

And Siemens, the German multinational engineering and electronics conglomerate company headquartered in Munich and Berlin, has expressed an interest in working on the first phase.

“Abu Dhabi has pumped a lot of efforts in the last years to build highways, tunnels,” Joerg Scheifler, the chief executive for infrastructure and cities at Siemens in the Middle East, told The National in a recent interview.

“When your population reaches 1 million, you should start building things like metros and trams. They have been talking about metro and trams for many years, but now they are serious.”

For the first phase, 18 kilometers of rail will connect Zayed Sports City and Mina Port. Of that, five kilometers will be installed underground.

Siemens has joined other companies to undergo a pre-qualification process. Once that is complete, which is expected to occur in the fourth quarter, the firm will be able to participate in a tender process that is expected to take place next year.

This phase of the project will set Abu Dhabi back $7 billion and should be up and running by 2020.

Several Gulf states are preparing to reduce their dependence on cars. In the lead up to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, for example, that emirate is planning to build 158 miles worth of metro and rail lines both within Doha and beyond.

The emir recently chose the “vaulted spaces” design, which incorporates many traditional Islamic principles such as the arch, for the metro stations.

Unfortunately, many of these infrastructural developments are built on the backs of foreign workers who often endure conditions akin to modern day slavery. Hopefully this will not be the case in Abu Dhabi, which we have come to consider a leader in more responsible development.

The post Abu Dhabi is Phasing Out Cars and Siemens Wants to Help appeared first on Green Prophet.

There’s traffic. And then there is Cairo traffic, which can drive even the saintliest men and women to a special kind of madness. But a new public transportation option has popped up that could make getting from point A to point B significantly less stressful.

Locals have come up with all kinds of solutions to Cairo’s traffic woes (the government, however, seems to be slightly less proactive.)

Some time ago, a group claimed to have purchased five helicopters that would swoop down and rescue vehicles from the deadly gridlocks that can keep people trapped in their vehicles and traveling at snail’s pace for sometimes hours at a time.

But helicopters, which are prohibitively expensive, would only benefit the very wealthy.

There are more affordable public transportation options, including trains, which have limited routes, and drab, unreliable buses that are so rusted out and crawling with roaches (trust us; we know) that it’s painful to spend hours stuck in them on the city’s congested road and alley ways – especially during fiery summer days.

So Tayssir Hawary and friends conceived Tawseela – an awesome, colorful, hip, and relaxing new service that comes with all kinds of surprise bonuses.

Tawseela microbuses can’t be flagged down. Instead, would-be users have to join an online network for a specified premium. Packages with 10 rides are available, or for a full month, which costs roughly $130 per month. Members will be collected and dropped off at pre-determined points and enjoy a few additional amenities as well.

Not only are the restored seats more comfortable than conventional municipal buses (they recline) but riders can choose their own music, the exterior is bright and colorful, and there is Wi-Fi on board.

“Moving to 6th October, says Hawary, “and seeing how the struggle in traffic affects the every day lives of people. I took Tawseela from being an idea to seriously working on it in June 2012 with my friend and partner TJ Quinn. He sadly passed away earlier this year.”

A little more tangible than an app, and green to boot, the new bus service is still in its infancy with one route and four buses, but the group is currently encouraging the public to vote on the routes of their choice.

So if you live in Cairo and would like to get to and from work and social engagements without dealing with hooting and honking, screaming and yelling, and blood pressure levels that shoot through the roof, hop aboard!

:: Cairo Scene

The post Green Roofed and Wi-Fi Enabled Tawseela Micro Buses Cut Through Cairo’s Traffic appeared first on Green Prophet.

Tel Aviv will be the first city to install a magnetic levitating transit system (maglev) designed by NASA and SkyTran, and the electric train in the sky will be almost entirely solar-powered.

The SkyTran Personal Rapid Transit system first proposed by inventor Douglas Malewicki in 1990 is currently under construction at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California, Designboom reports.

Instead of relying on wheels and axles, the SkyTran consists of a series of levitating pods that are magnetically levitated from suspended rails lifted roughly 20 feet off the ground. Solar panels attached to the modular guideways will eventually power almost the entire system.

Passengers can call up a pod on their smartphones using mobile apps and get dropped off wherever they need to go.

Stations are simple with just a platform and a stairway every quarter of a mile or so, reducing the kind of infrastructure necessary to expand railway transportation and therefore mitigating public transportation’s overall environmental impact.

As an antidote to the Mediterranean city’s chronic traffic congestion and pollution, which also results in decreased productivity and sanity, Tel Aviv has appointed US consultancy Jenkins Gales & Martinez to bring the maglev system to Israel.

The pods have the ability to travel as fast as 150mph, but in Tel Aviv, they should transport passengers at a speed no faster than 100mph. And there won’t be any traffic jams at stations since a sidetrack will allow other pods to pass.

SkyTran CEO Jerry Sanders says that a standard SkyTran trip will be more expensive than a bus ride, but faster, and cheaper than a taxi ride. Other cities in Israel are also considering importing this futuristic transportation system.

In the meantime, 14 percent of Tel Aviv’s residents have taken up cycling in order to reduce their carbon footprint and avoid traffic.

The post SkyTran: World’s First Levitating Transit System Heads to Tel Aviv appeared first on Green Prophet.

“Public transport currently ignores the best source of data we have: the public,” Moovit CEO Nir Erez told Reuters. “Moovit is redefining the way we create and access public transport information by giving the power back to the public,” he adds.

This is achieved by consolidating a host of real-time data published by public transportation providers, such as schedules, GPS tracking data, as well as information published anonymously by users.

With roughly 90 percent accuracy, Moovit helps users find the best route and a host of other helpful information such as how many seats are available, whether a particular bus or train has WiFi access and if so, whether it is functioning properly.

And it’s incredibly easy to use. Instead of having to input data, users need only keep the app open while riding, and the app collects times and locations to help other users know whether or not that particular vehicle is on schedule. About 650,000 people have downloaded the app, which is free and which will always be free, Moovit’s marketing manager Amy Wyron told Green Prophet.

User participation does enhance the app’s functionality however. If a particular route is riddled with trouble, Moovit users can spare their peers the same discomfort by sending in a report.

Launched in Tel Aviv in 2012 by a trio of renowned tech experts, the app has since spread to 30 cities across the globe with new locations added on a regular basis. It is currently available in New York City, Los Angeles, Rome, Boston, Washington, Israeli cities and dozens more.

:: Moovit

The post Moovit App Makes Public Transportation Easy and Fun appeared first on Green Prophet.

Despite what you might have heard, the Bedouin Bus runs whether there is one passenger or ten, though it runs on very specific dates and times.

The bus connects Dahab and St. Catherine every Tuesday and Friday. The two hour journey departs from the town center opposite the mosque in St. Catherine at 11am on those days, and from Marine Garden Camp next to Sindbad Camp at 5pm.

There is another departure point at 5.10pm from Hotel Jowhara on Mashraba Street, which is next to the liquor store and Ghazala supermarket.

Regardless of where you get on, a one way trip costs 50LE and the fare is payable on the bus. There is no way to purchase seats in advance, but don’t worry, you’re not likely to find yourself at a loss.

The Bedouin bus travels between Nuweiba and St. Catherine every Wednesday and Sunday and takes approximately two hours. The bus departs at the same spot in St. Catherine at 8am and leaves Nuweiba hospital at 2pm.

At 2.30pm, the bus stops at thePport of Nuweiba opposite the East Delta bus station at Hotel Marinta. Same fare, same rules.

Bedouin Bus is a sponsored, nonprofit service made possible by Alternative Egypt Travel Guide, Discover Sinai, Hotel Jowhara, Maagana Camp, NuweibaBeach.com, Petrolog International and Sheikh Mousa Bedouin Camp in St.Catherine.

Any profit that is made will be used to keep the bus alive.

:: Bedouin Bus

Image credit: Sinai, Shutterstock

The post Bedouin Bus is a Friendly Way to Travel Sinai appeared first on Green Prophet.

Israel’s local and national rail services have often been featured on Green Prophet ever since Jerusalem’s light rail service was completed in 2010, and another light rail line proposed for the coastal city of Tel Aviv .Its national rail service, which now runs from the northern coastal city of Nahariya to the Negev desert city of Dimona has now been given approval to continue its line further south to link up the commercial hub of Tel Aviv with the country’s southernmost city of Eilat. The new 330 km line, when completed, will “link up with the periphery in a way that has not been done up until now and create a very great interest on the part of Asia’s rising powers, China and India,” says Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

One important issue that is still to be decided on (and an important environmental one at that) is whether to continue to use petroleum based diesel fuel to power the train’s engines, or to convert them to run on electricity as was proposed by the management of Israel Railways and reported in Haaretz and other news media articles. Although using electricity would result in less air and noise pollution, an issue of great concern to the country’s  Ministry of Environmental Protection  is the amount of radiation caused by increased electrical current.  This increase could be much greater that that allowed by the ministry and by the various municipalities along which the rail line now runs, including the two major cities of Haifa and Tel Aviv.

According to a Haaretz article,  members of the Return the City to Haifa organization claimed two months ago that based on the survey, the expected radiation would exceed the level to which the Environmental Protection Ministry agreed in the permit it issued.

Haifa, through which the current Israel rail service runs daily, carrying both passengers and large amounts of freight, also has the distinction of having the country’s only subway service. Known as the Carmalit underground railroad, it has only 6 stations, is 1.8 km in length. It is known as one of the shortest subway systems in the world.

Although the Environment Protection Ministry originally approved a plan given them by the railways in which a “safety zone” of 12 meters would be required on either side of the tracks to insure public safety, regulations issued more recently by the ministry now claim that the radiation levels issued by the high speed trains would result in increased radiation levels that would exceed the maximum allowable radiation limit by more than half – from 10 milliGauss (units of radiation ) to 4 milliGauss as recommended by the country’s Health Ministry.

MilliGauss radiation, generated from electro-magnetic fields,  was originally innovated and worked on by Nikola Tesla, whose experiments with electro-magnetic fields and energy were said to have been “buried” by American “Big Oil” companies who feared that energy created by these methods would result in less petroleum being needed.

In a sharp objection to the Environment Protection Ministry’s increased radiation claims, the Israel Railways management, issued a statement that criticized the environment ministry as not being aware that many countries in the world are now switching over to electric trains which are less polluting than diesel oil.

The railways management further noted that the adoption of a more strict radiation threshold of only4 milliGauss  is “unparalleled anywhere in the entire world.” They also say that it has not been actually proven that any increased radiation would be damaging to the public.

Perhaps another  “rail” transportation idea is need, such as the proposed Tel Aviv Sky Tran transport project that will run on a pillow of air.

::Haaretz

More articles on Israel rail issues, including Tel Aviv’s Sky Tran project:

Proposed Tel Aviv Sky Tran Project is “Up in the Air”

Israel’s New Railway to Catalyze Increased Trade With China and India

New Israel Railway Approved Between Tel Aviv and Eilat

Tel Aviv Light Rail Train Chugs Away, Slowly

The post Will Radiation Danger Spoil Israel’s Electrified Train? appeared first on Green Prophet.

 

On Thursday, Dec. 20, Tzipi Livni’s new party, The Movement, stated that environmental reforms will be key components of their platform in the January 2013 Israeli elections. They propose passing a Basic Law for environmental protection, and a long-term blueprint for the Israeli energy market.

Livni presented The Movement’s environmental agenda together with Green Movement chairman Alon Tal.

Tal told the Jerusalem Post, “As a professor of environmental policy, I can honestly say this is the most detailed, comprehensive, creative and ambitious environmental platform ever introduced by a major political party in an Israeli election.”

The national elections in Israel are scheduled for January 22, 2013.

The Green Movement was founded in 2008. It has always campaigned for public transportation reform, among other public issues.  Following that strategy, The Movement now advocates for a complete overhaul of Israel’s Transportation Ministry budget, for increased public transportation, and aims to declare around 250,000 hectares (some 620,000 acres) of new, open protected areas. The agenda also included extensive government support for entrepreneurship in clean technologies.

“We are bringing today a strategic link between two movements that want to make a change in Israel,” Livni said.

Tal said that they would aim to bring renewable energy usage up to 10 percent by 2017 and 20 percent by 2020. Israel’s current official goal is 10 percent by 2020.

For a little more explanation about how Israel’s multi-party election system works, the GlobalPost published a concise guide.

Livni’s party is only a few weeks old. And only time will tell what new developments and platforms will be presented in the lead up to Israel’s national elections. But just having these kinds of tangible plans on the table does present a challenge to other major parties, especially center-left parties like the Labor party, that are also founded on social issues. The environment will certainly play a central role in the upcoming elections.

::Jpost

Image of Israeli elections via ChameleonsEye / Shutterstock.com

Image of Tzipi Livni via Dmitry Pistrov / Shutterstock.com

Read more about Israeli politics:

Environmental Platforms for Israel’s Elections

What’s Next for Israel’s Green Movement – Meimad?

Green Prophet Interviews Green Movement Spokesman Rami Livni

The post New Environmental Strategy On The Table In Israeli Elections appeared first on Green Prophet.