4 ms·

>that's not taking into account the cost of the road networks we build and maintain Well, why would you? Then you'd have to take into account the airports and

>that's not taking into account the cost of the road networks we build and maintain Well, why would you? Then you'd have to take into account the airports and the transportation networks to get to them...

bluGill 5y ago
Please do so. Airports are nothing compares to just I80 across the US. There are a lot of other roads as well that we could downgrade if more people flew.
- yurishimo 5y ago
  I think autonomous vehicles will help here eventually too. A lot of road maintenance is due to large semi-trucks. If those vehicles are operated autonomously, they can be programmed to drive more efficiently in regards to wear on the roads. Slower braking, slower speeds (since you don’t need stops for drivers to sleep to reach your destination in the same amount of time). We’d also see a closure of many roadside stops since there are no longer people around to use those facilities.
  - Mountain_Skies 5y ago
    Might also enable more frequent but smaller trucks, which also would enable more point to point movement of goods and less of a hub and spoke model.
  - nradov 5y ago
    Road wear is caused by weight. Driving and braking slower won't make a significant difference.
    - _Microft 5y ago
      Road damage is said to be proportional to the fourth power of axle weight [0]. The link to reference 14 on the article is dead but the internet archive has a copy of it at [1]. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_weight#Importance https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_weight#Importance [1] https://web.archive.org/web/20150709151027/http://www.nvfnorden.org/lisalib/getfile.aspx?itemid=261 https://web.archive.org/web/20150709151027/http://www.nvfnor...
    - bluGill 5y ago
      An autonomous vehicle can keep the tires to the same track within 3cm. So there is potential to build pavement just where wheels go and corners. I don't believe it, but it is possible.
- perl4ever 5y ago
  I would need more information to flesh out how you think my default assumptions (that indirect costs are approximately proportional to direct costs) should be revised. Facts and logic are optional, but at least a quantitative assertion that's falsifiable would be a start.
- tshaddox 5y ago
  The interstates tend to go to the airports though.
  - bluGill 5y ago
    Interstates go a lots of places, airports is just one. they also cross Nebraska for example.

bluGill 5y ago

Please do so. Airports are nothing compares to just I80 across the US. There are a lot of other roads as well that we could downgrade if more people flew.

yurishimo 5y ago
I think autonomous vehicles will help here eventually too. A lot of road maintenance is due to large semi-trucks. If those vehicles are operated autonomously, they can be programmed to drive more efficiently in regards to wear on the roads. Slower braking, slower speeds (since you don’t need stops for drivers to sleep to reach your destination in the same amount of time). We’d also see a closure of many roadside stops since there are no longer people around to use those facilities.
- Mountain_Skies 5y ago
  Might also enable more frequent but smaller trucks, which also would enable more point to point movement of goods and less of a hub and spoke model.
- nradov 5y ago
  Road wear is caused by weight. Driving and braking slower won't make a significant difference.
  - _Microft 5y ago
    Road damage is said to be proportional to the fourth power of axle weight [0]. The link to reference 14 on the article is dead but the internet archive has a copy of it at [1]. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_weight#Importance https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_weight#Importance [1] https://web.archive.org/web/20150709151027/http://www.nvfnorden.org/lisalib/getfile.aspx?itemid=261 https://web.archive.org/web/20150709151027/http://www.nvfnor...
  - bluGill 5y ago
    An autonomous vehicle can keep the tires to the same track within 3cm. So there is potential to build pavement just where wheels go and corners. I don't believe it, but it is possible.
perl4ever 5y ago
I would need more information to flesh out how you think my default assumptions (that indirect costs are approximately proportional to direct costs) should be revised. Facts and logic are optional, but at least a quantitative assertion that's falsifiable would be a start.
tshaddox 5y ago
The interstates tend to go to the airports though.
- bluGill 5y ago
  Interstates go a lots of places, airports is just one. they also cross Nebraska for example.