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Number of hits: 8

• Urban waterways could reduce congestion

  For many cities, a solution for urban congestion might lie in one of the most ancient modes of transportation available – the boat.

• Shared, self-driving cars could free up traffic

  With the growing popularity of care share programs, self-driving technology could be a game changer for urban traffic systems. A new study looks at how the Swedish capital's transport grid might be transformed.

• Holiday travel can be climate smart

  Flying the family to Thailand to celebrate the holidays? Maybe taking the train to Åre? The difference in climate impact is considerable, according to environmental research. The greenhouse gas emissions created by a round-trip flight from Sweden to the beaches of Southeast Asia is roughly 200 times greater than the amount generated by a rail trip from Stockholm to the Swedish mountains.

• Breakthrough in the fight against “track slip”

  Track slip caused by leaves on the track costs SEK 100 million annually, according to a study by the National Rail Administration. A solution to the problem, which according KTH researchers is most prevalent in the Stockholm area around late October/November, is however close to hand. The origin of this slipperiness caused by leaves falling on the tracks is unclear, and intensive research is now being conducted on how it can be most easily detected and best eradicated.

• Better traffic situation in Stockholm led to prize

  At KTH a project is now underway to improve traffic conditions in the Stockholm area. It is so popular among Swedes that yesterday it received the “Prize for a smarter planet”.

• New car roof means reduced fuel consumption

  A researcher at KTH has managed to reduce the weight of the car roof by 80 percent without making the roof significantly more expensive or producing inferior properties. If anything, the opposite is true, the new roof provides greater comfort and it is much easier to hear your passengers when you talk to one another. If the techniques used for the design of the roof of the car are also applied to the entire vehicle, it can reduce fuel consumption substantially.

• Money and time more important than the environment

  Many companies have clear guidelines to ensure that the number of business trips will decrease in favour of travel-free meetings. A research group at KTH has looked closely at the factors that determine how meetings take place, and the result is that money, time and a fear of technology, play a crucial role.

• Sharing economy surges forward

  The holiday shopping season breaks records year after year. Consumer spending this year is expected to total 7.2 billion globally – a 2.5 percent increase over last year, according retail analyst HUI. But an even stronger trend is underway. The “sharing economy” is growing rapidly and is changing the conditions for holiday retail business and consumption in general.