transportation

Boy sitting on cream sofa holding child's drawing, looking at it

A 3-year-old held up by Canada’s no-fly list? His parents say it’s 'ridiculous.'

The US and Canada share information from their no-fly lists, but there’s very little Canadians can do if they think they’re being flagged and delayed from boarding flights in error. It’s not just an inconvenience — it’s stigmatizing.

A 3-year-old held up by Canada’s no-fly list? His parents say it’s 'ridiculous.'
Taxi driver Gabriel Saad searches for passengers in Beirut.

Uber has met its match with Lebanon’s old-school carpool taxis

Uber has met its match with Lebanon’s old-school carpool taxis
People walk past Stockmann shopping center in Helsinki, Finland, on May 6, 2017.

How one city plans to steer residents away from driving

How one city plans to steer residents away from driving
Stockholm's highly-efficient subway system. Trains are known for running frequently and on time. They have large ridership but are not overly crowded because of the frequency of the trains.

US transportation is so far behind Sweden's it's not even funny

US transportation is so far behind Sweden's it's not even funny
Pollution

Why Mexico City's bad air can't be ignored — or easily fixed

Why Mexico City's bad air can't be ignored — or easily fixed

Street Art Gets Truckin'

These Spanish freight trucks got an impressive artistic makeover. 

Street Art Gets Truckin'
Buildings shrouded in smog in Mexico City

Mexico City residents are forced to cope with bad air

New restrictions have reduced the number of cars on the road, but that might not make much of a difference.

Mexico City residents are forced to cope with bad air
The Soulbury Stone sits in the middle of the road in Soulbury. But an auto accident forced locals to surround it with traffic cones as a stopgap measure to protect it.

This stone sits in the middle of a road — and people are just fine with it

The Soulbury Stone has rested in the middle of a road in the small town of Soulbury, England for 11,000 years. And if residents have their way, it will sit there for eternity.

This stone sits in the middle of a road — and people are just fine with it
A US-made AH-1W Cobra helicopter launches hellfire missiles during the annual Han Kuang No. 22 Military Exercise in Ilan county, 49 miles west of Taipei July 20, 2006

It's not unusual to transport 'dummy' Hellfire missiles on civilian flights

The Hellfire missile that showed up on an Air Serbia plane and launched an international incident was insert. Turns out, it's not at all uncommon for these inert, test missiles to be transported on civilian flights.

It's not unusual to transport 'dummy' Hellfire missiles on civilian flights
Stockholm has nine new Irish-made "Multihog" machines clearing the area's bike paths in winter.

Snow on the roads in Sweden — no problem

Last winter was a tough one in Boston. In Stockholm, they kept the trains running on time, all the time. Zero disruptions. So, what's their trick?

Snow on the roads in Sweden — no problem
Penn State Clearview test

Why did people freak when US wanted to change font on highway signs?

For six decades, highway signs have had one, universal font. Then the government tried to switch it — only to run into a backlash. Now it's backtracking.

Why did people freak when US wanted to change font on highway signs?
Only for Men

This taxi gives men a sense of what it feels like to travel as a woman in India

Ostensibly for their own protection, women in India often travel in sex-segregated compartments or seating areas, as well as in special "ladies only" taxis. A designer in Mumbai has kitted out a taxi with special rules "only for men."

This taxi gives men a sense of what it feels like to travel as a woman in India
Shipping containers

How we can shrink the environmental cost of moving our stuff from source to market

Goods and resources move across the global market — raw materials to factory, finished goods from factory to market. But all that moving comes at a cost to the environment.

How we can shrink the environmental cost of moving our stuff from source to market
The New York City subway map (L) alongside a peripheral vision visualization (R) with a focus on the Times Square subway stop. Courtesy of Ruth Rosenholtz

A researcher is trying to make those confusing transit maps easier to understand

Transit maps can open up the world. But they're often tricky to read — what with their spider web of routes labeled with numbers and letters. Does it really have to be this hard?

A researcher is trying to make those confusing transit maps easier to understand
Standing passengers on a crowded bus in Bogotá might not feel so lucky, but at least they’re burning more calories than people who sit during the commute.

Why taking the bus is better for our health than driving

Don't have time to get the gym this week? Here's a thought: ride the bus.

Why taking the bus is better for our health than driving