O investimento na expansao da malha ferroviaria e em trens modernos de carga e de passageiros deveria ser prioridade para um pais continental como o Brasil. E o meio de transporte mais economico, carregando muito mais passageiros e carga do que o transporte rodoviario e aereo. Emite menos gases de efeito estufa, atropela menos fauna silvestre e polui menos do que o transporte rodoviario. Na Europa, os trens sao um sucesso porque no Brasil nao?Vejam a reportagem do Cidades e Solucoes sobre isso aqui.Nesta reportagem a ANTT (Agencia Nacional de Transportes Terrestres) parece estar interessada em investir em ferrovias. Espero que sim! http://www.metrofieldguide.com/?p=643The ARC International Wildlife Crossing Infrastructure Design Competition, which was mentioned on this blog back in Februaryhere, has finally posted the submissions of the five finalists. The winner wont be announced until the end of January at the Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting, but the designs can be viewed on the website now. The five finalists includeBalmori Associates from New York, The Olin Studio from Philadelphia, Janet Rosenberg & Associates from Toronto, Michael Van Valkenburgh & Associates with HNTB Engineering from New York and Zwarts & Jantsma Architects from Amsterdam.Be sure to visit the ARC page with PDFs of all of the entries, it is certainly worth taking a look at, there are some interesting ideas.Hypar-Nature PlanHypar-Nature (PDF) is the entry by Michael Van Valkenburgh & Associates and HNTB Engineering. Instead of attempting to recreate the surrounding nature, the design condenses and amplifiesmultiple landscape bands (Forest, Meadow, Shrub, Scree) into habitat corridors that provide connections for a larger cross-section of species. The system is modular and cost effective. The plan includes a series of habitats both on the overpass and at the base including a forest, shrub edge, meadow and scree all repeated in bands across the width of the bridge as well as a wet meadow at the end as a wildlife attractor.LandshapeLandshape (PDF) is the entry by Zwarts & Jantsma Architects. The bridge design is a curves them, the bridge having three defined curves, the first of the actual bridge, the second of the ground level that advances over the bridge and the third being the continuation of the natural vegetation over the bridge. The design is interesting and includes many habitat elements including a stone wall, woody debris, snags and integrates water, small hills and ha-has with fencing. The planting design also contains multiple planting areas.Janet Rosenberg & AssociatesJanet Rosenberg & Associates (PDF) entry focuses more on the human interaction than most of the rest do which is apparent by the bright red sides. We set our sights, minds and challenges on a threshold of an evolutionary step in the design of an animal road crossing, not simply a bridge, but a new species in form and function. The design has multiple ramps leading up to the main bridge because they believe it provides greater funneling. Im not sure about the ramps though because from the images the walls are rather tall with little cover and the ramps are narrow which may not be suitable for wildlife.