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Escuela de Ciencias del LenguajeLectura de Textos Académicos en Inglés Postgrado– Taller 6

Periodo Julio – Agosto 2013

Profesor: Felipe Robayo Chacón

Solar Roads, Charging Roads, And The Future Of Transportation

Written by: Glen Hiemstra (http://www.fastcoexist.com/1681562/solar-roads-charging-

roads-and-the-future-of-transportation)

 Everyone might want super fast trains or driverless cars, but the real innovations in

transportation are going to involve infrastructure. Meet the road of the future.

This week the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge was lit in the greatest LED art display

ever. I was dazzled, but a little side-note in the news story caught my attention. The Bay

Bridge opened in 1936, after construction began in 1933. The grandness of this bridge

was quickly eclipsed, however, when the more picturesque Golden Gate Bridge opened

in 1937. Its construction too had begun in 1933.

I had to look at those construction dates once more. This was the depth of theGreat Depression. Today, in our own economic doldrums, it is hard to conceive of such

projects. I begin with these examples because the first reaction to what I am about to

tell you about future transportation infrastructure is very likely to be, “Nope, we can’t afford that, never gonna happen.” Just keep in mind an earlier generation of leaders and

citizens looked hardship in the eye and proceeded to build a new future. I think it ispast time to do that again.

When we contemplate the future of transportation we think of  bullet trains, electric autonomous cars, sub-orbital planes and the like. We even wonder--still--when

the flying car will land in reality. But we don’t think much about the infrastructure on

which those vehicles depend. Some very enterprising and creative engineers do,

however. Here are two ideas for re-inventing the road that I think could, literally,

change everything about future transportation, if we care to be as bold as our ancestorsin the 1930s.

First up is Solar Roadways. What is a road? A strip of asphalt, concrete, dirt, or

cobblestone on which wheeled vehicles roll. Road materials have advanced since

Roman days, but not all that much, really. It is still just a hard surface, designed to

support the weight of vehicles and keep us out of the mud. Twenty four hours a day,

roads, parking lots, and sidewalks just sit there, and in the day time they mostly just sit 

there collecting heat and light but not doing anything with it.Imagine, as Solar Roadways has, that you could replace the concrete or asphalt 

with solar cells beneath a layer of glass. Operating at 15% efficiency the U.S. roadsystem would provide more than four times our current electricity needs, or about as

much electricity as the whole world uses. It’s a lot of potential power.It turns out it is not that hard to take “off the shelf” material and build a layer

of solar cells between sealed layers of glass, and construct a roadway surface of theresulting panels. The primary complication is manufacturing glass that is strong

enough for an 18-wheeler to drive on, that is clear enough to allow sunlight in but 

opaque enough not to emit too much glare, with sufficient traction and durable enough

to last for years. The glass design challenge is one that Solar Roadways is working on,

among others, and one they plan to test with their first road panels installed in a

parking lot in the spring of 2013.

Solar Roadways and its founders, Scott and Julie Brusaw, have made a big

splash on the Web, at Tedx, and YouTube, especially through the video below (with 1.5

million views) introducing their original work. In addition to solar cells in the glass

sandwich they are installing led lights that can be programmed to spell out messages

and to respond to the environment, signaling that cars should stop for pedestrians, for

example.The second infrastructure re-invention company is Wave, which stands for

Wireless Advanced Vehicle Electrification. Its goal is to enable electric buses to becomemore cost effective than diesel or natural gas buses, and without the need for being

connected to overhead wires. In order to run continuously on rechargeable batteries, a

bus has to carry a lot of them, since recharging happens only at the base station. This

makes the bus inefficient, heavy, and costly.

However, the people at Wave knew that electricity can be transmitted

wirelessly though magnetic induction. The question is how to build magnetic inductionequipment into the infrastructure. Their simple solution is genius. Install a wave

induction receiving unit on the bottom of the bus, and then at various bus stops install

a magnetic induction power transfer system in the road. When the bus stops to pick up

passengers, the magnetic induction unit wirelessly sends a charge to the batteries, and

this frequent re-charging enables to bus to run all day, until it returns to base for a full

re-charge overnight. Fewer batteries, less weight, more economical.

All that is needed at the bus stop is a way to connect the magnetic induction

system to a power source. Solar Roadways might just have a built in solution to that!Wave notes on their website that technical hurdles remain to reach ultimate

efficiencies but they are installing magnetic induction bus systems at Utah StateUniversity, for the Monterey Trolley in California, University of Utah, and in partnership

with Advanced Energy Solution in Prague, Czech Republic.

Imagine roads in 2025 and beyond. Made of glass, generating electricity, withmagnetic induction built in where appropriate. Is that really more far-fetched than

building massive bridges in the 1930s?

1.Look for 20 unknown words. Define their gramatical function, say if the word is cognate, derived or

compound.2.Make a summary of the text. Rememberkey words and key terms.3.Which companies are working on infrastructure betterment? What do they propose?

4.According to the author, why is it more relevant to think about bettering infrastructure than worrying

about new vehicles in the transportation branch? Determine the author's BIAS.

5.In a short paragraph – in English – write your opinion about the subject. Make your position as CLEAR as

possible, use acquired vocabulary and useconnectors to give coherence to your ideas.

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Taller 7

10 Technologies That Will Shape the Future of Public Transportation – by: GregMoscoe, David Kantor and Cliff Henke. May 2006. (http://www.metro-

magazine.com/article/story/2006/05/10-technologies-that-will-shape-the-future.aspx)

In recent years, public transportation has seen significant growth in ridership, spurred

most recently by skyrocketing fuel prices. Add on the growing plague of gridlock due to

urban sprawl and a failure by governments to actively and meaningfully encourage the

use of transit and transit-oriented development (TOD), and it’s clear that technologies

and policies that can change the face of public transportation are badly needed.

The Federal Transit Administration has a stated goal of doubling ridership by the end

of the decade. The following 10 technologies and tools will help achieve that goal.

There are many others, thankfully, but these figure to play the most significant role.

1. Bus electrificationThe electrification of buses signifies the dawning of an era of higher fuel-economy,greater efficiency, reduced emissions, greater maintainability and reliability, increased

lifecycle cost savings, more passengers with fewer vehicles and a vastly improvedexperience for passengers. In short, bus electrification translates to significant strides

forward in passenger satisfaction. Technological benefits like accessory-loadelectrification allow hybrid-electric buses to run an HVAC system and power steering

on electric power and therefore disable the engine during idling, greatly reducing theimpacts on environmental and public health, especially in sensitive urban areas. In the

current climate of rising fuel costs, geopolitical warfare and global warming issues, bus

electrification makes a strong business case and has the political support to spread

rapidly.

2. Management/dispatch technologyThe use of new technologies for making transit more responsive to the user is a major

component of addressing the first mile/last mile issue. The paratransit model, a

demand-response niche service outside mainstream rail and bus services, will

potentially be revolutionized by the Internet, GPS and cellular technology. One

illustration of this is the proposed Flex BRT system in Altamonte Springs, Fla., which

combines circulating buses and a dynamic routing system to respond to commuter

requests placed by phone, Internet or signal boxes at route stops. Tied to land-usepolicies, it will cross city and county boundaries and connect to Orlando’s LYNX system.

At the other end of the spectrum is NuRide, a nationwide network that uses theInternet to organize rideshares the way airline applications do. The user plans a trip

online — either as driver or rider — and then chooses his or her partner, earningreward points for each shared mile.

3. Real-time passenger information technologyA large source of frustration for any transit rider is the lack of information surrounding

the next bus or train arrival. Another irritant is the question of what the best route may

be. Transit-passenger information technology solves both of these issues by providing

real-time information on route planning, congestion avoidance and on-demandservices, using either online technology (Google Transit or hopstop.com) or electric

signage. This technology is already adding feedback and pressure for public agencies toincrease transparency and responsiveness, thereby improving passenger satisfaction

and increasing ridership and revenue. The costs are relatively low since infrastructure

changes are rarely needed and the technology is easily accessible.

4. Bus rapid transit (BRT)BRT is one of the fastest growing transportation modes ever. By combining technology

such as signal priority and real-time transit information with express-style routing and

sophisticated branding, BRT is attracting new riders with reduced travel times andincreased reliability. Augment these benefits with streamlined, rail-like vehicles and

dedicated lanes or busways, and it’s easy to see why BRT is developing at such a rapid

clip. For the transit agency, it also offers reduced capital costs, the option of staged

deployment and implementation timeframes that are a fraction of rail’s. On top of that,

BRT makes rail investments more viable by improving the connectivity of an entire

transit network.

5. Driverless technologiesDriverless trains have been available for years in U.S. airport peoplemovers and in

subways in other nations. The U.S. Department of Transportation has funded severaldemonstration projects that have shown it is possible to have rubber-tired vehicles

driven by remote control. More than eliminating the need for the driver, these

technologies show dramatic improvements in service productivity because service canbe deployed in real time to meet fluctuations in passenger demand. In fact, the Frenchautomated mini-metros in Lille, Toulouse and elsewhere actually expanded staff 

because passenger demand exploded when near-on-demand response made transit 

more convenient.

6. Smart cardsCombined with dynamic transit management and real-time passenger information

technology, smart cards for inter- and intramodal transfers afford significantly

improved user-friendliness. Beyond this, however, information technology tools could

force transit agencies to coordinate service among their colleagues in both public and

private sectors far better than they do today. After all, state-of-the-art information

technology for passengers and transit managers is the reason London is able to

manage and improve mobility choices. London’s Travelcard is an example of commonfare media that allows riders to go from British rail commuter trains, London

Underground, light rail and buses with the same payment.

7. Enhanced intermodal exchangeWhile not a technology, intelligent planning that facilitates interconnection and modal

transfers is an essential part of increasing the attraction of public transportation. Byusing technology to eliminate or minimize the gaps between local bus lines, BRT, light 

rail, subway and commuter rail, communities can create a truly integrated system that riders will use. Combine this with appropriate information and integrated fare systems,

and the outlook for public transportation will be greatly enhanced, because riders will

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be able to exploit the flexibility of municipal transit in a variety of modes. It’s also anideal way to attract TOD, with plenty of foot traffic that merchants need.

8. On-demand NEVsOn-demand services offer increased options for public transportation at the flexibility

that fits their schedules. Electric stations store neighborhood electric vehicles (NEVs)for use by the public. Drivers in Morristown, N.J., and in the San Francisco Bay area, for

instance, can take cars to commute from their home to the station or from the station

to their place of work. Away from the station, they can be used for any type of short 

trip. Another example of on-demand technology is Biceberg, an underground storage

service for bicycles and equipment that automatically retrieves and stores bicyclesaccording to information in the customer’s smart card. The service has already begun

in Spain.

9. High-tech passenger amenitiesWhich is more attractive? Sitting in front of your television and watching your favorite

show, or sitting in front of your steering wheel in gridlock? Commuters on Riverside

County’s (Calif.) CommuterLink Route 202 can now choose to relax to free Wi-Fi

Internet access and satellite television while traveling between southwest Riverside

County and Oceanside. New, high-tech passenger amenities can deliver not only new

ridership, but new income streams. The upgraded buses are designed to attract thetype of commuter who currently drives to work but is willing to give mass transit a

chance.

10. Better infrastructure amenitiesCertain bus and light rail lines are now removing seats to add features like groceryracks and bike racks to make it easier to run errands or switch modes. Others are

offering nicer interiors while some bicycle “stations” have been introduced in a fewCalifornia cities to provide valet parking for bicycles, repair services, rentals, restrooms

and changing rooms. The combination of variable real-time signage and comfortable,

inviting intermodal hubs attract passengers, but both have the potential to increase

private investment through joint development and advertising income, a valuable

additional revenue stream for the industry. Financial projects for some light rail and

BRT projects show that ancillary revenues can pick up at least half the operating costs,

while private joint development can buy down significant portions of station

construction costs or even provide an ancillary income stream through bondable

concession revenues. A call to actionMost of these technologies have already been implemented in demonstrations or are

even in revenue service somewhere. For these technologies and policies to be truly

transformative, transit systems must transform themselves first and embrace them.

PART 11.What type of text is this? Show the “clues” that told you the type of text this is.

2.Draw a chart with keywords and keyterms where you define their gramaticalfunction, say if the word is cognate, derived or compound. Also include five

contextual referents and five connectors saying, respectively, what it refers to and

the function of the connector. (i.e. Contrast, compare, addition, conditional, etc, etc.)

3.Write a brief summary – about two short paragraphs –, in english, about the different 

technologies presented. Avoid taking sides on the subject, be as neutral as possible. Youjust need to make an exposition of the subject. Use the acquired vocabulary to make it 

easier for you to put in words and remember the use of connectors for coherence,

prepositions for relationships between ideas, pronouns to avoid repetition.

4.Make questions about the subject. Permit yourself to ask as many questions as have

arised due to the text above. Questions about anything. For example, the applicability of 

a technology, where will it take us? What are te possible repercussions of this new

technological application? What is the impact to the environment? Why do they want 

to apply this technology? Where do they want to apply it? Etc, etc, etc…

Questions like these should come up, but don't limit yourself in any sense; every

question is important, but some are more important than others. We just need to find

the right one.