Autonomous cars: Atlanta's transportation future? (storage, rail, stations)

[primaltech]

I think vital road projects, electric cars, Uber and co, AV's, and transit should all get public subsidy dollars, and tax incentives and so forth. They're all important elements for Metro Atlanta and Georgia transportation in the 21st century. Also for improving our quality of life, and improving the urban experience and reducing reliance on so much parking everywhere.

Cars and buses and trains all need to work together and be on the same team. Cooperation, not competition and bickering.

And I still fundamentally believe that cars and our road network, could be transformed into a gigantic transit system, with the right technological and societal/consumer shifts. Every time I see streams of vehicles on roads, I think about that vision. Every lane of every roadway could all be this awesome transit network, with the right combo of AV private cars, AV rides on demand, and AV bus routes of various sizes and forms. And phone apps showing maps of the system and navigating us on it.

[fourthwarden]

Originally Posted by krogerDisco

Uber is going on without public support. Which is more than can be said about transit. It's not about cars but Uber.

This is only true if you ignore all the public support for the roads and highways they use to drive on.

[tikigod311]

Thanks for the cheap rides Uber!

AVs makes the future of transportation very bright. I don't think most people have thought through how it will change lives. The amount of time most people will be able to reclaim from their day is significant.

[krogerDisco]

Originally Posted by fourthwarden

This is only true if you ignore all the public support for the roads and highways they use to drive on.

Uber is burning through billions. Public transit and Uber both enjoy free access to roads, and I'm not even sure if transit has to pay fuel taxes. Public transit would be burning billions if it were not for public subsidies, and the fares don't adequately cover costs.

[fourthwarden]

Originally Posted by krogerDisco

Uber is burning through billions. Public transit and Uber both enjoy free access to roads, and I'm not even sure if transit has to pay fuel taxes. Public transit would be burning billions if it were not for public subsidies, and the fares don't adequately cover costs.

Uber's own fares don't cover costs, and they'd be burning even more billions if it wasn't for public subsidies to build and maintain the roads they use, which are not at all covered by fuel taxes.

[samiwas1]

Originally Posted by tikigod311

AVs makes the future of transportation very bright. I don't think most people have thought through how it will change lives. The amount of time most people will be able to reclaim from their day is significant.

I assume you mean by being able to work in the car or something? Because it's not like your drive will suddenly become that much shorter.

I'm all for AVs as long as they have a takeover ability. I have zero desire for only full AV vehicles that have no ability for me to drive when necessary.

[primaltech]

Originally Posted by samiwas1

I'm all for AVs as long as they have a takeover ability. I have zero desire for only full AV vehicles that have no ability for me to drive when necessary.

Same here, and I think this is the way it should go. "Autopilot mode" that you can turn off and on at will. So when I'm crawling in bumper to bumper traffic, I turn it on, and when I'm doing 60 on the freeway and need to make sure I'm positioned in the correct lane for my exit up ahead, I turn it off and take over.

Which means that there still needs to be a driver and he/she still needs to be somewhat alert. But, you still get some of the AV advantages, greatly reduced stress, and ability to somewhat relax and somewhat multitask and do other things.

Let's try to go for the "best of both worlds" scenario.

[tikigod311]

Exactly, work/whatever in the car. For most people this means an extra hour of their day. Plenty of other folks, even more. This is one of the most loathed times of one's life and that is now just removed. No one likes commuting.

I know this isn't happening w/ v1, but this is exactly what Uber is pushing towards very aggressively right now. In partnership w/ Mercedes, who certainly wants to stay in the taxi fleet business.

I get the desire to manually drive, I would probably keep 1 car but get rid of the other. I would really miss tearing up mountain roads. I think the low cost nature of AVs on demand will make using your own car a bit of a luxury. Hopefully

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by tikigod311

Exactly, work/whatever in the car. For most people this means an extra hour of their day. Plenty of other folks, even more. This is one of the most loathed times of one's life and that is now just removed. No one likes commuting.

I know this isn't happening w/ v1, but this is exactly what Uber is pushing towards very aggressively right now. In partnership w/ Mercedes, who certainly wants to stay in the taxi fleet business.

I get the desire to manually drive, I would probably keep 1 car but get rid of the other. I would really miss tearing up mountain roads. I think the low cost nature of AVs on demand will make using your own car a bit of a luxury. Hopefully

I wouldn't say that. There are plenty of people who enjoy bike commuting and riding transit.

[tikigod311]

Originally Posted by cqholt

I wouldn't say that. There are plenty of people who enjoy bike commuting and riding transit.

Yeah, you're right, I was exclusively referring to car commuting there. But riding transit is already kind of like AVs, you have that time to yourself and not driving.