Pitch
The most efficient possible transportation system will be fully automated, fully electric WITHOUT batteries. This is how...
Description
Summary
Video description: http://youtu.be/yD-cbV2LT2U
No public transportation system can compete with the automobile. That's because public transportation does NOT travel the "last mile". The only way to replace the automobile with public transportation is with individualized vehicles running on rails, mounted atop the existing road infrastructure.
It's basically a retrofit over the existing system. But unlike the automobile, this proposal is for fully automated vehicles AT GRADE, taking advantage of the advances in automation demonstrated by google cars and the DARPA grand challenges. And by placing the vehicles on rails, you gain the ability to run electric vehicles WITHOUT batteries to charge and pollute the environment.
Category of the action
Building efficiency: Physical Action
What actions do you propose?
The oil companies are not going to solve our transportation problem. Nor will the automobile companies. This is one of those moon-shot moments in history. I propose a DARPA like contest be held to determine the best design for replacing the automobile. The automobile companies can participate, as well as the engineering colleges, and so forth, basically the same participants who participate in the DARPA challenges.
Who will take these actions?
Industry and academia will participate in the design.
Where will these actions be taken?
Once a design is chosen, a test system needs to be built, possibly in an isolated location where mixing with automobiles is not an issue, somewhere like Catalina Island. Once the bugs are worked out of the system, we proceed to change the world.
How much will emissions be reduced or sequestered vs. business as usual levels?
Short of everyone riding bicycles, there is NO other proposal you will find that reduces emissions as much as this plan. You simply can't beat electric motors with vehicles running on rails instead of asphalt.
What are other key benefits?
Safety is one of the greatest benefits. No long will you risk your life just to visit the grocery story. The other great benefit is the pure efficiency of a transportation system where vehicles never stop at lights, where freight is moved without any human intervention, and the young, disabled, and elderly still maintain mobility. Finally, this system will bring beauty to our world. It will allow us to turn all of our parking lots into parks. Examples can be seen here: http://prtproject.com/aesthetics.html
What are the proposal’s costs?
Unknown. Obviously in the billions, but much more study would be required to calculate actual costs. The system is one where vehicles are shared, so at the very least you only need enough vehicles to cover peak usage. That alone is a huge savings.
Time line
It would take decades to implement this or any new transportation system.
Related proposals
N/A
References
The proposal is detailed here:
http://www.prtproject.com
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