smart transport

It's a rough time for public transport. Public sector deficits are skyrocketing, national economies are teetering on the brink and austerity measures reign. No wonder that trying to get funding for mass transit improvements is proving difficult. But could technology help to make ageing public transportation infrastructure more efficient? Researchers hope so.

It's a rough time for public transport. Public sector deficits are skyrocketing, national economies are teetering on the brink and austerity measures reign. No wonder that trying to get funding for mass transit improvements is proving difficult. But could technology help to make ageing public transportation infrastructure more efficient? Researchers hope so.

"We now have the ability to realize systems that were originally thought of 50 years ago, for which technology wasn't available at the time," says Robbert Lohmann, Commercial Director of privately-owned European firm 2getthere, which consults on "automated people moving systems."

range of new technologies

A variety of technologies exist, including artificially intelligent vehicles that can drive themselves to smart networks that enable vehicles to talk to each other and communicate environmental conditions. Used wisely, these technologies could help to make roads more efficient and safer.
With U.S. infrastructure rapidly ageing, squeezing every last piece of functionality out of an existing road is an attractive proposition. "If we make efficient buses that run in narrow lanes or on the shoulder, then we will not have to build as many roads," says Todd Jochem, a Carnegie Mellon alumni who works on autonomous vehicle design.

However, taking over a single lane of traffic with buses that move very closely together requires a cultural shift in a society that has traditionally promoted personal over public transit. Which politicians would have the courage to pull together technology, funding and public policy?

The answer? Make public transportation more individual by decreasing intervals between trains or buses. "You end up waiting less, which makes it better for the passengers. It encourages smaller transportation units, as well," he says.

individual transportation pods

That moves us into a world of smaller or even individual transportation "pods." This idea of personal public transport is slowly gaining traction. One example is the UTLra pod system currently going live at Heathrow's terminal 5. The system, billed as the first personal rapid transit system in the world, features 18 small autonomous pods that travel between three stations at Heathrow. The system can process 164 vehicles per hour, each making a single journey of five minutes in either direction. With four passengers per pod, that means an hourly rate of 656 passengers ferried between different locations.

How might this idea of personal rapid transit translate into private transport? One possible solution is the convoy. This system involves a lead vehicle such as a bus or coach that makes a particular journey on a regular basis. The driver is trusted and knows the route well. Wireless communications enable other vehicles to travel behind the lead vehicle, using its behavior to automatically control acceleration and steering. This would enable vehicles to travel much closer together, making more efficient use of the road in what amounts to a hybrid personal/public transportation system.

This convoy concept would allow vehicles to join and leave the convoy at will. Versions of it have already been tested and, according to Volvo, these platoons of vehicles could appear on European roads by the end of the decade. It is also hoped that they could cut carbon emissions by 20%.
That would be the ultimate fusion of car culture with mass transit. Perhaps in car-oriented cultures, where people are reluctant to give up their vehicles, it could herald a third kind of transport. Private, personal and public - all at the same time.

For more information, please click on one of the links below:

2getthere

ULTra Personal Rapid Transit