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SC and GA develop advanced Monobeam Transit


monsoon

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  • 4 months later...

These should be built on every Sprawlway in every Sprawlsville.

TPOTG6.jpg

Imgine sitting in this traffic and having one of those babies zoom over you. It wouldn't happen too many times before people would start to try to figure out how they could be zooming around in that, rather than sitting at that traffic light sucking down exhaust fumes.

This would be killer on the MassPike in Boston or on Route 1 north of Boston. It would also be a great way to connect Providence to the Airport in Warwick, and to highspeed ferries at Quonset point. These could go everywhere. I WANT ONE!

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Guest donaltopablo

It was an very interesting project so I wonder why neither company has managed to score a project. I think it would be great compared to some projects that I have seen.

Have they perfected the technology? Costs?

I'm just guessing at potential hold ups to getting this kind of technology in. Seems like something Orlando or Vegas would try to go after first... or other tourist city. Someone willing to take a little more risk on a project that wasn't proven to be the most cost effective way simply for the show value of having it. I imagine after that happens, and if the technology did prove to be reasonable that other cities would adopt. Just a guess though.

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  • 7 months later...

Seems like something Orlando or Vegas would try to go after first... or other tourist city.

Ha! Charleston is a touristy city! Its just a classy tourism -as opposed to a tacky one like Orlando/Las Vegas.

I think that idea has alot of merit. the problem in Charleston is that there isn't a CBD. Downtown is kinda one, but its not the home to alot of major offices. North Charleston is really the palce to be for this type of service.

Right now Charleston actually has very limited bus service due to lack of money. Last time I went there I saw alot of people walking, and in places where you wouldnt normally think of seeing walkers (suburban areas).

Charleston definately needs some density before it will have successful mass transit.

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I'm not sure a touristy city would go after one of these first... it seems that its an extremely practical transportation method, not just flashy.

If it could reach speeds of 250mph using its current motor, this is something that might start to edge in the commercial airline market, at least nationally and if it had the proper expansion.

Example: I don't know how far it is from Providence to Boston, but assuming it is close to 250 miles and using a direct line b.t the two cities (barring stops) the trip would take one hour. People in the Northeast commute an hour every day inside one city, let alone from one to another.

I like the idea. Alot.

Also, It seems it would be connected using a sort of roller-ball (wheel) above, below, and on the side of the beam, (like a roller coaster) so as long as everything was properly oiled and aligned, the only thing you would hear would be air molecules getting pushed out of the way as the monobeam rushed by.

And maybe the hum of an electric motor.

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Actually Providence and Boston are a lot closer together than that, about 50 miles. Express commuter rail trains currently make the trip in 45 minutes. Acela is about a half hour.

But it could be used in addition to the current commuter rail system to make express trips between Southern New England cities. Boston to Providence, Worcester, Manchester, New Bedford, Portsmouth... The Providence and Worcester lines currently have a lot of stops beteen slowing the commute. There are express trains that skip stops, but no direct service.

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A link on the Oakland Airport Connector page on BART's website has a similar plan to link Oakland Airport to the Coliseum station. There have been studies on it since BART opened 32 years ago. Traffic congestion is going up along with airport traffic on the leading artery to it. Even worse, since the Coliseum/Airport station is situated next to the Network Associates Coliseum and the Oakland Arena, traffic gets even worse on this artery during game days for the As, Raiders and Warriors. The AirBART bus shuttles have various travel times, averaging more than ten minutes from the station to the airport.

Right now BART is looking at a possible rail feeder project for this corridor. It is revolved around some sort monorail technology, much like New York's JFK Airtrain. They are looking at 10 different monorails, including the monobeam. If one is approved, construction is bound to start soon.

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  • 1 month later...

Wow...this technology seems really interesting. Have there studies been done on the feasibility, safety and cost effectiveness of these monobeams yet? Just from reading through these posts and looking at the pictures it seems like it could be very useful in congested areas where it is hard to aquire land or rights of way. It seems like it would be much cheaper than a subway system as well. If it is true that these things can safely get up to 250 mph, there is a lot of potential for this technology. Perhaps some of our domestic car companies which may not survive in the face of increased talented competition should look into researching this as move to diversify.

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  • 2 months later...

Ha! Charleston is a touristy city! Its just a classy tourism -as opposed to a tacky one like Orlando/Las Vegas.

I think that idea has alot of merit. the problem in Charleston is that there isn't a CBD. Downtown is kinda one, but its not the home to alot of major offices. North Charleston is really the palce to be for this type of service.

Right now Charleston actually has very limited bus service due to lack of money. Last time I went there I saw alot of people walking, and in places where you wouldnt normally think of seeing walkers (suburban areas).

Charleston definately needs some density before it will have successful mass transit.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Charleston has mass transit in the form of the bus, sadly they're voters don't want to subsidize it so CARTA (used to be owned by SCE&G until about 5 years ago) has had to cut back its services significantly. Hasn't had too much effect in the historic areas, but I understand that North Charleston was hit rather hard. However, it also seems possible to me that people would be more likely to support a crazy rail system (which looks completely awesome) over the bus because most people think the bus is just for poor people. Too bad.

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Charleston has mass transit in the form of the bus, sadly they're voters don't want to subsidize it so CARTA (used to be owned by SCE&G until about 5 years ago) has had to cut back its services significantly.  Hasn't had too much effect in the historic areas, but I understand that North Charleston was hit rather hard. However, it also seems possible to me that people would be more likely to support a crazy rail system (which looks completely awesome) over the bus because most people think the bus is just for poor people.  Too bad.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Services for CARTA will be restored bythe summer. The voters approved funding for it as well as much needed road and greenspace pojects. As for the monorail idea, it is still in the works. The problem was also with the central location for an intermodal station.

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The government was going to fund a test system in Charleston, that connected the airport to DT Charleston, but I think that is on hold now as the Feds are out of money.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

And with 4 more years of Georgie Porgie and the "Pub Congress there will be no money left for anything except tax cuts for the richest 5%.

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  • 7 months later...

This is garbage. Complete garbage. The anti-transit people in MN promote this as an alternative to traditional transit to prevent rail lines from being built by muddying the water with the promise of a technology that is completely unproven in any part of the world.

Read here for details.

http://www.planetizen.com/oped/item.php?id...HFKiY-gGgrKCxDg

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