Good day my good friend.

Perhaps today is a day that we should start to appreciate transport workers a bit more. Over the last few years they have performed miracles in often difficult circumstances. Many have died while doing so. Maybe, just maybe, we should appreciate them more, rather than complain when they strike. Heaven knows what the world would be like without them.

If you have any suggestions for interesting news items or bits of research to include in this newsletter, you can email me.

James

You want something random? How about an article on highways on barrier islands?

I got a message yesterday from a good friend, who, in their own words, “loves the randomness of the stuff you share.” Naturally, I took that as a challenge. So here is an actually quite interesting article on how vulnerable highways are on barrier islands. You know, those things that you only ever hear about during hurricanes.

The research looked to answer a pretty important question. What can be used to indicate whether a highway on a barrier island will be washed away or damaged during a major storm? It turns out, it is these things right here:

The research finds that distance from edge-of-pavement to dune toe, volume above mean high water between edge-of-pavement and ocean shoreline, distance from edge-of-pavement to ocean shoreline, and dune crest height above the road are the most skilled individual indicators of highway vulnerability.

Where to next for micromobility in the UK?

E-scooters and bike share in the UK is in a bit of a funny place. The e-scooter trials seem to be in a bit of a holding pattern until November 2022, although the likes of Voi are still racking up the numbers. But this analysis by Zag Daily of different tenders doesn’t exactly demonstrate a market that is in rapid expansion.

Perhaps this is a good place to be. After rapid expansion and the volatility of COVID, some time for the operators to take stock, get the operational basics right (and profitable), and to focus on the core offering may be a good thing. Not everything needs a profound insight or predictions of growth and radical change. As my experience of using the scooters in Bristol recently shows, sometimes it just working is enough.

Random things

These links are meant to make you think about the things that affect our world in transport, and not just think about transport itself. I hope they do just that.

• What You’re Feeling Isn’t A Vibe Shift. It’s Permanent Change. (Buzzfeed News)

• Modern Capitalism Is Weirder Than You Think (New York Magazine)

• What is killing the millennials? (Unacceptable Jessica)

• What Is a Nation? (Persuasion)

• The Future of the Creator Economy (After School)

Something interesting

This is the sort of storytelling that transport needs.

If you do nothing else today, then do this

Thank you to Daniel McCool for pointing out this Urban Transport Group report on Equitable Future Mobility. Its a rather good read. There is also a lunchtime chat planned on it as well.