Transportation

Visionary executive William Barstow Strong led the second transcontinental line, the Santa Fe, in the 1880s, paving the way for thousands of miles of track.

How the Santa Fe Railroad Changed America Forever

The golden spike made the newspapers. But another railroad made an even bigger difference to the nation

Before the highway's construction, Claiborne Avenue was known for its towering oaks.

The Highway That Sparked the Demise of an Iconic Black Street in New Orleans

Claiborne Avenue was a center of commerce and culture—until a federal interstate cut it off from the rest of the city in the 1960s

Passengers ride the New York City subway on May 24, 2021.

Thousands of Unknown Microbes Found in Subways Around the World

A team of more than 900 scientists and volunteers swabbed the surfaces of 60 public transit systems

"You can never safely operate a flying bomb," says historian Dan Grossman.

Watch Newly Resurfaced Footage of the Hindenburg Disaster

A PBS documentary investigates the cause of the infamous 1937 explosion that tanked the airship industry

Virgin's hyperloop system uses magnetic levitation technology to reduce friction and low-pressure sealed vacuums along the track that minimize air resistance.

Smithsonian's 'Futures' Exhibition to Feature Virgin Hyperloop's Record-Breaking Transportation Pod

Virgin Hyperloop's Pegasus vehicle will be on display for viewers to take a closer look at its interior this fall

The Dollar lift was 2,360 feet long and rose 634 feet in elevation.

How a Railroad Engineer From Nebraska Invented the World's First Ski Chairlift

The device was part of an elaborate plan on behalf of Union Pacific to boost passenger rail travel in the American West

(Top row) Jing Liu and Florian Idenburg, Barron Ryan, Arturo Elizondo, (middle row) Samantha Pratt, Gitanjali Rao, Anitra Belle Henderson, (bottom row) Kennyjie, Andrea Ponti and Brett Phaneuf

Ten Innovators to Watch in 2021

These visionaries are imagining an exciting future with chicken-less eggs, self-piloting ships and more

A new chemical process uses an iron-based catalyst to turn carbon dioxide into jet fuel. So far the process has only been proven effective in lab settings, but if researchers can scale it up it could lessen the climate impact of air travel.

Scientists Use Iron to Turn Carbon Dioxide Into Jet Fuel

If the chemical reaction at the heart of the process can be scaled up, it could help reduce the carbon footprint of air travel

Denali's dogsled teams mush for weeks at a time to the far-flung corners of a park that stretches over 6 million acres.

How Denali National Park's Sled Dogs Prepare for Winter

For nearly a century, park rangers have relied on dogsledding to patrol the public land and collect data for scientists

U.S. Air Force Captain Charles E. "Chuck" Yeager became the first person to fly faster than the speed of sound in this airplane, the Bell X-1, on October 14, 1947. The aircraft is currently housed at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum.

Remember Chuck Yeager by Exploring the Plane He Flew to Break the Sound Barrier

In 1947, the pilot—who died Monday at age 97—made history by flying the Bell X-1 faster than the speed of sound

On November 2, a metro train shot through a stop block at the De Akkers metro station outside of Rotterdam but narrowly missed catastrophe.

In Fluke Accident, Sculpture of Whale Tails Saves Train From 33-Foot Plunge

Aptly named "Saved by the Whale's Tale," the art installation prevented a potentially deadly accident in the Netherlands

Pirsig’s 1966 Honda Super Hawk motorcycle, featured in his novel Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values.

Why Robert Pirsig's 'Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance' Still Resonates Today

The author's meditation on technology treads a whole new path in the modern, digital world

A two-page spread in a 1903 Brooklyn Daily Eagle supplement shows an aerial depiction of the "Brooklyn of the Future," complete with ferry lines and projected bridges, subways, tunnels and elevated roads.

Explore Centuries of Brooklyn's History With These Newly Digitized Maps

The Brooklyn Historical Society recently launched a portal featuring almost 1,500 documents dating back to the 17th century

Chicago-based publisher Haymarket Books will launch the reimagined London tube map next International Women’s Day, March 8, 2021.

A New London Tube Map Will Highlight Women and Nonbinary People

Co-organizers Emma Watson and Reni Eddo-Lodge drew inspiration from a 2016 project centered on the New York City subway

An MTA worker in New York sprays disinfectant in a subway car in May.

Will Mass Transit Recover From the Pandemic?

Financial losses from low ridership and unexpectedly low sales tax revenue threaten the future of public transportation

Researchers say the Iron Age man—found facedown with his hands bound together near the waist—was likely murdered or executed.

Iron Age Murder Victim's Skeleton Found in England

The man was buried with his hands bound together at the waist

Some cities are turning to on-demand programs called microtransit.

Cities Are Eyeing Microtransit During COVID-19 Pandemic

From Los Angeles to Abu Dhabi, transit authorities are creating on-demand systems. But experts say there are tradeoffs

A storm on the Great Salt Lake in Utah exposed the wreckage of what may be a 100-year-old boat.

Storm Unearths Wreck of Century-Old Boat in Utah's Great Salt Lake

The vessel may belong to a fleet used to construct and maintain a railroad causeway that crosses the briny body of water

Even the approximately 60 A&W Restaurants nationwide that already offer carhop services are seeing an increase in business.

The Timely Return of the Drive-In Restaurant

During the COVID-19 pandemic, carhop service is making a comeback. Is it here to stay?

People in France bike wearing masks down the "Rue de Rivoli."

How Cities Plan to Keep Traffic Out When Lockdowns Lift

Extended bike lanes and wider sidewalks are among solutions to keep car traffic down as people continue to avoid public transit

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