Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Urban Improvement and Transport


The City of Salisbury's Urban Development and Transport Policy Direction is to apply innovative planning policies and strategies to optimise ecologically sustainable urban development within the City, and to encourage and facilitate integrated transport networks and reduce reliance on fossil fuel motorised forms of transport.

Thursday, August 06, 2009

The history of transport

The first invention of a person was maybe a stick, which a person began to use as a staff. But people needed to cross rivers without getting wet. And more than 4000 years ago the first means of transport was created, when prehistoric people learned to tie together sticks and logs creating a raft in such way. Later rafts were developed to make the transportation more comfortable and safe.

In Ancient Egypt people were building rowing boats using papyrus. They were wide with flat floor, with several matches. Later Ancient Egyptians started to use wood to build their first boats.

So the most ancient means of transport is water transport. And raft is the father of all boats. But Egyptians were not the only one to travel by water. In ancient Phoenicia people built big sea ships. They even had several kinds of ships: military and trade ones.

Later first ships appeared and developed a lot in Ancient Greece and Rome. They were much more comfortable and safe than those of Ancient Egypt. The 10th century was the century of prosperity of water transport.

The first wheel was one of the greatest inventions of humanity that allowed the development of many kinds of transport. It was invented in Mesopotamia in 4 b.c. It was a disk put on the axle. And it was the base of creating of the first automobile.

The first car was created in 1770 by the French scientist. Later in 1886 two German scientists created the car with explosion engine. And from that time this means of transport became very popular increasing competition with trains and ships. Nowadays it is impossible to imagine the world without cars.

The first steam locomotive was created by English inventor. But it couldn't be used because it was too heavy. Later it was developed and updated and was used for cargo transportation. And day by day new locomotives appeared until the plant of production of locomotives was created in 1823. And two years later the first passenger railway appeared.

Trains were developing but they lost their popularity with the spread of cars in the world. But they were developed a lot and updated so much that the result of it was the appearance of underground. The first underground system was built in London in 1863. And its length was only 3, 6 kilometres. After it underground system appeared in NY, Paris, and Budapest.

Trams are not so popular as they were later. This public transport at short distances was substituted by modern buses and cars. But this means of transport is ecological. The first tramway was created in Berlin in the 80-s of the 19th century. Its length was 2, 5 kilometres and a tram was moving with a speed 30 km/hour. At once this transport became popular for transporting people over in boarders of the city. Some cities still use it.
source : http://www.theironmonsters.com/thehistoryoftransport.html