Autonomous cars: Atlanta's transportation future? (sale, renting, mortgage)

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by arjay57

I could see that. However, I'll still probably keep a couple of vehicles around for longer trips, hauling stuff, chauffeuring animals and people around, getting babies back to sleep, and so forth.

I also love the freedom of just randomly going for a drive. It might be a country road or a mountain pass, a late night thinking session, or an urban exploration. Sometimes that's just what the doctor ordered.

That's an expensive what if.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by primaltech

Absolutely the private car will continue to dominate transportation in the Atlanta region, for decades and decades to come. With or without Uber/etc, and with or without AV. (Though I'm sure we'll see a lot more of both.)

But I do think both of those technologies could also transform what we traditionally think of as the bus, to make it a potentially much more popular option than bus transit is currently. Particularly in the wealthier parts of the suburbs.

All part of the greater long-term vision, turning our vast road system into a vast transit system. Some 'pods' moving people around, will have 1 or 2 passengers, and some will have 4, or 10, or 40, or 80. But the average passengers per vehicle should hopefully be higher than it is now, and also the experienced is smoothed out anyway if you don't have the stress of driving.

Just don't call them a bus and wealthy people will ride it.

[primaltech]

Basically the AV metro transportation system should work like this, in order from most economical to most expensive:

Tier 1 ($): Don't own your own car, get around everywhere using mass transit in large buses and trains
Tier 2 ($$): Same but with small buses that are like Uber Pool, with more specific and custom/tailored stops/pickups
Tier 3 ($$$): Same but with private car taxi for most trips
Tier 4 ($$$$): Own and maintain your own vehicle, get around everywhere in it, paying for parking where applicable

And then of course combinations between those tiers.

It makes sense both individually and collectively. Everyone still has all options, but it's cheaper to share rides with others. That in turn uses the limited road space more efficiently, and thereby makes transportation a better experience for all tiers.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by primaltech

Basically the AV metro transportation system should work like this, in order from most economical to most expensive:

Tier 1 ($): Don't own your own car, get around everywhere using mass transit in large buses and trains
Tier 2 ($$): Same but with small buses that are like Uber Pool, with more specific and custom/tailored stops/pickups
Tier 3 ($$$): Same but with private car taxi for most trips
Tier 4 ($$$$): Own and maintain your own vehicle, get around everywhere in it, paying for parking where applicable

And then of course combinations between those tiers.

It makes sense both individually and collectively. Everyone still has all options, but it's cheaper to share rides with others. That in turn uses the limited road space more efficiently, and thereby makes transportation a better experience for all tiers.

As with everything in life, if you got money you can do what you want.

[primaltech]

Originally Posted by cqholt

As with everything in life, if you got money you can do what you want.

And that's the way it should be.

But the way it also should be, is that transit also penetrates everywhere, and in a convenient, or even in an on-demand way. To and from all the remote cul-de-sacs, not just dense nodes and main corridors.

It should be like a gradient scale of options, of convenience/comfort/directness, vs. cost. But all should be viable and very possible, and priced accordingly in a mature and dynamic market.

Other industries work this way in our capitalist economy, so I think the roads should work that way, too. Whereas right now, it's sort of getting like that, but it hasn't really figured itself out, yet. Uber is still a little bit too expensive, and traditional transit doesn't nearly penetrate as far enough or run as frequently enough.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by cqholt

That's an expensive what if.

Those aren't what if's for me, cq.

[samiwas1]

Originally Posted by cqholt

That's an expensive what if.

So is owning a house.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by samiwas1

So is owning a house.

A house is an investment, not a car. They are not even comparable, owning a car is a luxury.

[brown_dog_us]

From the article cq posted:

But one problem with public transport — particularly in sprawling London — is there's often wide distances to cover once you're off the train, tube or bus, the so-called “last mile” that's also problematic for parcel deliveries.

This made me realize that delivery companies will probably be the big push in urban areas because they have a huge financial incentive. Amazon will push the technology to deliver from all of those Whole Foods locations for example.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by brown_dog_us

From the article cq posted:


This made me realize that delivery companies will probably be the big push in urban areas because they have a huge financial incentive. Amazon will push the technology to deliver from all of those Whole Foods locations for example.

Therefore causing more congestion. I hope they will be paying their fair share of street usage.