Trending: The Future of Urban Transportation

Urban Travel - let's limit ourselves to discussing 350 mile range at most and mainly Intra-State. Beyond that there are complications due to refueling.

Resiliancy
- Earthquake
-- repairs to rails / rail-like systems before use ; long delays
- Flood / Tsunami
-- shutdown of powered "third-rail" systems; self-contained energy vehicles appear better but require re-fueling
-- repairs might be necessary; "rusting" or washed away track
- Tornado / Hurricane
-
Autonomy
Independence
Cleanliness
Maintenance

Airplanes

Advantages

Disadvantages

Heavy leveraged

Special Fuel needed

Highly scheduled

Requires 3 operators and 2 attendants

Cramped spaces for passengers

Limited entertainment options

No ability to recharge personal devices

Many extra fees; some hidden

Porters sometimes steal personal items or luggage (more so on International to poorer nations, but we're talking intra-national)

Cars

Lyft, Uber will be replaced! How ironically fitting on what they did to the taxi industry by usurping them!

Will the car be there when I need it? How long a wait time?

The car will need to know when to refuel / recharge and go put itself out of service.

What if the car needs to refuel on a long trip? Will it refuse to go? Or re-route you to a second vehicle to continue your journey?

Will I be able to get a car with trunk space when I need to go home with a big load of shopping bags? How about when going to the airport with alot of baggage?

When I get a car, will it be filthy? Smell like smoke or some other nasty odor?

Prevent crime done in vehicle or used for getaway?

Accident - who is the responsible party and how does insurance work? No Fault? Both parties at fault? Company who made AI at fault? Need to prove AI system was engaged at the time leading up to and during the accident?

What happens if cars become autonomous? What happens to taxis?

To Truck Drivers? To Train Conductors?  Mass layoffs? More unemployment? Or do these vehicles require a licenced operator to take over manual control?  Airplanes already have auto-pilot and a captain and co-captain / navigator / communications officer.  Will that still be necessary to have a human near the "wheel" just in case?

Corsucant - 3d Stack lanes; people driving themselves

Minority Report - ground based lanes

Jetsons - only one level flying lanes?

What about drone interference?  

GPS usage for waypoints? What if GPS goes out or is inaccurate? Need fall back for computer assisted travel.

Complexity when discussing InterState Travel

For example, take the proposed Mag Lev (Musk) -
Advantages
Faster than plane?
No security checks?
Faster than Amtrak?
Faster than Greyhound?
Price?
Power Usage?
Power distribution?
Disadvantages
- Fixed and Closed circuit; Hub, need second leg journey to real destination

- Natural Disasters