The autonomous, four-person pods would travel on an enclosed track, but is it an effective model for public transit?
An autonomous car company wants to bring driverless, four-person ‘pods’ to the Bay Area, reports John Ramos for CBS News, a project that would require a 28-mile enclosed roadway with 56 access points. “And because the cars are only about five feet wide, the travel route is small enough to run alongside trails, railroad tracks and streets without removing any existing lanes.”
The service, built by Glydways, could provide a link to Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) and other regional transit systems for communities that lack connections. “So where will the money coming [sic] from? Right now, that's unclear. But transit planners say it will be a partnership, combining state and federal funding with private investment.”
High-tech transportation projects like this have been criticized for distracting transportation agencies and lawmakers from the less flashy transit solutions — e.g. buses — that have been proven to work when funded effectively.
FULL STORY: Autonomous car company Glydways to bring driverless public transit to East Contra Costa
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