Do What's Right.

Category: Travel (Page 3 of 3)

New York City to become the first place in America to institute a congestion pricing plan

Curbed » 

The Federal Highway Administration has given its blessing to New York City’s plan after an environmental review determined a “Finding of No Significant Impact” over a project area that encompasses 28 counties across three states. In what has become an agonizingly drawn-out process — the state legislature approved congestion pricing in 2019, for those keeping track — the MTA has cleared one more hurdle in its quest to charge drivers to enter Manhattan below 60th Street. To say that the agency could really use the plan’s projected $1 billion in annual revenue is an understatement.

Five ways remote work is changing American culture

Mike Elgan, Computerworld »

  1. Remote work has made America more suburban
  2. Remote work is increasing the size of American homes and yards
  3. The ability to work from anywhere means vacations involve at least one person working during the trip
  4. More people are using real-time digital collaboration tools (Zoom and Microsoft Teams)
  5. Better work life balance » Time wasted commuting to and from work is now time spent caring for their families and themselves

Read Mike Elgan’s full article »

97% of Canadian EV drivers will purchase another when it comes time to replace their existing EV

  • 89% enjoy driving their EV more than their ICE vehicle.

Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) »

The survey of over 16,000 EV owners from coast to coast found their top concern is the availability of public charging. More than four out of every 10 (44%) EV drivers say that this is a worry even after experiencing EV ownership. Significantly, EV owners say they spend 30% of their time charging outside the home. 

Further, a significant minority lack confidence in taking road trips in their EV. More than one-third of those surveyed (36%) don’t have the confidence to drive their EV on a long road trip, and most EV drivers (67%) still own a gas vehicle, which they are more likely to use for longer journeys. 

The survey asked respondents to rate their level of pre-purchase concern against their actual experience as EV drivers, in several categories. The survey found that while none of the concerns disappeared completely, they did significantly decline. Worries about range fell 37 percentage points to 30%, cold-weather performance concerns dropped 25 percentage points to 33%, and fears about battery degradation fell 41 percentage points to 13%. 

The survey also found satisfaction rates among EV drivers in Canada are extremely high. An overwhelming majority (97%) say they will purchase another EV when it comes time to replace their existing one. Almost nine in ten (89%) say they enjoy driving their EV more, 95% say their EV is more affordable, and 92% say their EV is a quieter ride than their gas vehicle. 

Japan has millions of empty houses. Want to buy one for US$25,000?

The Business Times »

As Japan’s population shrinks and more properties go unclaimed, an emerging segment of buyers, feeling less tethered to overcrowded cities, is seeking out rural architecture in need of some love. The most recent government data, from the 2018 Housing and Land survey, reported about 8.5 million akiya across the country – roughly 14 per cent of the country’s housing stock – but observers say there are many more today. The Nomura Research Institute puts the number at more than 11 million, and predicts that akiya could exceed 30 per cent of all houses in Japan by 2033.

The importance of travel for learning

New Statesman »

His book on American political life, published in two volumes between 1835 and 1840, was not to be read as a travelogue, he warned his readers. But besides being an aristocrat, liberal theorist and politician, he was also a perennial traveller – something that involved no little risk, both because of the greater inconvenience and danger of travel during his lifetime, and his own fragile health, which frequently cut short his trips and finally cut short his life in 1859 at just 53.

Tocqueville’s peregrinations form the subject of Jeremy Jennings’ new book, Travels with Tocqueville Beyond America – which, despite its title, devotes considerable attention to the famous trip to America, while delving also into less well-known voyages to Germany, Switzerland and Ireland, among other countries. The book’s objective is to “take Tocqueville seriously as a traveller”, which involves dissenting from the view of Tocqueville’s critics, who argue – according to Jennings – that the Frenchman “learned nothing from his travels and was more interested in mixing with the social elites of the country he was visiting”.

Newer posts »

© 2024 Downshift

Theme by Anders NorenUp ↑