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Should Cities Install Moving Sidewalks?

Posted by timothy on from the that-and-bicycle-elevators dept.

theodp writes "The real problem nowadays is how to move crowds,' said the manager of the failed Trottoir Roulant Rapide high-speed (9 km/h) people mover project. 'They can travel fast over long distances with the TGV (high-speed train) or airplanes, but not over short distances (under 1 km).' Slate's Tom Vanderbilt explores whether moving walkways might be viable for urban transportation. The first moving sidewalks were unveiled at Chicago's 1893 Columbian Exposition, and at one point seemed destined to supplant some subways, but never took root in cities for a variety of reasons. Vanderbilt turns to science fiction for inspiration, where 30 mph walkways put today's tortoise-like speed ranges of .5-.83 m/s to shame. In the meantime, Jerry Seinfeld will just have to learn to live with 'the people who get onto the moving walkway and just stand there. Like it's a ride.'"

6 of 698 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Obesity? by arkane1234 · · Score: 5, Funny

    You say that like it's not what is happening... like.. now...
    It's best not to generalize people. Everyone does that nowadays, geez.

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  2. Conspiracy by easterberry · · Score: 5, Funny

    I have a theory. America is attempting to commit Manifest Destiny by making its people so fat that is becomes so massive that the rest of the world just collapses in on it. Black hole style.

  3. Consistent units? by siwelwerd · · Score: 5, Funny

    30 mph walkways put today's tortoise-like speed ranges of .5-.83 m/s to shame.

    Can't we at least get this in consistent units? For instance, "80,000 furlong per fortnight walkways put today's tortoise-like speed ranges of 3000-5000 furlongs per fortnight to shame".

  4. Re:WAT by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    You seem lost. Here, let me help you:

    http://digg.com/

  5. Re:escalators too by Moryath · · Score: 4, Funny

    Lemme guess. I'm modded "flamebait" because some fatass didn't like being called a lardass, right?

    It's reality. The people using the walkway are going to be these people. Five feet may not even be wide enough in some cases.

  6. Health Nuts by smitty777 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Simple solution - for all you health nuts that are complaining about obesity...just run on the thing backwards.

    There, fixed that for ya.

    --
    "Before God we are all equally wise - and equally foolish"
    Albert Einstein