Subject: [Homestead] Progressive Ithaca onto pod cars
Date: Wed, 15 Oct 2008 08:12:23 -0700
ITHACA, N.Y. — The thought of a driverless, computer-guided car
transporting people where they want to go on demand is a futuristic
notion to some.
To Jacob Roberts, podcars _ or PRTs, for personal rapid transit _
represent an important component in the here-and-now of transportation.
"It's time we design cities for the human, not for the automobile,"
said Roberts, president of Connect Ithaca, a group of planning and
building professionals, activists and students committed to making
this upstate New York college town the first podcar community in the
United States.
"In the podcar ... it creates the perfect blend between the privacy
and autonomy of the automobile with the public transportation aspect
and, of course, it uses clean energy," Roberts said.
With the oil crisis reaching a zenith and federal lawmakers ready to
begin fashioning a new national transportation bill for 2010, Roberts
and his colleagues think the future is now for podcars _ electric,
automated, lightweight vehicles that ride on their own network
separate from other traffic.
Unlike mass transit, podcars carry two to 10 passengers, giving
travelers the freedom and privacy of their own car while reducing the
use of fossil fuels, reducing traffic congestion and freeing up space
now monopolized by parking.
At stations located every block or every half-mile, depending on the
need, a rider enters a destination on a computerized pad, and a car
would take the person nonstop to the location. Stations would have
slanted pull-in bays so that some cars could stop for passengers,
while others could continue unimpeded on the main course.
"It works almost like an elevator, but horizontally," said Roberts,
adding podcar travel would be safer than automobile travel.
We trust that our very own Ithaca insider, Moon/Celia/Mrs. Morgan will
keep us up-to-date on this exciting possibility.
[Homestead] Progressive Ithaca onto pod cars,
Gene GeRue, 10/15/2008