If like me you have been slacking a little in terms of loca,l sustainability-related news and things happening in the good town of Zug, let me bridge the information gap and share the things that have caught my eyes lately.
V-Zug is building the highest wooden high-rise in Switzerland
The project "Pi", which is planned to start enf of 2021 and open in 2024, is dedicated to V-Zug's employees who should find in the tower affordable and sustainable apartments next to the brand's production site at the border of Zug and Baar. The 80-metre wood-based tower, will one day stand at the corner of Baarerstrasse and Göblistrasse, as a lighthouse project for the city of Zug, for an estimated budget of 100 million Swiss Francs. With 27 floors and 199 apartments available, the Pi tower should take the spot of the Suurstoffi-Areal tower in Rotkreuz as the highest tower of its kind in the country.
The first e-Bus is now on the roads
The new eCitaro, the fully electric-powered bus from Mercedes, can be seen on Line 13 as part of the Zugerland Verkehrsbetriebe's fleet. It is a highlight for Zug's e-mobility strategy and a pioneering project in Central Switzerland, as this is the first eCitaro bus on its road. The bus' batter takes 2 hours to be fully charged, and should cover a distance of 150 km.
The MyShuttle driverless-bus in testing mode
The first time we talked about the little, red, driverless bus that would make its way through the center of Zug, it was in March 2018 already.
Since then the MyShuttle project has experienced some delays in order to make some traffic-comprehension-related arrangements. In October, inhabitants were invited for the first time to jump on and test the vehicle around the Metalli neighbourhood.
I had planned to join a ride at some point, as the sign next to the Metalli bus station stated people would be allowed from the middle of October....but it seems I missed my chance (or I made a translation mistake) as the sign disappeared early in the month. I did however see the little, red guy drive around (sorry for the picture, I just has a few seconds to shoot), and man I have to say I was clearly not impressed. Fair enough, the technology is there: a driverless vehicle and the technology behind it are always something to admire.
However...low speed...smaller than I thought...limited seating options inside...While the platform is fairly low and therefore should be accessible to people with limited mobility, I did not see how I could for instance include a stroller or a wheelchair on the ride. In terms of mobility and public transportation strategy, I would rather then consider pushing on the electro-mobility for busses (see above news) or pushing companies who organize shuttles to staff (wink wink, Glencore bus next to Starbucks) to "green" their fleet.
Two more freefloating bike companies on the streets
After grunting against e-scooters making their way through the city (and grinding my teeth as 2 were straight in the middle of the road this morning - thank you NO THANK YOU Circ), i am now happy to share my frustrations against 2 more services of freefloating bikes in town: Smide and NextBike.
Let me especially complain against the former, Smide, whose bikes have somehow reproduced over night and found out that the Baarerstrasse pedestrian side was a good place to live (The only NextBikes i have found were properly parked in dedicated cycle parking slots). Last month, from my window, I could already spot 5 in random places, preferably in annoying locations when you have limited mobility or when you try to circulate with a giant newborn stroller.
Smide counts aroun 60 e-bikes in Zug since this summer, the latest addition to its portfolio of partnering cities (Zurich has been welcoming 200 bikes since 2016 already). The rental service goes through an app, and it will cost you 0,25 CHF the minute to ride around at a max. speed of 35km. Positive point maybe of the Smide bike compared to others: its coverered basket on the back.
NextBike on the other hand has been present in 11 cities in Switzerland and prides itself to circulate in 25 cities in the world. It offers a price of 2 CHF per hour as well as specific abos. Interesting difference however, an extra 2 CHF can be charged based on where you are returning the bike (within a pink zone corresponding more or less to Zug city center). The parking locations I understand are a lot more pedestrian-mobility-friendly.
The Zuger Woche lists the second-hand places in Zug
Last week's Zuger Woche (13/11/2019) gave a big coverage to second-hand shops as a fair, sustainable and affordable way for all to have access to proper clothing. The article lists the shops in town where people can purchase second-hand clothing (see pic).
The Brockenhaus Zug - attached to the Okihof (recycling center next to the train station) i- is one that I really like. I would however be a little more critical of some shops in the city's old town: buy a second-hand luxury item might make sense in terms of giving a new life to an already-used piece of clothing or accessory; you however totally lose the point regarding price and affordability.
To complement the list I would naturally invite all to look into Kleideboerse, the second-hand sales that are taking place throughout the year. You can also refer to this article " Dolce & Gabbana und viel Ramsch in Zug" from Zentral Plus: it goes back to 2016 but most information and location remain up-to-date.
#mobility #urbanplanning #construction #Zug #sustainability #emobility #bikes #freefloating #shopping #secondhand