Podcars Could Be the Transportation of the Future
The AP reports that a new public transportation system is being proposed for Ithaca, NY, home of Cornell University and Ithaca College, that would make use of a reasonably novel mode of transportation called podcars. The electric pods would carry between two and ten passengers to their destination station, which would be spaced out every block or every half mile. The small size gives them a greater sense of privacy than standard mass transit systems, like the New York City subway system, as well as more flexibility. Stations would consist of side platforms that would allow the computer controlled podcars to pull over and load or unload passengers while allowing other pods to continue along the guided paths to their destination.
This isn't the first such pod-based transportation system. West Virginia University students used a similar system built in 1975, while Sweden, Poland, and Korea all have full-scale test tracks in place.
Some critics claim the system is financially untenable. The pod system would cost roughly $25 to $40 million per mile to build. Major cities would be able to afford such a system, but it would not provide the capacity necessary to serve a population in a city like London or Chicago. Smaller suburbs and towns, which would be better served by this type of transportation model, would be unable to fund the project because ridership would be too limited.
The podcar line in Ithaca is still just a concept, but Mayor Carol Peterson is confident it will be part of an eventual environmentally responsible and pedestrian-friendly transportation system throughout the city. [From: AP and CNN]
