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Self-driving cars were always overhyped in the US because roads are the only decent transportation infrastructure. A future where we have better cars is a wast

Self-driving cars were always overhyped in the US because roads are the only decent transportation infrastructure. A future where we have better cars is a waste. For long distances, we should build trains. For short distances in cities, we have buses, trams, bikes. This technology already exists and is very good, it’s just not supported by the government-business hybrid that runs the US.

helen___keller 4y ago
> For short distances in cities, we have buses, trams, bikes Although I agree, as an urban dweller, I am quite anticipating a possible future with the total proliferation of self driving cars. If self driving cars reach a large majority of the road, I can anticipate local and state governments outlawing the manually-driven kind on urban streets. I personally would really like this, because human drivers are an absolute nuisance to urban life in many ways. You can't use laws to make humans drive 25 on that road where everyone routinely goes 40. It just doesn't work, and the people whose houses are on that road suffer the noise and danger that results. You can, however, use laws to make algorithms respect the speed limit, because big companies will otherwise face big fines. That's why I want to see self driving cars.
- jokteur 4y ago
  You can also make the road narrower and put obstacles on the road to force to reduce the speed: it is very effective, and very cheap to install with little technology. Here is a typical example of narrow street with obstacles in Switzerland: https://www.google.com/maps/@46.8111357,7.1507033,3a,75y,167.48h,79.65t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1schP4kqDaDy3prbZf3tbrkg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 https://www.google.com/maps/@46.8111357,7.1507033,3a,75y,167....
  - helen___keller 4y ago
    Correct, but that takes active effort on a road by road basis, which becomes a political problem on a road by road basis. In a world where all cars are automated, establishing speed limits is presumably something you do once and auto manufacturers will be forced to comply. Similarly, issues with cycling safety and pedestrian safety are instantly mitigated without complex study groups to examine why this or that particular intersection has seen three cycling fatalities. All of this is assuming the creation of currently-mythical technology, or course
galangalalgol 4y ago
The US still hasn't finished industrializing/urbanizing, so we still have relatively large rural populations that drive longer distances to go to and from stores schools etc. The schools can't even cover the area they serve with bus service for children. Those areas will continue to meed cars, and they aren't a corner case, they are still roughly a fifth of the population. And buses dont work that well in suburbia and that is over half of the population. Only about a quarter of the US lives in denser urban environments.
- nextstep 4y ago
  I think you hit the nail on the head: instead of large, sprawling suburban cities built around the car, the US will need to rebuild cities around humans who walk and take bikes.
  - galangalalgol 4y ago
    Completing the automation of agriculture is the only thing that would drive a significant fraction of the rural fifth into cities, and rebuilding suburbia to be denser is fighting against market trends. I'm betting we get self driving cars first, and I'm not at all sure I disagree with the article's title.

helen___keller 4y ago

> For short distances in cities, we have buses, trams, bikes Although I agree, as an urban dweller, I am quite anticipating a possible future with the total proliferation of self driving cars. If self driving cars reach a large majority of the road, I can anticipate local and state governments outlawing the manually-driven kind on urban streets. I personally would really like this, because human drivers are an absolute nuisance to urban life in many ways. You can't use laws to make humans drive 25 on that road where everyone routinely goes 40. It just doesn't work, and the people whose houses are on that road suffer the noise and danger that results. You can, however, use laws to make algorithms respect the speed limit, because big companies will otherwise face big fines. That's why I want to see self driving cars.

jokteur 4y ago
You can also make the road narrower and put obstacles on the road to force to reduce the speed: it is very effective, and very cheap to install with little technology. Here is a typical example of narrow street with obstacles in Switzerland: https://www.google.com/maps/@46.8111357,7.1507033,3a,75y,167.48h,79.65t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1schP4kqDaDy3prbZf3tbrkg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 https://www.google.com/maps/@46.8111357,7.1507033,3a,75y,167....
- helen___keller 4y ago
  Correct, but that takes active effort on a road by road basis, which becomes a political problem on a road by road basis. In a world where all cars are automated, establishing speed limits is presumably something you do once and auto manufacturers will be forced to comply. Similarly, issues with cycling safety and pedestrian safety are instantly mitigated without complex study groups to examine why this or that particular intersection has seen three cycling fatalities. All of this is assuming the creation of currently-mythical technology, or course

galangalalgol 4y ago

The US still hasn't finished industrializing/urbanizing, so we still have relatively large rural populations that drive longer distances to go to and from stores schools etc. The schools can't even cover the area they serve with bus service for children. Those areas will continue to meed cars, and they aren't a corner case, they are still roughly a fifth of the population. And buses dont work that well in suburbia and that is over half of the population. Only about a quarter of the US lives in denser urban environments.

nextstep 4y ago
I think you hit the nail on the head: instead of large, sprawling suburban cities built around the car, the US will need to rebuild cities around humans who walk and take bikes.
- galangalalgol 4y ago
  Completing the automation of agriculture is the only thing that would drive a significant fraction of the rural fifth into cities, and rebuilding suburbia to be denser is fighting against market trends. I'm betting we get self driving cars first, and I'm not at all sure I disagree with the article's title.