London Reconnections

Soviet fleet on the Thames (Part 1)

On 19 May 2020 By Long Branch Mike In History, Long reads, River

What do Russian hydrofoils, the Thames, the CIA, a secret city in the Soviet Union, and the Caspian Sea Monster have in common? Two mavericks on either side of the Iron Curtain, who made it …

Monday’s Friday Reads – 18 May 2020

On 18 May 2020 By Long Branch Mike In Cycles, Friday Reads, Mail Rail, Pedestrians

• London’s StreetSpace central car-free plan explained (TransportXtra) • NHS bosses urge pop-up cycleways for UK cities (Forbes) • Mail Rail virtual ride (PostalMuseum) • Steampunk model railway enthusiast has designs used by Hornby (BBC) …

Friday Reads – 15 May 2020

On 15 May 2020 By Long Branch Mike In COVID, DLR, Friday Reads, London Overground, Pedestrians, Tunnels

• Rebuilding Shadwell DLR & Overground stations into one (IanVisits) • Hidden Moorgate Station history and tour (LondonInheritance) • Reversing Beeching options (RailStaff) • 2 for 1 Tyne pedestrian & cycle tunnels in Newcastle (BeautyOfTransport) …

TfL: THE IMPOSSIBLE FINANCES OF FIGHTING A PANDEMIC

On 12 May 2020 By John Bull In COVID, Long reads, Politics, TfL

Asked by the government to provide a frequent a timetable during the Coronavirus outbreak to allow social distancing, TfL have risen to the challenge. But losing £150m a week has pushed the organisation to the …

Monday’s Friday Reads – 11 May 2020

On 11 May 2020 By Long Branch Mike In COVID, Cycles, Friday Reads, History, Network Rail, Pedestrians, Pollution

• UK Govt boosts cycling & walking with £2bn post-pandemic plan (Forbes) • We need health warning labels on fossil fuel sales (BritishMedJ) • New metro rail services urged to connect housing clusters (CIHT) • …

Friday Reads – 8 May 2020

On 8 May 2020 By Long Branch Mike In COVID, Friday Reads, HS2, Stations, TfL, Trams/Streetcars/LRT, Tunnels

• New Streetspace plan will fast track overhaul London’s streets (Guardian) • HS2 will build underground connection to Euston Square station (IanVisits) • Rethinking funding London transport (CentreForLondon) • Trainspotters: do your thing – at …

Monday’s Friday Reads – 4 May 2020

On 4 May 2020 By Long Branch Mike In COVID, Design, Friday Reads, Maps, Network Rail, Podcast, Tunnels

• Improving air quality at railway stations to fight Covid (RailwayTech) • London’s street parking takes the space of 10 Hyde Parks (CityMetric) • NR & Festival of Architecture reveal Sitting Pretty designs (RailBusinessDaily) • …

Friday Reads – 1 May 2020

On 1 May 2020 By Long Branch Mike In COVID, Friday Reads, History, Pedestrians

• Expanding sidewalks does not spread COVID (StreetsBlog) • Vilnius Lithuania to be turned into vast open-air café (Guardian) • Bailed out Air France not to compete with TGV (BusinessTraveller) • Strategic design needed for …

Monday’s Friday Reads – 27 April 2020

On 27 April 2020 By Long Branch Mike In Buses, COVID, Electric Vehicles (EVs), Friday Reads, Podcast, Pollution, Trams/Streetcars/LRT

• Legal bid launched to stop government’s £27bn road building plans (Forbes) • Missing taking a train? Take a KX-Leeds ride from the cab (LNER) • Norway’s A-ha moment that made it an electric car …

Friday Reads – 24 April 2020

On 24 April 2020 By Long Branch Mike In COVID, Cycles, Friday Reads, New York, Pollution, Trams/Streetcars/LRT

• That MIT study about the subway spreading COVID is crap (StreetsBlog) • Milan’s big plan to prevent post crisis traffic pollution (Guardian) • Paris to create 650km of cycleways for post-lockdown (Forbes) • Airlines …

Monday’s Friday Reads – 20 April 2020

On 20 April 2020 By Long Branch Mike In Friday Reads, History, London Overground, London Underground, New York, Pollution, Trams/Streetcars/LRT

This edition has been compiled by guest editor Rosie Greene: • Tube train door sounds transcribed (ClassicFM) • London Transport moquette designs in pictures (Guardian) • London Overground offers model for UK rail overhaul (FT-£) …

Friday Reads – 17 April 2020

On 17 April 2020 By Long Branch Mike In COVID, Friday Reads, History, Pedestrians, Pollution, Stations, Trams/Streetcars/LRT

• The Social Distancing Machine for pedestrians (PriceTags) • New Zealand first to fund pop-up bike lanes & widened sidewalks (Forbes) • Climate Safe Streets: life without cars in 10 years (TransportXtra) • Rail station …

Monday’s Friday Reads – 13 April 2020

On 13 April 2020 By Long Branch Mike In Buses, COVID, Friday Reads, Pedestrians, Stations

• Vauxhall bus station set for demolition (IanVisits) • Underground tubes used for WWII bunker (Xenophon) • Photos to vector diagrams of public spaces (UrbanNext) • Manchester rethinking zebra crossings (CityMetric) • World cities turn …

Friday Reads – 10 April 2020

On 10 April 2020 By Long Branch Mike In COVID, Design, Friday Reads, History, Network Rail, Pedestrians, Podcast, Pollution, Stations, Uber

• Survey of city actions to support walking, cycling during COVID (PedBikeInfo) • Coronavirus reveals transit’s true mission (CityLab) • Free rail travel to those fleeing domestic abuse during lockdown (RailDeliveryGroup) • We need to …

Monday’s Friday Reads – 6 April 2020

On 6 April 2020 By Long Branch Mike In Friday Reads, Maps, Pedestrians, Trams/Streetcars/LRT

• London Review of Books reviews Tube escalators (LRB) • A lot going wrong on Ottawa’s new LRT (OttawaCitizen) • Why the US sucks at building public transit (Vice) • Map of SFO BART – …