Fulton Transit Station (Finally) Set To Open Monday, 11/10 at 5PM.

After more than a decade of planning, the 10-line, 300,000+ daily passenger station is set to open its doors.  The station is set to open just days after One World Trade welcomed its first 175 Conde Nast employees this past Monday.

Things are really starting to take shape in the forever developing Financial District.  I cannot wait to see the neighborhood change over the next year.  Finally, long delayed projects will begin pumping new and creative life into the suit and tie dominated area.  The creative rebirth of Lower Manhattan is upon us!

(Photos via Curbed)

 

 

Anyone Hear of UberPool?

On August 15th, 2014, Uber announced a Beta version of it’s newest product – UberPool.  The startup location app has been widely popular across the United States in recent months.  Users are picked up in a private car and can request a car before stepping out of the house.  The service uses the GPS on your phone to accurately hail a cab.  The taxi-company of the 21st century is a perfect example of how technology is making life easier.  There have been a few issues with the service, but I am extremely pleased with Uber’s customer service and believe in the product they are selling.

One of the biggest drawbacks of Uber was price.  Often more expensive than a regular cab, I found myself not wanting to pay for $50 Uber ride when I could spend $15 in a regular yellow cab.  UberX presented a price solution, offering rides at or below taxi prices.  The service is not to the level of a full scale Uber SUV, but it is also cheaper than a yellow cab, not to mention a newer, nicer, cleaner car.

Now, UberPool is here to offer an even cheaper offer.  Basically UberPool turns your trip into a ride share program where passengers with similar routes are picked up and dropped off together.  I am not sure how successful this will ultimately end up being for Uber.  The thought of sharing a cab ride with someone else does not sound to appealing right off of the bat. Ultimately, I do think that this will help Uber continue to reach more consumers.  If Uber can make this work, the company will have captured market share from the very top to the very bottom.  The program has been up and running for slightly over a month.  Maybe one day we will see it here in New York.

How Far Can You Travel In Ten Minutes? (via @AtlanticCities

Isoscope is an analytics firm that takes the study of human traffic flows to a next level.  The interactive map lets you see how far you can travel depending on the time of day.  The map is incredibly detailed, breaking down travel times depending on time of day, day of the week, and mode of transportation.  I used the New York map, however the information was available across the United States and Europe.  

If you have some free time today and are always wondering about traffic flows, take a look!

PHOTO: Taxis of the Future Appear On Houston

The taxi of the future has been spotted today! These two cabs were seen driving on Houston and Avenue A, and are part of a pilot program. The cab design is sleek, modern and surprisingly, does not look too minivan-esque like the original model. Expect to see a fleet of cabs (13,000 strong!) hitting the streets next year when the program launches.

Citi Bike Graph Data That Will Amaze You

As the hoop-lah surrounding Citi Bike begins to calm down, the program is really coming into its own.  Screen shots taken from the program’s website show just how successful things are starting to become.

The first image you see below shows how signups have increased between 600-700% in just the first few weeks of the program.  The program should continue to increase in popularity over the coming weeks as more stations open up.  The cooler weather should also get more tourists on board as well.  This image below shows the rather steady increase in cumulative trips.  The beautiful display will continue to rise as more rides occur and at a higher frequency per day.  In just the two months of Citi Bike, the system has logged over 1.5 million trips!  I saved the best for last.  This graph shows the total miles traveled since the program went into service.  We are now getting very close to the 4 million mile mark in just two months!  No one can argue that this program has and will undoubtedly continue to be a success, especially when we get more stations open and even more New Yorkers on board!

 

Green Roofs From Across The World (via BuzzBuzzHome)

President Obama is starting to get serious about climate change.  In recent talks, he has mentioned the need for massive increases in green living.  Anyone who lives in an urban core can tell you how hot and unbearable the summers can get.  A great way to combat both air quality and spikes in urban core temperature readings comes in the form of green roofs.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has been a leader in bringing green roofs to one of the largest cities in the world.  The city even announced the rise of rooftop agriculture with the largest urban farm in the US currently under construction on a Brooklyn rooftop.  Bloomberg, Obama, and politicians across the world are leading the way in reclaiming urban space for non-industrial use.

These green roofs serve a variety of purposes that are both helpful to those in the building, and everyone around.  First and foremost, green roofs lower the temperature of the buildings roof by considerable amounts.  Rather than having black tar or reflective tin roofs that can sizzle in with surface temperatures upwards of 130 degrees, green roofs rarely get hotter than the actual air temperature.  Roof or rain gardens also help with rain water run off, something that is a major issue in coastal cities.  Rain gardens filter excess water, and some can even store water to be used by the building tenants later on.  A third attribute green roofs provide is fresh, clean air.  Trees, plants, and other shrubs help clean the air and lessen ozone levels that so often spiral out of control in urban cities.

The super cool pictures below show how urban architecture can be infused with green design.  Most of the pictures are taken from abroad, let’s incorporate them into US design!

 

Top of Chicago’s City Hall

Green Parking Garage in Namba Park, Japan

Vancover Convention Center

 

Vancover Convention Center (cont’d)