Imagine driving into London not on surface streets, but rather in an underground tube with automated, moving tracks designed specifically for electric cars. Like a kind of subterranean track-laden ferry, which drivers would be able to individually join and exit at numerous points, this "CarTube" concept is the work of Lars Hesselgren's research team at PLP Architecture.
Although the proposal uses London as a starting point, the firm isn't limiting it to the U.K., as this Guardian article notes:
If the project’s goal is to reduce street-level congestion, then is a city like London (which already has an extensive public transport system and congestion charge) its prime target? “London is our case study, but chances are it will get built somewhere else where people are desperate for a solution,” Hesselgren says, listing Mexico City, Delhi, Jakarta and Mumbai as the sorts of gridlock-heavy cities that could benefit from the CarTube. “This kind of approach in those places could really make a difference,” he adds. That difference, however, would rest on the replacement of all cars in those cities with fully automated, emission-free vehicles – which seems a long, long way off.
For more on driverless and electric cars:
2 Comments
PLEASE note there is no 'automated moving tracks - the cars simply DRIVE THEMSELVES. Please note this is a misunderstanding that seems to be going viral. The point is once automated cars can drive themselves and collaborate so there is never any congestion then that is why such a system is as efficient as crossrail / tube / metro systems. The track is a road tunnel that is all.
Let me drop a new urbanisum wet blanket on this. Cars, electric or self driving, are not a good thing in dense sustainable, livable cities. Streets congested by cars are probably not going away but should we spend limited infrastructure funding to make car driving and thus suburban sprawl easier?
Also this system of subways, but for cars, will be incredibly expensive to build and will still be moving relatively small numbers of people the length of 3 cars equals the length of a subway car. A subway car can carry 130 people 3 cars can carry 18 at the most likely 12.
Economies of scale in mas transit begin to make sense once one factors in the safety checks and maintenance of each vehicle.
Finally this expensive tunnel bypassing the congested surface streets will further widen the gap between rich and poor as this system will probably only be available to the rich.
If you are considering eliminating surface streets for subterranean streets and returning more space to pedestrians that is an amicable goal but has not been successful if you intend to sustain a vibrant commercial district with shops and restaurants that people visit. For some reason people like to drive by a place or observe it from a buss or train before venturing over to check it out. Most people will never visit a shop or restaurant if they have not seen it before (in person, TV or in a review) and they will be suspicious of the quality of the business if the street it is on is empty.
Why are we still obsessing over the problem of the car in the city, we know what to do about it, eliminate or restrict cars and have people walk or ride a train or buss together.
Not everything has to be individually self serving, that would make for a much more lonely world. Sometimes efficient is not better.
Over and OUT
Peter N
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