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That seems to match the right tool (AI driving) to the right job (well-defined, well-controlled situations). I seem to recall that similar ideas go back to the

That seems to match the right tool (AI driving) to the right job (well-defined, well-controlled situations). I seem to recall that similar ideas go back to the early 1990s, at least, for highways: Drive your car to the entrance ramp, plug in your destination, and the autonomous system takes it from there. But for many of these things, such as the Bay Bridge or a highway, it seems like there is a simpler solution: Put the cars on a train and take them across by rail. I suspect I'm not the first person to think of it so I wonder why it's never been done (i.e., what problem I'm overlooking).

samstave 8y ago
Ive been picturing the rail problem for some time as well. Not just for cars, but also for cargo... just have a constant gondola-like conveyer that detaches a platform from the line to slow it enough to allow for cargo to get on, then re-zip-it backinto the line and speed it along, de-rail it once it hits its exit/location... ideally though, in cities, there would be no surface streets and all cars would have their own level below that of bikes pedestrians. What would SF look like if a superstructure was built above all streets and all pedestrian and bike traffic was moved up there? (sure, SF may be a poor example, so just select [city]) Look at Singapore's vast underground connecting malls between facilities. Those are pretty amazing. I grade US urban/city planners rather poorly.
- coatmatter 8y ago
  Underground space isn't unlimited. Besides, the best integrated transport solution in the world already exists in places like Utrecht, Groningen and Assen thanks to reforms that started decades ago.
- forapurpose 8y ago
  > What would SF look like if a superstructure was built above all streets and all pedestrian and bike traffic was moved up there? The street level would be dark and storefronts would become difficult to access. If the stores moved up to the 2nd floor (a massive transformation of real estate, probably greatly reducing available living space), what would go on the first level? Not many people would want to live in the dark.
  - samatman 8y ago
    It's not a pure hypothetical, large parts of contemporary Chicago were built up a level. The results are mostly "garden apartments" which are damp, dim, and slightly less expensive.
chipotle_coyote 8y ago
I suspect it's never been tried because the cost necessary to get from where we are now to there outweighs the potential benefit compared to more conventional transit solutions, carpooling, etc. Once automated driving gets to a point where it's possible to implement "autopilot-only" lanes (and doing so gets past the sociopolitical hurdles), I suspect those will come into play too, though.
- coatmatter 8y ago
  Cars, or more specifically the way "we"* tend to (mis)use them (single occupancy mode) are an exponential major world problem. * Full disclosure: I ride bicycles and only plan to ever live in localities where I won't need to purchase an entire car. More cars, or even car-friendly tech will never be the solution for the issue of too many cars. See also "induced demand": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Induced_demand https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Induced_demand https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2011/10/06/the-true-cost-of-commuting/ https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2011/10/06/the-true-cost-of-... https://carbusters.org/2011/09/08/are-cars-really-our-greatest-mistake/ https://carbusters.org/2011/09/08/are-cars-really-our-greate...

samstave 8y ago

Ive been picturing the rail problem for some time as well. Not just for cars, but also for cargo... just have a constant gondola-like conveyer that detaches a platform from the line to slow it enough to allow for cargo to get on, then re-zip-it backinto the line and speed it along, de-rail it once it hits its exit/location... ideally though, in cities, there would be no surface streets and all cars would have their own level below that of bikes pedestrians. What would SF look like if a superstructure was built above all streets and all pedestrian and bike traffic was moved up there? (sure, SF may be a poor example, so just select [city]) Look at Singapore's vast underground connecting malls between facilities. Those are pretty amazing. I grade US urban/city planners rather poorly.

coatmatter 8y ago
Underground space isn't unlimited. Besides, the best integrated transport solution in the world already exists in places like Utrecht, Groningen and Assen thanks to reforms that started decades ago.
forapurpose 8y ago
> What would SF look like if a superstructure was built above all streets and all pedestrian and bike traffic was moved up there? The street level would be dark and storefronts would become difficult to access. If the stores moved up to the 2nd floor (a massive transformation of real estate, probably greatly reducing available living space), what would go on the first level? Not many people would want to live in the dark.
- samatman 8y ago
  It's not a pure hypothetical, large parts of contemporary Chicago were built up a level. The results are mostly "garden apartments" which are damp, dim, and slightly less expensive.

chipotle_coyote 8y ago

I suspect it's never been tried because the cost necessary to get from where we are now to there outweighs the potential benefit compared to more conventional transit solutions, carpooling, etc. Once automated driving gets to a point where it's possible to implement "autopilot-only" lanes (and doing so gets past the sociopolitical hurdles), I suspect those will come into play too, though.

coatmatter 8y ago
Cars, or more specifically the way "we"* tend to (mis)use them (single occupancy mode) are an exponential major world problem. * Full disclosure: I ride bicycles and only plan to ever live in localities where I won't need to purchase an entire car. More cars, or even car-friendly tech will never be the solution for the issue of too many cars. See also "induced demand": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Induced_demand https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Induced_demand https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2011/10/06/the-true-cost-of-commuting/ https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2011/10/06/the-true-cost-of-... https://carbusters.org/2011/09/08/are-cars-really-our-greatest-mistake/ https://carbusters.org/2011/09/08/are-cars-really-our-greate...