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This is why electric self-driving cars are the future. Door to door service using existing road infrastructure much more efficiently. Most public transit system

by spikels 11y ago

This is why electric self-driving cars are the future. Door to door service using existing road infrastructure much more efficiently. Most public transit systems are so poorly run many will not survive.

npunt 11y ago
Exactly. Passenger rail (as much as I love it) is about to be outdated. Expensive rail projects that amortize costs over >20 years are at risk of never paying off, because in that timeframe self-driving cars will take over as the preferred method of transport, because they: * utilize existing infrastructure (roads) * get you 100% of the way from point A to B vs having to travel additional distance from stations * can be gradually introduced with purchasers being those who directly benefit vs big projects dealing with nimbys, budgets, and right-of-way issues where costs-benefits aren't as aligned * are a drop-in replacement that offer significant improvements in both safety and driver time * open new business models of cars as service vs as product * allow commuting from farther away, reducing housing shortages * offer lower labor costs than buses, so cities may control their own fleets or subsidize private fleets for low income riders ... among many more benefits. Dense urban cores will still find value in subways that do not take up outdoor space, but for the most part, mid-century cities are going to be doing a lot of ripping up excess roads/lanes and parking lots, and making things both denser and greener.
- bkor 11y ago
  This really depends on the city. Go to any Asian city where people have loads of scooters and motor bikes. These take up way less space than a car. You'll see that the roads cannot handle the traffic at all. From my impression US is very car centric. Once you do away with that a lot of assumptions you have now don't apply. I like my public transport and cycling.
  - spikels 11y ago
    No problem: self-driving electric scooters and motor bikes - not too far behind cars. http://www.notimpossiblenow.com/the-latest/google-self-driving-motorcycles http://www.notimpossiblenow.com/the-latest/google-self-drivi...

by spikels 11y ago

npunt 11y ago

Exactly. Passenger rail (as much as I love it) is about to be outdated. Expensive rail projects that amortize costs over >20 years are at risk of never paying off, because in that timeframe self-driving cars will take over as the preferred method of transport, because they: * utilize existing infrastructure (roads) * get you 100% of the way from point A to B vs having to travel additional distance from stations * can be gradually introduced with purchasers being those who directly benefit vs big projects dealing with nimbys, budgets, and right-of-way issues where costs-benefits aren't as aligned * are a drop-in replacement that offer significant improvements in both safety and driver time * open new business models of cars as service vs as product * allow commuting from farther away, reducing housing shortages * offer lower labor costs than buses, so cities may control their own fleets or subsidize private fleets for low income riders ... among many more benefits. Dense urban cores will still find value in subways that do not take up outdoor space, but for the most part, mid-century cities are going to be doing a lot of ripping up excess roads/lanes and parking lots, and making things both denser and greener.

bkor 11y ago
This really depends on the city. Go to any Asian city where people have loads of scooters and motor bikes. These take up way less space than a car. You'll see that the roads cannot handle the traffic at all. From my impression US is very car centric. Once you do away with that a lot of assumptions you have now don't apply. I like my public transport and cycling.
- spikels 11y ago
  No problem: self-driving electric scooters and motor bikes - not too far behind cars. http://www.notimpossiblenow.com/the-latest/google-self-driving-motorcycles http://www.notimpossiblenow.com/the-latest/google-self-drivi...