(Design) Fun with transit

1.  Hello Kitty Bullet Train in Japan ("Mind the paws: Hello Kitty bullet train debuts in Japan," Guardian).


A Hello Kitty-themed ‘shinkansen’ bullet train is has been unveiled at JR Shin Osaka station in western Japan (Kyodo News/AP)

2. Long Beach Transit allowed one of their buses to become rolling public art as part of the POW! WOW! Long Beach 2018 Mural Festival ("POW! WOW! event's completed (and nearly finished) murals immerse Long Beach in color," Long Beach Press-Telegram; "
"Steven Harrington to Wrap an Entire Bus for POW! WOW! Long Beach," HypeBeast).  Artist Steven Harrington produced the mural.



The Transit Agency has a Facebook Video of the bus in operation.

==============

3.  In the past, I've mentioned how Montpellier France commissioned a high profile French designer, Christian Lacroix, to design the liveries for their light rail system.



And I used that as an example of how Montgomery and Prince George's Counties could leverage the forthcoming Purple Line light rail as a way to brand themselves as design forward.

-- "Part 7 | Using the Purple Line to rebrand Montgomery and Prince George's Counties as Design Forward," 2017

4. In the summer, TTC in Toronto runs a heritage streetcar on their waterfront line, the 509 Harbourfront route.

5.  While I didn't have time to try to ride it, Transport for London runs one line, Route 15, exclusively with the classic double deck bus, the Routemaster (Wikipedia; "London bids farewell to the historic Routemaster," London Evening Standard).

It's the same price as a regular bus fare (£1.50) although the heritage buses aren't outfitted to take Oyster Cards.


Buses on the 15H route run every 20 minutes from 9.30am to 6.30pm, allowing people to travel on the iconic Associated Equipment Company Routemasters