Excellent points. One additional one that's important to consider in this day and age is terrorism. A mob of people in a subway station, or packed into a bus, is much more susceptible to an attack, ala Tokyo with the serin gas. PRT would not be nearly as tempting a target.
"Having a car for so many people is about control. They drive to and from work in a little isolated bubble, playing the music they want to hear, sipping their coffee. It's addicting. I've talked to so many people who admit they should ride the bus or ride mass transit but they don't, because they always are scared of some bum knifing them or listening to some kid blasting his boom box. Second, people get pissed off when having to deal with bus schedules. They want to go where they want when the want, not wait around for some bus to pick 'em up. It's all about selfish control in this instant gratification society."
Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) solves ALL of these issues: You ride alone, when and where you want to travel, listening to your iPod or talking on your mobile, reading the paper, sipping your latte, or just kicking back enjoying the view. People also get 'pissed off' in their cars, leading to road rage. There's no road rage with PRT!
Sure they do - just look at their faces as they creep in rush hour traffic on the freeway....
"I don't want to wait for any form of public transportation either.
Busses, subways and trains go from some point I'm not at, to a place that I do not need to go. And, usually, at a timepoint I dont need to travel. "
Take a look at the PRT links posted here. PRT cars go where you want to go, when you want to go, 24/7, non-stop. That would be much more enjoyable to me than being stuck in rush-hour (which is nearly continuous here in the Seattle area)
"Even if there WERE good-fast-cheap public transportation I would still drive a car! I don't want to have to hear, smell or look at the dregs of humanity."
That's one of the beauties of Personal Rapid Transit - you ride alone or with your group only, non-stop, quickly to your destination. No pick-pockets, fondlers, etc. And FREEDOM from traffic jams!
"selling two lanes of 5th Avenue in New York back to businesses would pay for the entire system in Manhattan"
Great point. Here in the Seattle area, there are projects in the works to build a new monorail system, a new light rail system, a new streetcar system, expand I-405, etc. Together, these projects cost billions of dollars, an amount that could probably fund an entire regional PRT system that would remove far more cars from our roads.
I agree that PRT is the long-term solution. It can be built over the existing road system at a much lower cost per passenger moved than light rail, monorail, subway, etc. It goes where you want to go, when you want to go, non-stop at a good rate of speed while using a fraction of the energy. It reduces the problem of crime, you don't have to sit next to someone who hasn't showered in a month, you don't have to wait at a stop for 10 or 15 minutes. We just need to get our politicos to fund some demonstration/development projects so we can discover the best system. This is something that could eventually tie the entire continent together, and marginalize the automobile.
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Excellent points. One additional one that's important to consider in this day and age is terrorism. A mob of people in a subway station, or packed into a bus, is much more susceptible to an attack, ala Tokyo with the serin gas. PRT would not be nearly as tempting a target.
Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) solves ALL of these issues: You ride alone, when and where you want to travel, listening to your iPod or talking on your mobile, reading the paper, sipping your latte, or just kicking back enjoying the view. People also get 'pissed off' in their cars, leading to road rage. There's no road rage with PRT!
Sure they do - just look at their faces as they creep in rush hour traffic on the freeway....
"I don't want to wait for any form of public transportation either. Busses, subways and trains go from some point I'm not at, to a place that I do not need to go. And, usually, at a timepoint I dont need to travel. "
Take a look at the PRT links posted here. PRT cars go where you want to go, when you want to go, 24/7, non-stop. That would be much more enjoyable to me than being stuck in rush-hour (which is nearly continuous here in the Seattle area)
That's one of the beauties of Personal Rapid Transit - you ride alone or with your group only, non-stop, quickly to your destination. No pick-pockets, fondlers, etc. And FREEDOM from traffic jams!
Great point. Here in the Seattle area, there are projects in the works to build a new monorail system, a new light rail system, a new streetcar system, expand I-405, etc. Together, these projects cost billions of dollars, an amount that could probably fund an entire regional PRT system that would remove far more cars from our roads.
PRT would be a boon for people with disabilities, as it would provide them with the freedom and mobility of the auto.
I agree that PRT is the long-term solution. It can be built over the existing road system at a much lower cost per passenger moved than light rail, monorail, subway, etc. It goes where you want to go, when you want to go, non-stop at a good rate of speed while using a fraction of the energy. It reduces the problem of crime, you don't have to sit next to someone who hasn't showered in a month, you don't have to wait at a stop for 10 or 15 minutes. We just need to get our politicos to fund some demonstration/development projects so we can discover the best system. This is something that could eventually tie the entire continent together, and marginalize the automobile.