> public transit disappears? though driverless buses would be cheaper too. I don't think so, I think public transport becomes more important. In the same vein

> public transit disappears? though driverless buses would be cheaper too. I don't think so, I think public transport becomes more important. In the same vein as automated cars reduce human dependence, subways and its ilk can become faster and more automated. In the end, on-rails 1d motion is still much more efficient than 2d rubber on tarmac motion, and the in case of a short airline flight 1d is still more efficient (because you expend most of your fuel ascending and descending from an airport). In terms of efficiency though, maybe putting everyone in maglev tube pods and having them input a destination and fly along nanotube personal rails like in the Jetsons will be the future.