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DOT Warns of Dystopian Future For Transportation
An anonymous reader writes The U.S. Department of Transportation has issued a 300-page PDF outlining the grim future of transportation infrastructure in North America over the next thirty years, and inviting debate on the issue. The report presents a vision of 2045 with LA-style traffic jams in Nebraska, trains too full to pick up any more passengers and airports underwater due to climate change — all in a climate of chronic under-investment, even at levels needed to maintain existing transport infrastructure. Among possible solutions outlined are self-driving cars using vehicle-to-vehicle (V2I) crash-avoidance technologies, such as those currently in development by Google — and in fact transportation secretary Anthony Foxx was joined by Google CEO Eric Schmidt at the launch of DOT's "Beyond Traffic" initiative.
Great idea! We'll form an exploratory committee put together a schedule for forming survey planning committee. We'll need funding through... say... 2018?
Don't forget. The EPA and several other agencies whose names elude me at the moment must do environmental, economic, racial, and metaphysical impact studies before anyone picks up a shovel.
Hey, let's spot the libertarian with idealogical and impractical ideas!
I'm a little segfault, short and stout.
Hopefully people will stop traveling so much so we won't need as much transportation infrastructure in 30 years. It has already dramatically decreased because of teleconferencing. Conventions have taken a huge hit because of this.
Hopefully products will stop traveling so much so we won't need as much transportation infrastructure in 30 years. We already have rudimentary 3D printing. In 30 years I hope we can print everything we need where its needed instead of wasting time, money, fuel, packaging and other resources moving stuff around. Then when you're done with that item you throw it in the de-constructor which recycles the parts. Need more raw materials? Shovel in a few scoops of dirt. Sure, occasionally you'll need to add some essential elements you might have but think of all those local landfills to be mined!
No, in 2045 we should not need much of DOT. The world will change.
"The report presents a vision of 2045 with LA-style traffic jams in Nebraska... Among possible solutions outlined are self-driving cars..."
what, so you can sleep through the traffic jams?
By 2045 we'll be down the other side of the slope, most citizens of the USA and elsewhere will not be able to afford to own and operate a vehicle and a good chunk of the expected population growth will have died off due to measles and other preventable diseases. Boom, problem solved. You're welcome.
I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?
This land is my land,
It isn't your land.
I've got a shotgun
and you don't got one
If you don't get off
I'll blow your head off
This land is private property.
John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
Meanwhile, the main privatised commuter line between Brighton and London, a journey of only 40-odd miles, failed to arrive on time ONCE in an ENTIRE YEAR. You can thank Southern Rail for that. Douchebags.
It was like christmas came late for the Metro. That was basically the best possible headline for them. I like how they had "NEVER" in capitals, bold and red.
SJW n. One who posts facts.