urbanMSP

Tesla expanding the number of charging stations in their system in preparation for the Model 3

https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/tal ... -3-rollout

Noticed one in Minneapolis for the end of 2017.

In an experiment, even a single driverless car improved congestion and with less braking and accelerating by human drivers also could improve fuel consumption

https://www.technologyreview.com/s/6078 ... g-traffic/

If we had a forward thinking government, we could have autonomous pace cars in traffic jams with technology available now helping with this.

We have supposed congestion-controling entrance ramp signals. They only work if people allow them to work.

First mistake - relying on people to take turns and wait patiently.

How does this compare to people using a bus?

How about a demonstration of a 300-mile car battery that charges in 5 minute?

http://www.thedrive.com/news/10227/isra ... -5-minutes

We have supposed congestion-controling entrance ramp signals. They only work if people allow them to work.

You mean those things that penalize urban dwellers by prioritizing far-flung suburban traffic?

How about a demonstration of a 300-mile car battery that charges in 5 minute?

http://www.thedrive.com/news/10227/isra ... -5-minutes

Good comments in the article pointing out the voltage and/or amperage needed to achieve this. Either it's not generally safe for consumers or you're lugging around mega cables. Quite possibly both.

You mean those things that penalize urban dwellers by prioritizing far-flung suburban traffic?

One of the beauties of living in the city is never actually having to get on the freeway.

You mean those things that penalize urban dwellers by prioritizing far-flung suburban traffic?

One of the beauties of living in the city is never actually having to get on the freeway.

Unless you need to go to the suburbs.

Or St. Paul.

Same thing, really.

Okay, #butactually, ramp meters have proven to have a net benefit even to urban dwellers who have longer wait times on the ramps but don't see the longer delays once they get on the freeway itself (unless you're making a short trip, around 3 exit lengths, on the freeway itself where the travel time savings aren't outweighed by the ramp wait times). To say nothing of the decrease in crashes for freeway users (including city-resident users), decrease on surface street traffic counts thanks to more reliable freeway speeds, etc. Yes, the meters benefit (in terms of total trip travel time savings) longer trips from Lakeville more than they do to urban dwellers, but percent of trip may be comparable.

Ramp meters were/are a good low-cost way to squeeze out some added capacity & reduce travel times. There might be better ways, specifically through meter timing system-wide, to balance the equity concerns (implement more meters further out with longer wait times to allow shorter meter light times on urban ramps), but to say they currently penalize urban dwellers is false.

Of course, pricing the damn roads (and destination parking) would be a much better way to achieve these goals, but the meters help and were politically possible.

I like ramp meters. But I also never get on the highway, living in the city. Even in my daily drives into and out of our largest suburb.

Unless you need to go to the suburbs.

Or St. Paul.

Same thing, really.

Or even just between North (and far Northeast) Minneapolis and the farther parts of South Minneapolis, really. Yeah, you technically don't have to take the freeway, but it can be a hassle depending on where and how far you're going.

Can't keep the Capital City bashing for one of the four Minneapolis sections?

Or even just between North (and far Northeast) Minneapolis and the farther parts of South Minneapolis, really. Yeah, you technically don't have to take the freeway, but it can be a hassle depending on where and how far you're going.

When I drive from Hale to downtown (or vice versa), I occasionally make the mistake of taking 35W. As these trips tend to be during rush hour, it's almost always a mistake. It might not actually be faster to take surface streets, but at least you're not sitting in traffic, for the most part.

Of course, today is the first day I've driven since Cedar and Portland have been closed at the Greenway, so I may not think so on the way home tonight.

Of course, I try to take as many trips as possible by bike, so the freeway is mostly not an option anyway.

Can't keep the Capital City bashing for one of the four Minneapolis sections?

It's good-natured teasing. It's one city with an artificial political border down the middle; the idea of calling a city 3/4 the size of Minneapolis its "suburb" is pretty damn funny.

Obviously, it's a bit of a sore spot as many of the louder voices in St. Paul like the idea of living in a place dominated by suburban land use.

Seems to be plenty of those voices in Minneapolis too, what with the brouhahas over bike lanes, density, etc.

So our plan to watch fireworks from Cray Central was thwarted when our car broke in Mankato. My mom came to take the rest of the family home while I had a pleasant and humorous 1.5 hour drive with the tow truck driver and his (I assume) apprentice. The car had started leaking coolant and I'm really hoping it's just a hose or pump and not a ruined engine.

Anyhoo, it got me started thinking about the next kind of car we would get. Unfortunately, we need two cars for the time being because I have to take Julian to preschool in a transit-inaccessible place and Emily works all over the metro depending on where her employer sends her that week.

With the current state of tech I would probably get a Chevy Volt to supplement the LEAF, which is our primary family car. The Volt has the advantage of mostly using electricity for day-to-day driving while allowing long trips when needed. I was really hoping the Chevy Bolt would do and it probably could if we were willing to rent a car for our thrice-a-year trips to the North Shore and other longer journeys. But we don't actually need the Bolt's range for day-to-day driving. What we'd need is a car that can get to Grand Marais and Tulsa, OK several times a year.

Assuming all goes well with the current car, what's on the horizon to fill this kind of need? It seems like charging infrastructure is ramping up and new higher-voltage/current solutions are being standardized. I just saw that Volvo has disavowed the gas engine, or at least diminished its role.

If all does not go well, any suggestions on the best way to fill our driving needs in the most environmentally responsible way?