3 ms·

I know that self driving cars are eyerolling to hear about, but highway self-driving with convergent infrastructure (not the drive-me-thru-Taco-Bell kind) is go

I know that self driving cars are eyerolling to hear about, but highway self-driving with convergent infrastructure (not the drive-me-thru-Taco-Bell kind) is going to come to trucking, for the basic reason that you can drive the trucks overnight at a minimum. Smaller planes seem mostly designed for shorter flights, but if I can get a better-than-sober-me stats on highways, and I can sleep in a car while it drives me to another city, why would I fly? - take a lot more stuff with you - for families it will be insanely cheaper - if an EV, it will be lower carbon - I will have a car for last mile/city driving when I get there - much better seats I honestly think the 20 year prognosis for <800 mile flights is going to be really bad. 800 miles flying is 2 hours + taxiing + waiting in line + transport to airport + giving yourself enough buffer + land/get luggage + ground transport. That is probably 5-6 hours in many situations. So a 10-11 hour drive where you don't have to pay attention and can sleep overnight would be my primary choice if I could do it now. Even if there was, say, a 1500 mile trip to florida, if there is someone to visit along the way, I'll drive. Anyway, the gist of it is that I think large planes or trips with water barriers are what the industry will end up with, I don't anticipate some massive groundswell of air travel demand for shorter flights in the long run.

euroderf 3y ago
You've also made the case for railway travel, except the last mile car. But that last mile car is an impediment in a proper (dense) city with proper transit.
- AtlasBarfed 3y ago
  Railway travel has schedules you have to adhere, and all the boarding/unboarding overhead, and luggage limitations. With the high expense of rail infrastructure (e.g. transporation in cities) I always wondered if you simply designated a dedicated paved lane for busses if that would simply be cheaper.
  - euroderf 3y ago
    Buying tix online makes rail travel a lot simpler, ektually. But there's a place for buses too, and a crossover point where increased traffic makes rail better long-term. But long-dx on buses is no fun. Trains rule. Get some shuteye, or watch the world go by.
Qwertious 3y ago
You used to be able to travel to Florida in your car without having to drive, in a "motorail" that simply carried the whole automobile on the train: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auto_Train https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auto_Train
- mst 3y ago
  That seems to have the humans ride in passenger cars. The Channel Tunnel vehicle trains generally leave the humans in the cars during the journey: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LeShuttle https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LeShuttle
  - wkat4242 3y ago
    That's because the trip is only 30 minutes. The whole hassle of relocating isn't worth it.

euroderf 3y ago

You've also made the case for railway travel, except the last mile car. But that last mile car is an impediment in a proper (dense) city with proper transit.

AtlasBarfed 3y ago
Railway travel has schedules you have to adhere, and all the boarding/unboarding overhead, and luggage limitations. With the high expense of rail infrastructure (e.g. transporation in cities) I always wondered if you simply designated a dedicated paved lane for busses if that would simply be cheaper.
- euroderf 3y ago
  Buying tix online makes rail travel a lot simpler, ektually. But there's a place for buses too, and a crossover point where increased traffic makes rail better long-term. But long-dx on buses is no fun. Trains rule. Get some shuteye, or watch the world go by.

Qwertious 3y ago

You used to be able to travel to Florida in your car without having to drive, in a "motorail" that simply carried the whole automobile on the train: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auto_Train https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auto_Train

mst 3y ago
That seems to have the humans ride in passenger cars. The Channel Tunnel vehicle trains generally leave the humans in the cars during the journey: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LeShuttle https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LeShuttle
- wkat4242 3y ago
  That's because the trip is only 30 minutes. The whole hassle of relocating isn't worth it.