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Science

We need more trains. Video shows why it's so expensive to build them in America.

We're the sixth most expensive place to build rail transit in the world.

The A Train in New York City

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, heavy rail transit such as subways and metros produce 76% fewer greenhouse gas emissions per passenger mile than an average single-occupancy vehicle. That makes them one of the most essential tools for fighting climate change.

However, according to a new report from CNBC, the United States is the sixth most expensive country worldwide for building rail transit.

In 2021, President Joe Biden signed the bipartisan infrastructure law that included the country's most significant investment in public transportation. According to CNBC, the U.S. is expected to spend between $91 billion and $108 billion on local public transit through 2026. With all that money at stake, using it effectively will be key.

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Donald Trump won the presidential election. And in the 48 hours since, many of us have grappled with a wide range of overwhelming questions.

How could this happen? How will my family be affected? Will my rights be taken away?

For some, our knee-jerk response is to act. We run to protest. We reach for the megaphone. We tweet until we're blue in the face. And that's great — we need people on the front lines.

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Reading is an empowering way to spread joy and wonder. Combine that with the reach and traffic of public transit, and you’ve got a mobile library that can bring the printed word to thousands of people.

That’s exactly what Ali Berg and Michelle Kalus thought when they started Books on the Rail, a mobile lending library that has been sweeping through the Melbourne Metro in Australia.

Berg and Kalus are best friends and self-proclaimed bookaholics. They have styled themselves as "book ninjas" with this project in which they secretly stash books on public trains with stickers on them instructing passersby: "Take this book, read it, then return it for someone else to enjoy!"

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Family

What riding the subway to work every day taught me about generosity.

A meditation teacher's guide to transforming your morning commute.

It’s easy to hate the subway — the crowds, the heat, the variety of unique aromas — but taking the train doesn’t have to suck.

In fact, all the things that make the subway insufferable also make it a weirdly perfect place for meditation practice. I know, I know. Just go with me for a second.

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