https://reasonstobecheerful.world/europes-longest-bicycling-tunnel-opens-in-norway/ Reasons to be CheerfulReasons to be Cheerful * Categories Reasons To Be Cheerful: + All stories on Reasons to be Cheerful + Civic Engagement + Climate + Environment + Cities + Towns + Culture + Economy + Education + Farms + Food + Health + Justice + Science + Tech * Collections * About Us [ ] [] * Donate * Membership [ ] [] Support * Membership * Donate [svg][fixer_highlight] Europe's Longest Bicycling Tunnel Opens in Norway The colorfully lit, art-lined path through a mountain is almost two miles long and shortens bike commutes by 20 minutes. By: RTBC Staff April 26, 2023 2 min read Bookmark Credit: Iver Daaland Ase / Bybanen Utbygging Bookmark Three great stories we found on the internet this week. Tunnel vision Norwegians in the coastal city of Bergen have a new, Instagram-worthy car-free commuting option: the world's longest purpose-built bicycling and pedestrian tunnel. The 1.8-mile path cuts through Lovstakken mountain and can shave 20 minutes off a typical bike commute. The colorfully lit, art-lined tunnel, called Fyllingsdalstunnelen, was built alongside a new tram line to encourage more fossil-fuel-free trips. Halfway through, a sundial shows the time. Two defined lanes keep bicyclists separate from walkers and runners. (Psychologists had input on the design to ensure the space feels welcoming and safe.) [svg][Fyllingsdalstunnelen]Bergen's new Fyllingsdalstunnelen. Credit: Bybanen Utbygging "We Norwegians are usually modest people, but in this instance we would say that the tunnel is 100 percent state of the art," the rail company rep told CNN. Read more at Bicycling and CNN Hit the gas After years of false starts, New York City officially launched curbside pickup of organic waste for composting in March. But the city hit another notable reuse milestone when it comes to diverting waste from landfills: On March 31, the first gas processed from New Yorkers' decaying food scraps was fed into the grid -- enough renewable energy for about 2,500 homes. New York City compost binNew York City compost binCredit: City of New York Department of Sanitation Ideally, citywide composting will one day yield useful fertilizer for farms. Meanwhile, rotting food emits gas that can be captured for energy. The goal for the Brooklyn plant where the gas flowed to the grid is to eventually provide enough gas for heat, hot water and stoves in 5,200 homes. According to officials, The New York Times reports, "this would reduce annual carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels by more than 90,000 metric tons, the equivalent of removing nearly 19,000 cars from the road." Read more at The New York Times Young at heart Drones may capture awe-inspiring footage of city skylines, but new planning tool VR95 gives urban design professionals a different kind of street-level view: how a city looks if you're about three feet tall. The virtual reality experience displays traffic, sidewalks and public space at that height -- the size of an average three-year-old -- to encourage decision-makers to consider kids when planning. Crushed by negative news? Sign up for the Reasons to be Cheerful newsletter. [ ][Sign Up] Design company Arup produced an accompanying guide to child-friendly design. Working with organizations around the world, they tested interventions like raised crosswalks and multisensory play equipment. The team behind VR95 believes the fresh perspective will benefit everyone. "A built environment that supports a nurturing relationship with caregivers, families and neighbors has a huge impact on their well-being," says one of the tool's developers. Read more at Fast Company About Us Latest Stories [svg][barefoot1-scaled-e1682689418534] The 'Barefoot College' Reinventing Rural Education [svg][All-Square-grilled-cheese-lead-scaled] Minnesota's Prison-to-Grilled-Cheese Pipeline Is Changing Lives [svg][shutterstock_2167396945-scaled] America's Green Boom Needs More Electricians, and Women Are Stepping Up Editor picks [svg][Screen-Shot-2019-09-17-at-3] How Cities Will Avoid Death by Self-Driving Car [svg][lasse-002-scaled-e1623962583761] Notifications Off! The Distraction-Free Benefits of Five-Hour Work Days [svg][shutterstock_727189366-scaled] The Climate-Friendly Refrigerators of Decades Past [svg][RTBC-Logo] RTBC Staff Reasons to be Cheerful is a non-profit editorial project that is part magazine, part therapy session, part blueprint for a better world. Related Stories Cities + Towns Bookmark In Barcelona, Kids Bike to School in Large, Choreographed Herds Cinnamon Janzer November 7, 2022 3 min read Hop on the 'bicibus,' a highly replicable model that makes getting to school fun, safe and sustainable. Climate + Environment Bookmark How Sweden Sends Just 1% of Its Trash to Landfills Klaus Sieg April 8, 2022 5 min read The country incinerates nearly half its garbage to create the energy that powers its homes and buildings. Cities + Towns Bookmark 5 Ways to Decongest a City (Without Making People Work from Home) Will Doig November 16, 2020 4 min read The Bay Area is walking back a proposal that would have forced residents to work remotely. Crushed by negative news? Sign up for the Reasons to be Cheerful newsletter. [ ][Sign Up] * Press * Events * Contact Us * Privacy Policy * Editorial and Ethics Policy * Pitching Guidelines * Membership FAQs (c) 2020 Reasons to be Cheerful My bookmarks My bookmarks Listed below are all the stories you've bookmarked. To be able to bookmark stories on RTBC, you need to accept cookies (click here to adjust your cookie settings). If you clear your cookies or switch to another browser or device, this list may disappear. No Bookmarks Clear Bookmarks Close This website uses cookies to give you the best experience. They are functional only, and enable you to do things like bookmark articles. We don't use any cookies that spy on you, sell your information or spam you. Read our privacy policy here. More info and adjust your cookies settings here Cookie settings OKCancel Manage consent Close Privacy Overview This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Necessary [*] Necessary Always Enabled Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information. Non-necessary [*] Non-necessary Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. SAVE & ACCEPT Don't Despair! Solutions are everywhere. Sign up here for our weekly newsletter. We will never track you, sell you or pester you. [ ][Sign Up] No, thank you!