27th November 2007: City living 'breast cancer risk'. Women living and working in the city have a higher risk of breast cancer, researchers say. The study of 972 women by London's private Princess Grace Hospital found city women had much denser breasts. Previous research has shown those with the densest breast were four times more likely to develop cancer. Researchers, presenting the study to the Radiological Society of North America, said air pollution was likely to be the cause of denser breasts. It is thought air pollution contains tiny particles that mimic female sex hormones and can disrupt the make up of breasts.
Full article at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7114473.stm
BBC

16th August 2007: New 'Lightram 3' trolleybuses for Zurich. A new double-articulated trolleybus was presented to the press in Zurich today. Members of the public are being invited to think up a name for it. The bus will come into service in September. See top left for photo.
Andrew Moglestue

26th July 2007, Los Angeles: 'Diesel fumes worsen heart disease'. More research has been done by the team that nailed the link between asthma and diesel fumes. This time they have found a link with heart disease/cholestorol levels. Channel 4 report at: http://tinyurl.com/3xbm2w
In the Yorkshire Post article on the same subject, Cathy Ross, cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation is quoted as saying: "Anyone with chronic lung disease or coronary heart disease should avoid staying outside for long periods when pollution levels are high."

28th June 2007: New Transport Minister. As part of incoming Prime Minister Gordon Brown's cabinet reshuffle, Douglas Alexander (seen in the TV clip, top) has now been replaced by Ruth Kelly, MP.

15th June 2007, Leeds: RTB approval for Tbus. The Yorkshire and Humber Assembly’s Regional Transport Board has backed the WYPTA's plans for a brand new trolleybus system for the city. “Gaining the Regional Transport Board’s financial backing is a huge step forward in our plans to develop what will be the UK’s first new trolleybus scheme in Leeds,” said Metro Director General Kieran Preston.
More details at: http://www.wymetro.com/News/07/070614-2.htm
West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Authority

11th May 2007, Switzerland: Improvements in Lausanne and Geneva . Transport authority in Lausanne has announced that they have ordered 35 new articulated trolleybuses and that route 3 will not now be dieselised because of the public outcry against it. By 2014, they plan to have completely renewed their trolleybus fleet.
Geneva is extending trolleybus route 3 and there is a plan to replace diesel buses on route 1 with trolleybuses.
Blickpunkt Strassenbahn

10th May 2007, New Zealand: New trolleys for Wellington applauded. Transport Minister Annette King says the signing of a contract for 61 new trolley buses in Wellington is a proud day for the capital, a great boost for public transport and a fine example of “environmental sustainability in action”.
Greater Wellington Regional Council chair Ian Buchanan and Infratil managing director and NZ Bus director Lloyd Morrison signed the contract for the 61 new buses, each worth about $500,000, in Wellington today.
Ms King, who spoke at the signing ceremony, said the contract signalled the “rebirth of a Wellington icon.
“More than that, however, trolley buses demonstrate environmental sustainability in action,” she said. “The Government is meeting half of the approximately $6.5 million annual cost of running and renewing the trollies, and improving the overhead system and power supply.”
“Wellington’s existing 60-bus trolley fleet covers 1.6 million kilometres annually, powered by four Giggawatt hours of electricity. That’s the same amount of electricity used by about 500 households, or the equivalent of the amount of electricity produced by about half of one of the new windmills recently installed at TrustPower’s new Tararua windfarm.
“Diesel buses covering the same distance would use 600,000 litres of diesel a year, producing 1600 tonnes of CO2 emissions.
The smooth, electric-powered motors help make the inner city cleaner and quieter, and an even better place in which to work and play.”
Ms King says that “anything we can do as a country to reduce CO2 emissions, to move toward renewable energy sources, and to increase the use of public transport is to be applauded. That’s why today is such a great day, and why Wellington should be congratulated for its enterprise and initiative.”
“I want to particularly acknowledge Land Transport New Zealand for their hard work over the past year, and Greater Wellington Regional Council for negotiating this contract with NZ Bus. Together, we have ensured trolley buses remain on Wellington’s roads.”
Contact: John Harvey (04) 471 9305, John Saunders (04) 470 6851.
New Zealand government press release

7th February 2007: Researchers at the University of Connecticut apparently tested emissions from hybrid and regular diesel buses recently, and the results were rather suprising.  They found that emissions from hybrids were 12% lower in freeway driving at constant speeds, but in stop-go urban cycles the hybrids actually had greater emissions than standard diesel buses.  The tests measured number of particles, not mass. Hybrid vehicles were of the parallel type that used the Allison Electric Drive. Study can be found at:  http://www.engr.uconn.edu/~baholmen/docs/AAAR04_DavilaHolmen.pdf
Kevin Brown

5th February 2007: Two further Swisstrolleys ordered for Zurich. In order to be able to shorten peak headways on route 32 to five minutes, VBZ has exercised its option for two additional Swisstrolley3 trolleybuses. The total size of this batch is now 18 instead of 16 as ordered in July 2005. Deliveries will continue at the rate of two vehicles a month until late Summer.
Andrew Moglestue
http://www.proaktiva.ch/trolleybus


26th January 2007: Traffic fumes from motorways can seriously impair the lung development of children, new research suggests. A large-scale study in California found that 10-year-olds who lived within 500 metres of a motorway suffered a "substantial" loss of lung function by the age of 18. The effect became less the further away a child lived from the road.
A similar impact was seen on both boys and girls, and there was little influence from social background, other pollution sources, or exposure to tobacco smoke.
Between the ages of 10 and 18, a period of rapid lung growth occurs. This can be assessed with tests which measure the amount of air a child can blow into a tube.
The scientists carried out annual lung function tests on 3,677 Californian children for eight years. Those living at least 1,500 metres from a major road were used as a baseline. Compared with them, children living closer to motorways had less "puff" at the age of 18.
The researchers, led by Dr James Gauderman, from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, reported in The Lancet medical journal: "Pronounced deficits in attained lung function at age 18 years were recorded for those living within 500 metres of a freeway."
For one test, their average performance was 3% lower than that of the baseline children. Another test showed an almost 7% reduction, but individual children had deficits of up to 10%. The scientists said their findings pointed to diesel pollution as being a prime culprit.
Yahoo News

26th November 2006, Venezuela: New system launched. Mérida in Venezuela is the latest place to launch a new trolleybus system, which has just opened for trials. The lines have segregated routes for the vehicles, with platform stops in the middle, between the two carriageways. The service also features radically-designed platform shelters (see above left for photo).
Yahoo Groups

 

 

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