Redrawing a Bus Map Leads to a Dramatic Increase in Transit Ridership
July 21, 2017
In one year, Houston increased its bus and light rail ridership by 6.8% with no significant additional costs. They did it by completely redesigning their bus network, focusing on creating an efficient network with frequent service. In August 2015, Houston implemented one of the largest bus network changes in U.S. history, moving from a hub-and-spoke......
BNSF Uses UAVs to Safely and Efficiently Inspect Tracks
July 21, 2017
BNSF Railway was one of three companies selected by the Federal Aviation Administration to collaborate with the agency to explore the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in beyond visual line-of-sight operations in rural areas as they inspect rail infrastructure. BNSF has already found the use of UAVs to provide major advantages—in 2015 when floods......
July 06, 2017
Texas is among the leading producers of wind energy. But with the size of the Lone Star State, wind energy still needs to be moved from where it is captured to where it is most needed. Through the Competitive Renewable Energy Zone (CREZ), the state invested $7 billion in the erection of 3,600 miles of......
February 16, 2017
Collecting the necessary data to maintain water pipelines and sewers is often time-consuming and expensive. Thanks to a robot and the University of Texas at Arlington, a more cost effective and time efficient solution is now revolutionizing the monitoring of the city’s sewer pipes. The floating robot is equipped with a high-definition video camera, a......
February 16, 2017
In 2014, over one-third of all train derailments were the result of damaged rails, leading to millions of dollars in damages and dozens of injuries. In many cases, expansive rail lines run through isolated areas that are difficult and expensive for inspectors to access, but early detection of damaged track is critical to preventing costly......
Have Energy Spares, Will Travel
February 16, 2017
Power transformers play a critical role in the U.S. electric power transmission and distribution system, acting as the off-ramps for power coming off the high voltage transmission lines down to the substations that distribute it. This is why power transformers are a critical part of any spares strategy. An emergency spare transformer program can provide......
