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Expo offers glimpse at future of transportation
Other Issues, posted by Editor, Mountain View Voice Online, on Apr 24, 2009 at 10:03 pm

A local company imagines a day when computer-controlled electric vehicles will become the default mode of public transportation, taking people to their destinations via a network of overhead magnetic rails at the touch of a button.

Read the full story here Web Link posted Friday, April 24, 2009, 11:50 AM

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Comments

Posted by Darth Transit, a resident of another community, on Apr 24, 2009 at 10:03 pm

Our tax money is going for this Mickey Mouse technophilia? Obvious pure IQ horsepower is hardly a precursor for many people to have any common sense.


Posted by Garrett, a resident of another community, on Apr 26, 2009 at 9:23 pm

Sounds Great, I am hoping to see it built and would love to go for a ride, we need transit to go with our cities and area, we are so built all over, this might be a cheap and safe way to build to Fremont or Walnut Creek.


Posted by Garrett, a resident of another community, on Apr 26, 2009 at 9:30 pm

One thing, it can be built like a roller coaster, prefabed and then put into place, roller coasters are light and safe, and can be replaced in sections, and can be taken apart and put back togerther, would love to see this run down the middle of El Camino, Steven Creek. Where do i sign on.


Posted by Tommy Carrig, a resident of another community, on Apr 27, 2009 at 10:42 am

The Bullet Train and SkyTran is a system that could complement each other and it would be fun with walkways and bikeways integrated.

I think that if we used the raised Unimodal Skytran and put Bike and walkways underneath where existing rails are we could have the best of the world. The high speed train could be run to San Jose and on to Sacramento from LA. From there we could use the less intrusive Skytran <www.unimodal.com>into the populated areas to SF. Larger freight could be accommodated along existing track space with a raised heavy duty Maglev Monorail and smaller tracks could travel to other tributaries along power lines or canals or even along El Camino. It needs 4 ft. width. The existing Railroad tracks could be replaced by bike and pedestrian pathways for commuters and recreation. In the City it could be built into buildings and not impact the roadways.

I live near the tracks in Sunnyvale and a high speed bullet train through here doesn't make as much sense as Skytran because Skytran can serve the whole community. The existing higher speed train doesn't stop in downtown Sunnyvale.

This system is also can be very cost effective. Also consider the lawsuits that a previous article in MV Voice noted.


Posted by Artemisia, a resident of another community, on Apr 30, 2009 at 4:50 pm

"Perkins said the "freedom" of the automobile is something everybody wants. However: "We're all held captive by this same desire."

Not all of us. Mr. Perkins needs to put his car in the garage and spend some time in an area with decent public transit so he can experience the joys of auto-less living. The Metro in DC, the Metro in Paris, transit in Portland - try walking, biking, or getting on a bus, streetcar or subway with your fellow humans, Mr. Perkins. The solution is not a horrendously expensive and complex system of thousands of tiny little computer-controlled pods on raised stanchions.


Posted by Seer, a resident of the Old Mountain View neighborhood, on Sep 16, 2009 at 4:59 pm

Artemisia, I think the idea is that Unimodal's people mover is *much* cheaper per mile than "the metro in DC, the Metro in Paris, etc.." The moment you have to dig, you've lost the budget battle. And, what's being discussed here is turning Mountain View in to an area with "decent public transit" at the best possible price.


Posted by Sid, a resident of the Shoreline West neighborhood, on Sep 16, 2009 at 5:18 pm

You all need to put your Legos away and ask how and who will pay for this boondoggle.


Posted by Allen Payton, a resident of another community, on Sep 18, 2009 at 10:39 am

Another low-cost, ultra-light rail, electric transit system to consider is being developed in the East Bay, called CyberTran. See more at www.CyberTran.com


Posted by eric, a resident of another community, on Sep 18, 2009 at 11:19 am

Any Simpsons fans out there?

But Main Street's still all cracked and broken

Sorry, Mom, the mob has spoken

Monorail!

Monorail!

Monorail!!


Posted by Dickster, a resident of the Cuesta Park neighborhood, on Sep 18, 2009 at 10:46 pm

Check out "Morgantown PRT" (Google Search). It has been around for over 30 years, and still serves the WVU community. I've taken their PRT, and it works great. It certainly could work here too.


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