Personal Urban Mobility Vehicles
Do you think we will see the day when large areas of lower manhattan are off limits to any other vehicles than these vehicles (max 25 mph 2 seaters)? Almost 75% of Manhattanites do not own a car today.
Or do you think it will only happen in custom designed retirement communities (variation on golf cart friendly places today)?
Quote: pacomartin
Do you think we will see the day when large areas of lower manhattan are off limits to any other vehicles than these vehicles (max 25 mph 2 seaters)? Almost 75% of Manhattanites do not own a car today.
Or do you think it will only happen in custom designed retirement communities (variation on golf cart friendly places today)?
I hope not. These things are ugly as sin. It looks like the bastard love child of a Segway and a Crash Helmet.
or is that just me?
EDIT - apologies for the poor image sizes.
Quote: mkl654321Don't they have cars like this in Paris, made by Citroen or somebody like that, that have a lawnmower engine, a top speed of 35 MPH, and would be completely destroyed in a collision with a potted plant? I believe they are making some noise about restricting auto traffic there to just these putt-putts.
They'll hold 2 Japanese men comfortably, or half a Texan.
Quote: pacomartin
Do you think we will see the day when large areas of lower manhattan are off limits to any other vehicles than these vehicles (max 25 mph 2 seaters)? Almost 75% of Manhattanites do not own a car today.
Or do you think it will only happen in custom designed retirement communities (variation on golf cart friendly places today)?
GM had a concept called "Lean Machine" way back, about this size but looked better. Kind of a cross between a motorcycle and a small car. No, they will not close traffic off except for these. Manhattan is too dense for everyone to have anything but a bicycle. And Manhatan still needs lots of large vehicles for deliveries or mass transit. Finally, diplomats at the UN like their big Mercedes and Cadillacs.
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Quote: pacomartinIsn't it possible that elevated corridors to support these electric vehicles would be a good alternative to elevated trains?
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I don't see the cost-benefit being there. WVU has one of the first "skybus" systems Westinghouse ever built in the 1960s and still works. Small cars that hold 10 or so people running every minute or so. No operator. Engineered to avoid collision. Why build elevated roads with individual drivers when you can do this?
The small personal vehicles could operate on an elevated platform above East River Drive and West Highway. Some cross streets could be dedicated to their use, and others the personal vehicle would have to mix with regular traffic. Speeds are not above 25 mph anyway.
I can't see much advantage to driving them around these new communities
Quote: pacomartinI thought the WVU was operational in 1975 (not the 1960's). It only has five stations.
The small personal vehicles could operate on an elevated platform above East River Drive and West Highway. Some cross streets could be dedicated to their use, and others the personal vehicle would have to mix with regular traffic. Speeds are not above 25 mph anyway.
The system was tested in Pittsburgh in the late 1960s, that is where i am getting the date from. The system was made to be expandable. Pittsburgh itself would have had a super-world-class system by now under the plans they had. Politicians could not agree on anything and we instead have a couple busways and a light rail line that gets used but is nothing special.
