The title com­pound, tetra­ethyl­ammonium tetra­thio­rhenate, [(C2H5)4N][ReS4], has, at room temperature, a disordered structure in the space group P63mc (Z = 2, α-phase). A phase transition to the monoclinic space group P21 (Z = 2, γ-phase) at 285 K leads to a pseudo-merohedral twin. The high deviation from the hexa­gonal metric causes split reflections. However, the different orientations could not be separated, but were integrated using a large integration box. Rapid cooling to 110–170 K produces a metastable β-phase (P63, Z = 18) in addition to the γ-phase. All crystals of the β-phase are contaminated with the γ-phase. Additionally, the crystals of the β-phase are merohedrally twinned. In contrast to the α-phase, the β- and γ-phases do not show disorder.

A Landau theory for the wurtzite-based heterovalent ternary semiconductor ZnSnN2 is developed and a first-order reconstructive phase transition is proposed as the cause of observed crystal structure disorder. The model infers that the phase transition is paraelectric to antiferroelectric.

To enable public transit agencies to engage in more rigorous and effective safety planning, their safety planning records should not be admissible as evidence in civil litigation, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

LYNCHBURG —Administrative oversight of maintenance and land use services for the counties of Buckingham, Charlotte, Cumberland, and Prince Edward has started to relocate from the old Dillwyn Residency site on Rosney Road in the Town of Dillwyn to the newly constructed Farmville site on Commerce Road in the Town of Farmville.

Despite its aim to ease a housing crunch and kill congestion, California's Senate Bill 827 has its detractors.

The transit of Venus is so rare that it's visible only once every century or so, and will next to be seen by our descendents in 2117.

A NASA sun-watching spacecraft will have an unbeatable view of June's historic Venus transit, but some of the probe's scientists are taking measures to get a gr

Observations of next month's historic Venus transit may eventually help astronomers spot and study alien planets circling faraway stars, one prominent researche

The dramatic celestial event will be visible from all seven continents, and it's a must-see for skywatchers; Venus won't trek across the solar disk again for 10

A rare opportunity to see the planet Venus cross in front of the face of the sun is coming up next week. On June 5 to 6, Venus will "transit" the sun for the l

Much of the world will be able to witness a rare skywatching event on June 5, as Venus crosses the face of the sun in a spectacle that will not be visible again

When Venus interposes itself directly between Earth and the sun for the last time in more than a century, national parks across America will be prepared to obse

On June 5, Venus will cross the face of the sun. If you live in North America, Europe, Asia or eastern Africa, you'll be able to witness this historic celestial

It's something no one alive today will likely ever see again: The planet Venus crossing the sun — a small, black dot moving across the fiery face of our neare

Photographing the historic Venus transit of the sun is special enough on its own, but one space photographer managed to get NASA's Hubble Space Telescope in the

Catering to young Londoners struggling to enter the city's real estate market, the YMCA's Y:Cube Housing offers a green prefab-based step toward independence.

Several German cities are planning to fight air pollution by eliminating fares on public transport.

Elon Musk wasn't the first with a futuristic idea. The transportation industry has seen a mixed bag of game-changing technologies and utter failures.

Elon Musk wasn't the first to come up with a visionary transportation scheme.

The nonprofit Gearing Up gives women in recovery a chance to get outside, build self-esteem and bond with one another.

Mild-mannered European travel guru Rick Steves never fails to surprise.

Traffic driving you crazy? Let MNN get you on track to a more astute commute with these carpooling and public transit tips.

mexico city public transit

Public transit has long been undervalued as a mobility option. Thanks to new technologies and new ways of living, that's changing.

Transit use is going up as people prefer using their smartphones to driving.

The end of summer and beginning of autumn mean warm days and cold nights; bring one of these sweaters along to keep comfy.

From an underground funicular to ice buses, there are unique ways around the world to get from one end of a city to another.

The Rhode Island-sized nation of Luxembourg is the first country to completely nix transit fares in an effort to combat traffic congestion.

Even if self-driving cars could replace mass transit, it would be a very bad thing.

Creative Health Solutions LLC is pleased to announce the launch of a brand-new program called Transition to Independence: Unlocking Special Abilities.

Two Workshops designed specifically for maritime, trucking and transit leaders

A fatal bus accident outside Irving, Texas, has brought national attention to the safety of buses and other mass transit.

Pet Aquamation is a gentle, environmentally-friendly alternative to cremation and burial.

The developers at Fiori take the needs of trans and non-binary people seriously. That's why they're the first networking app to help fund people's gender transition goals.

Get the best eyewear deals in the transition of September.

Clifford Beaumont - EU agrees to 21 month Brexit transition period on the condition that the UK accepts Northern Ireland solution.

Current CEO set to retire after leading company for over 30 years.

5 trendy tips to help you keep your summer outfits last a little longer

With seasons changing as well we need to change our fashion. Don't forget to add key pieces such as: ankle boots, jacket, scarf and transition glasses.

The Transportation Equity Network (TEN) has released More Transit = More Jobs: The Impact Of Increasing Funding For Public Transit (31p. PDF). TEN is a coalition of more than 350 grassroots organizations in 41 states that has worked since 1997 to build a more just, prosperous, and connected America.

This study asks two key questions:

What would be the effect on jobs in each metropolitan area of shifting 50% of the money spent on highways to public transit?

How many jobs would be created in each metro area if we increased funding on public transit at the rate indicated by the Transportation For America proposal for the next transportation authorization act?

The report highlights several statistics in answering those questions based on data from Transportation Improvement Programs (TIPS) in 20 U.S. metropolitan areas. For example, 1,123,674 new transit jobs would be created over a 5-year period for a net gain of 180,150 jobs without a single dollar of new spending.

However, if federal spending on transit increased as proposed by TEN and Transportation For America, an estimated 1.3 million jobs over the life of the law would be created, as well as almost 800,000 more jobs than under present federal transporation law (SAFETEA-LU).

The Federal Highway Administration published the 2009 Urban Congestion Trends (8p. PDF) document last week. This brief report utilizes a dashboard format to convey year-over-year changes in key traffic measures: daily hours of congestion, time penalty for eqach trip, worst-trip time penalty. Some key observations include:

• Overall, congestion had declined in almost all monitored regions between 2008 and 2009
• Less wasted time and fewer hours of the day were devoted to stop-and-go traffic in 16 of the 23 monitored regions
• At least one of the three measures improved in 20 of the 23 monitored regions
• Congestion is lowest during the summer vacation season

The report goes on to explain how operational improvements can mitigate congestion and promote smooth, safe and consistent traffic flow.

Examples provided from around the country include high-occupancy/toll lanes, freeway ramp metering, improved information coordination, work-zone management, and traffic signal system improvement programs.

In Managing Increasing Ridership Demand (32p. PDF), The FTA's Transit Cooperative Research Program presents an overview of a study mission investigating how several transit operators and agencies in Latin America accomodate sudden and significant growth in the number of riders and increasing demand for service.

Case studies from Guayaquil (Ecuador), Santiago (Chile), Buenos Aires (Argentina) and Porto Alegre (Brazil) were selected because they have faced and successfully dealt with challenges similar to recent ridership grown in the United States.

Each city's responses offer unique insight into managing increasing transit ridership and providing various perspectives on serving the mobility needs of their communities.

Two International Transit Studies Program study missions such as this are conducted each year. They have three objectives: To afford team members the opportunity to expand their network of domestic and international public transportation peers, to provide a forum for discussion of global initiatives and lessons learned in public transportation, and to facilitate idea sharing and the possible import of strategies for application to transportation communities in the United States.

-- By Matt Barrett

Los Angeles has been a 24-hour city for much longer that most would imagine, and transit service has played an important role in keeping the city moving overnight for over 100 years.

(LAMTA Car 3022 trundles down the R Line tracks on owl service in 1963. Photo courtesy of Alan Weeks)


According to the September 11, 1906 edition of the Los Angeles Examiner newspaper, in a brief article entitled “Owl Cars Are Run on Principal Lines”:

The “owl” car service began last night. Cars on the principal lines left First and Spring streets at 1 and 2 o’clock. They were well patronized. The lines included are Boyle Heights, Grand Avenue, Vernon Avenue, University, Main Street, and Pico Heights.

At the time service began, these lines linked Downtown with what were then LA’s most populated neighborhoods around 6th and Rampart, Central and Slauson, Boyle Heights, 46th and Wesley, Vermont and 54th, and Pico and Wilton.

Owl service continued in operation as the fledgling network of streetcar lines, buses and interurban rail lines was purchased in 1911 and organized into two main transit companies: Pacific Electric, for long-distance interurban service, and Los Angeles Railway serving urban inner-city Los Angeles.

As Los Angeles grew outward, so did the length of the lines offering owl service. Special owl service guides were published and system maps included extensive owl service information for passengers.

Even as streetcar service slowly began the conversion to bus service, beginning as early as 1925 and continuing until the last rail line was shut down in 1963, owl service remained a part of the transit system – as it does today.

(This 1947 brochure advertised LAMTA's Owl Service)

Currently, Metro has 59 buses running on 26 lines during its overnight owl service, roughly midnight to 5 a.m., connecting Downtown to points north to the San Fernando Valley, south to Long Beach, east to El Monte and west to Santa Monica and Venice.

There is a wealth of research and literature explaining suburban sprawl and the urgent need to retrofit suburbia. However, until now there has been no single guide that directly explains how to repair typical sprawl elements.

Since its founding in 1965, the California Transit Association (CTA) has been a primary advocate for public transportation in the state.

The Association's team of legislative advocates works to promote multi-year transit funding and to represent transit's interests before the California State Legislature, the Governor and regulatory agencies on the local, state and federal levels.

CTA is dedicated to a collaborative approach to advocating for improved transit operations throughout California. Key to that approach is engaging our members in the advocacy process.

Members are frequently updated on policy developments through a variety of communications processes, and their participation is enlisted in numerous outreach efforts, including personal visits with elected officials, testifying before legislative committees and regulatory agencies, and conducting media relations campaigns.

To cultivate support and increased member activity, the Association strives to strategically mobilize members in key political districts and to build statewide coalitions to focus pressure on policy development.

Of increasing importance is the mobilization of organizations other than transit providers in the
cause.

CTA's partnership with such "non-traditional" transit advocates has supplemented the advocacy effort and has helped members to forge relationships with and utilize the resources of everything from nationwide public interest organizations to local ridership groups.

With support and active engagement from member organizations and other community interests, CTA is focused on implementing transit-friendly policy, a balanced transportation system, and increased transit funding.

Each year, CTA publishes a Legislative Summary that provides a synopsis and analysis of state legislation affecting public transportation and the transit-relevant components of the state budget process.

Compiled by the Association's team of legislative advocates, the annual publication is a great reference tool for those seeking information about statewide transit and transportation legislation.

The report for the 2010 legislative session (31p. PDF) is divided into three catagories:

Significant Transit Legislation: identifying and describing high-priority legislation supported by the Association, pending the Governor's signature in 2010

2010-2011 State Budget: describing the budget's impact on public transportation and the State Transit Assistance (STA) Program, and Proposition 1B allocations

Matrix Of Significant Transit-Related Legislation: Identifying the most significant transit-related legislation considered by the Association's Legislative Committee during the 2010 Legislative Session, whether enacted or not.

Once an information-seeker has located legislation of interest, they can visit the CTA's Advocacy webpage to search for the full-text of bills (as well as fact sheets, links to other reports, etc.)

The CTA website also features Legislative Bulletin Resources for recently passed legislation, and an Advocacy Archive featuring resources such as a Summary Of Provisions And Impact Of The Gas Tax Swap, as proposed earlier this year.

Michael Watkins, cofounder of Genesis Advisers and author of the HBR article "Picking the Right Transition Strategy."

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, basketball legend, New York Times best-selling author, and filmmaker.

New program offers licenses, consultation hours to help support remote work strategies

Brian F. Joy, MD, a fellow in the Department of Pediatric Cardiology at Childrens Memorial Hospital in Chicago, Illinois, USA, discussed an article published in the May 2011 Pediatric Critical Care Medicine

As the first phase of improvements called for in Grand Canyon National Park's South Rim Visitor Transportation Plan nears completion, the transition to the new South Entrance Road alignment will begin on Tuesday, September 8.  https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/news_2009-09-02_phasei.htm