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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Getting There

Dedicated lane? How about a straddling bus?

Twenty million new drivers take to China's streets every year, polluting the air, clogging the roadways and heightening parking problems in the country's cities.

What's a nation to do?

In this case, dream up a bus that takes up no lane while transporting up to 1,400 passengers. 

From CityLab:

The bus would span two traffic lanes and carry up to 1,400 passengers. It would travel up to 40 miles an hour above street level on a special track, allowing regular cars under 7 feet high to freely pass underneath. (As a extra touch, its underbelly even simulates the sky.)

More importantly, it would run on electricity and take the place of 40 buses, which could cut annual fuel consumption by 800 tons and carbon emissions by almost 2,500 tons, according to an interview with the chief engineer, Song Youzhou, conducted by China’s official news agency, Xinhua. And it would be less expensive than a subway system as it doesn’t involve digging up the ground.

Any takers for putting this on Division? Or Sprague? 



Nicholas Deshais
Joined The Spokesman-Review in 2013. He is the urban issues reporter, covering transportation, housing, development and other issues affecting the city. He also writes the Getting There transportation column and The Dirt, a roundup of construction projects, new businesses and expansions. He previously covered Spokane City Hall.

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