Most people are under the impression that trains are a reasonably green sort of transportation. When used in a city to move people about, the environmental benefits seem pretty obvious. Fewer cars are needed on the roads, decreasing congestion and electric trains are more efficient and create less air pollution than their automotive brethren. But apparently that's not good enough for some folks in Kagoshima, Japan. They realized if they placed some midori (green) around and under the train tracks, not only could they improve the appearance of their town but also reduce the heat island effect caused by acres of concrete and pavement. In the newscast discussing this development a reporter takes a temperature reading while standing on the asphalt street of 62.6 degrees Celsius (143.96 Fahrenheit). Moving over to the grass, the temperature drops to a much more reasonable 35 degrees C (95 F). So far they've done just under 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) but hope to green about 9 Km (5.5 miles) by 2012. The effect on the people of the city seemed positive. The one comment the reporter received from a woman about the improvement that we could understand without an interpreter said it looked beautiful. We agree. Thanks to B.T. for the tip!

[Source: Japan Probe]

Considering the fact that we just highlighted a report which brought to light just how long each of us tends to sit in traffic each day, using an alternative form of transportation - such as a bus or trolley - is an extremely attractive option. Because of this fact, many urban locations are putting them in service. After going into service, they usually get a cool name; something that rolls of the tongue or can be shortened to something memorable. You know... like SLUT. Perfect, right? You'll never forget the name, and the word-of-mouth advertising is likely to be huge!

Officially known as the South Lake Union Streetcar, the locals really know it as the South Lake Union Trolley. From our source article:

At Kapow! Coffee, a shop in the old Cascade neighborhood, 100 T-shirts bearing the words "Ride the SLUT" sold out in days, and another 100 are on order.

"We're welcoming the SLUT into the neighborhood," said Jerry Johnson, 29, a part-time barista.

I'll bet that Vulcan Inc., the developers of the new and improved neighborhood, love the name as much as you, our readers, do. Dont'cha think? It is a very "Desirable" name, after all.

[Source: The AP via The Kansas City Star]

ZipCar is getting to be pretty well known here in the US and even has a branch in London England. However they aren't the only car sharing service and one located in England is called StreetCar. Streetcar has done a deal with British railway operator Network Rail to set up car sharing sites at four major rail stations in the London area. Streetcar members will be able pick up cars from Victoria, Euston, Paddington and Waterloo stations and pay for them on an hourly basis. If the program works out the companies will expand availability to other stations.

[Source: The Independent]

Comparing car sharing services around the globe allows us to see all the ways one can operate a part-time car business. One thing I like about Charter Drive, based in Sydney, Australia, is their three-part pricing structure for users who need a car occasionally, frequently or regularly. Occasional users don't pay a monthly fee, just a higher per-rental charge, and get a 30 free kilometers worth of gas (everyone who wants to use Charter Drive needs to pay a $25 sign-up fee). Higher-use members pay a monthly fee, but each rental costs less. If you need a car for more than a few hours at a time, Charter Drive's car rental partner, Red Spot Car Rental, offers discounts to Charter Drive members and offers home pickup and delivery.

As Charter Drive learns from WhizzGo and City Wheels teaches Street Car a thing or two and ZipCar informs the next car sharing program on the horizion how its done, people living in metropolitan areas will really get into these programs. It can be a colossal hassle to have a car in a city, with limited parking and traffic on top of the standard car ownership costs. Compare the hassles with the option of using public transportation and car sharing, and it just seems natural that well-run car sharing services will expand dramatically in the near future.

Related:

• Street Car sharing cars in London

[Source: YouTube / Charter Drive]

I really like the idea of car sharing. In the US, we've got CityWheels and ZipCar. In the UK, there is WhizzGo and now Street Car. The incredibly cleverly named Street Car (seriously, I dig it) offers Londoners a fleet of nothing but Volkswagen Golfs at this point. These cars are not the bare bones models, as they're teched out with cell phone and iPod compatibility. You can even call Street Car HQ for free from the car's hands-free phone. Street Car's reservation system is similar to ZipCar's. You submit your request online or using your cell phone, walk up to the car, use your personal code to gain access to the vehicle, and go about your business. It costs £4.95 per hour or £35 per 24 hours (and there is no joining fee). Street Car claims using a car for a "representative two trips a week" for a year will cost you £707, compared to £2749 to actually own a car 24/7/365.

What's incredible about the Street Car website is the detailed description of where the cars are parked. An internet map with the address and directions, plus a picture of the car's exact parking space is available online for each of Street Car's hundred or so vehicles in London. You can tell from the way the website is written that the company plans on expanding ("click to browse all UK locations", for example). I hope they do.

[Source: Street Car]

I haven't yet seen the new movie "Who Killed the Electric Car?" which opens next month, but I'm pretty sure I have seen the story before. The trailer for "Who Killed the Electric Car?" basically accuses GM (and other car and oil companies) of promoting cars like the Hummer instead of gasless electric vehicles because there's money to be made in oil. It's a m.o. I remember from a documentary I saw a few years ago.

"Taken For A Ride" is a documentary that shows how automobile manufacturers stifled public transportation projects that could have reduced Americans' dependence on gas-guzzling vehicles. The main charge in "Taken For A Ride" is that between 1926 and 1946 GM worked hard to buy up and then destroy commuter streetcar lines across America. This viewpoint is made quite convincingly in the film. As one reviewer quoted on the film's website puts it, "In short, 'Taken For A Ride' is advocacy journalism pure and simple. It is fascinating, irreverent, frequently hilarious, and depending upon your point of view outrageous, or great fun."

"Taken For A Ride" is difficult to get a hold of if your local library doesn't have access to the film (it'll cost you $80 to buy a copy, $55 to rent), but if you can get access to the film, it's well worth checking out.

[Source: New Day Films]