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> Autonomous vehicles are still coming. Autonomous privately owned vehicles on shared rights of way are still coming. Centrally managed autonomous vehicles on

> Autonomous vehicles are still coming. Autonomous privately owned vehicles on shared rights of way are still coming. Centrally managed autonomous vehicles on dedicated rights of way are here already -- think inter-terminal trains at airports. If private car ownership is up for discussion (and it's explicitly called out here), you could imagine, for example, an urban plan where people got around on a macro level on automated elevated light rail, and on a micro level by foot or bike.

BinaryIdiot 10y ago
That would be pretty awesome and is very doable today. Good idea! You wouldn't even need roads really just stations everywhere to get on some sort of train type of vehicle that you can hop on and get to any part of the city. Hell make them smaller and more frequent and when you get in you put where you want to stop so it can skip stops, etc.
- Jtsummers 10y ago
  Trollies. They leave the roads open for other forms of transportation. They can be made to move slow enough that people can embark/disembark while it's in motion. Some level of automation can allow them to realize they're full and skip stops unless requested by a passenger. Hell, you could put a button or offer a phone app so people can request it to stop at a particular stop instead of flagging it down like a bus. Automation is easy, they follow tracks. Put them on various, intersecting loops. They could probably be more self-contained, rather than using the grid constantly. If personal vehicles are banned, you only have to contend with pedestrians, cyclists, emergency, maintenance, and perhaps delivery vehicles.
  - BinaryIdiot 10y ago
    Hmm not bad. Embarking / disembarking sounds difficult for the handicapped but I'm sure that's work-around-able. I'd be interested in seeing more cities adopt quick transportation like this even if it's in a different but similar form.
    - Jtsummers 10y ago
      Regular stops for them. You'd have them frequently enough. Everyone else can use those or get off between stops.
fudged71 10y ago
I get the feeling that a bike share program of electric bicycles could have huge implications.

BinaryIdiot 10y ago

That would be pretty awesome and is very doable today. Good idea! You wouldn't even need roads really just stations everywhere to get on some sort of train type of vehicle that you can hop on and get to any part of the city. Hell make them smaller and more frequent and when you get in you put where you want to stop so it can skip stops, etc.

Jtsummers 10y ago
Trollies. They leave the roads open for other forms of transportation. They can be made to move slow enough that people can embark/disembark while it's in motion. Some level of automation can allow them to realize they're full and skip stops unless requested by a passenger. Hell, you could put a button or offer a phone app so people can request it to stop at a particular stop instead of flagging it down like a bus. Automation is easy, they follow tracks. Put them on various, intersecting loops. They could probably be more self-contained, rather than using the grid constantly. If personal vehicles are banned, you only have to contend with pedestrians, cyclists, emergency, maintenance, and perhaps delivery vehicles.
- BinaryIdiot 10y ago
  Hmm not bad. Embarking / disembarking sounds difficult for the handicapped but I'm sure that's work-around-able. I'd be interested in seeing more cities adopt quick transportation like this even if it's in a different but similar form.
  - Jtsummers 10y ago
    Regular stops for them. You'd have them frequently enough. Everyone else can use those or get off between stops.

fudged71 10y ago

I get the feeling that a bike share program of electric bicycles could have huge implications.