When Tokyo Region's Technologies and Transit System Were
by Quake, People Improvised and Got Home Safely
By Richard P. Greenfield
It began far out at sea, in a little-watched segment of a fault off Sendai, Japan. It reached land first as sound, the bass drum roll of heaven, amped up so that even hundreds of miles away the sound blotted everything else out, pushed against ribs, even before the earth beneath began to shake.
Later measurements showed March 11’s Great Tohuku Earthquake moved the entire island of Honshu 8 feet closer to the U.S. and released nearly 500 megatons of energy—the rough equivalent of half of all the officially acknowledged nuclear weapons on earth.
Regional Catastrophic Planning Teams Work to Unify Responses When Disasters Strike
By Mark Solof
Contemplating the worst case scenarios—like a direct hit from a Category 3 storm—and finding approaches that could bring a semblance of order to potential chaos, while preparing for a rebound from devastation, has been the focus of planning efforts since 2007 in the New York-New Jersey region and in nine other major urban areas across the country.
Riders’ Eyes and Ears Among Most Critical Defenses for Rail Systems
By Josh Stephens
Security experts and transit officials alike all but guarantee that some intentional tragedy will, sooner or later, befall the transit infrastructure of a major American city. In the decade since al Qaeda changed the way Americans fly, the terrorist network has attempted repeats of the 9/11 plot. All have failed.
Research to Project How Critical Infrastructure will be Impacted in Decades to Come
By Jeff Perlman and Keith Hamas
Across the globe, evidence of the impacts of climate change is increasingly well documented in a range of measurements including rising sea levels, increased storm severity, flooding, heat, drought and general variations in weather patterns. The likelihood of these dynamics affecting the built environment is especially alarming in New Jersey—a state whose dense population and heavy travel patterns depend on an abundance of infrastructure in low-lying or coastal areas.
Emerging Technologies Designed to Thwart Drunken Driving
By Karl Vilacoba
Over 20 years after the introduction of the alcohol interlock ignition system, a host of new technologies are being designed to keep the roads free of impaired drivers. As anti-impaired driving technologies are further honed and their track records are established, they may become common features in new vehicles, offering an opportunity to significantly reduce the number of fatalities on U.S. roads each year.
Artists Transform Public Streets into Outlets for Creative Expression
By Jessica Zimmer
Artists are remaking America’s roads into stages and galleries. Painted concrete barriers, puppet shows that take place in rush hour traffic, statues that utilize traffic signs, and roads that play music are just some of the individual expressions that are changing the experience of driving, walking and bicycling. As both sanctioned and renegade artists put their work on display, transportation officials are rethinking the purposes that street art can serve.