[EA]

Autonomous cars ought to be able to safely travel at higher speeds.

[nickydim]

They couldn't run a light rail as shown in the photo. Trains don't break like a bus and the city would be opening themselves up to way too much liability for anyone looking to get rich quick by getting clipped by one. Light rail would have to be elevated or subterranean. And there is already bus service to downtown from the airport.

[beachhead]

I don't get what the fascination with choo-choo's is? It was a great technology...in the 1800's, but not so much today. If you really want a modern, adaptable public transportation system, the city should take the lead with an autonomous bus system that is not restricted to expensive, fixed route rails. And for nostalgia's sake, they could always hook one up behind the other, so it feels like a choo-choo, and even design the cars so they look like trolleys.

Of course, while they are at it, perhaps they could hire some competent traffic engineers to move all the way into the late 20th century, and synchronize the traffic lights, and add a few presence sensors so you're not sitting for 5 minutes at a red light, while no other traffic is in the intersection.

But choo-choo's, we want choo-choo's!!

[tijlover]

Choo-choo trains? Oh come on!

Have you ridden any of the light rail trains in L.A.? Speeds up to 79MPH! If you ride the Green Line, which runs along the freeway, and look at the traffic, the train is exceeding the speed of the cars on the freeway!

[Sqibbcakes]

Originally Posted by ScoopLV

He's a "one-issue" forum user. His issue is the taxi industry. And like other one-issue people, there is no amount of reason which will sway him.

In that respect he's like the fundamentalists, the gun-nuts, the anti-vaccine nuts, chem-trail conspiracists, moon-landing hoaxers and supremacists.

Spoken like the true fascist, racist you are

[ajams22]

Originally Posted by Sqibbcakes

Spoken like the true fascist, racist you are

You keep using those words, but I don't think you know what they mean

[beachhead]

Originally Posted by tijlover

Choo-choo trains? Oh come on!

Have you ridden any of the light rail trains in L.A.? Speeds up to 79MPH! If you ride the Green Line, which runs along the freeway, and look at the traffic, the train is exceeding the speed of the cars on the freeway!

Yes...I've ridden the trains in L.A., in chicago, in DC, in N.J., in N.Y., and several other places around the world. They all have similar problems: limited to routes with rails. They are also subject to frequent breakdowns...I pity the person who relies on them. Some of them were "fun" while playing tourist, but to deal with them every day is a nightmare.

At least with autonomous buses/cars, you can route around construction, change routes as needs change, substitute for broken equipment, etc. Seems like Las Vegas should lean forward, not back into the 19th century if it wants to expand public transportation.

[ScoopLV]

Originally Posted by ajams22

You keep using those words, but I don't think you know what they mean

Sadly, its a common problem -- you can also find people who are incapable of understanding what "communism" actually means. They use it in place of "totalitarianism" and sometimes in place of "nationalism."

I imagine it must be quite a hardship to have a limited vocabulary. But that is a problem which is easily remedied with books. So I have zero sympathy for such people.

[Bruff]

Originally Posted by lvoc

I would think that with the coming of the autonomous vehicles separated lanes would work better with buses than with rail. Only in a situation like NYC would rail make sense. For lower density situations rail basically loses all advantages as soon as autonomous gets implemented.

Six buses running variant routes over the same separated right of way is going to beat the heck out of a train or trolley.

LVOC:
Re: your autonomous vehicle. Forget the separated lanes.
First question: How long do you think it's really going to take to get RoboCar up and running? Decades! Why? Because too many people will insist on driving. Lawsuit city. But until, there's a solution. Uber et al, which have already proven that transit is DOA, will be ready, willing and able.

But let's build wham bam tram, regardless. And let's use it. Or try. The year is 2025 and it's finally built.
You've landed at LAS and have just scored your luggage. You (and yours) are already exhausted. You're headed to the Golden Nugget downtown (for some strange reason, mostly because it will be close to the new transit line. Yah right). Next question: Are you going to drag yourself, spouse, kids and bags to the new transit stop, pay a separate fare for everyone in your party, wait 15 mins for your ride, load-up, endure a half hour ride with strangers, 25 stops (plus traffic signals), unload, walk a quarter (or half) mile to your destination, etc., etc."
OR
will you let Uber (human-driven for now, autonomous maybe in 20 years) take you direct to the Nugget check-in, no stops, no smelly armpits or terrorists, 15 minutes - and cheaper than the wham bam?

No brainer, right?

[EA]

By 2025 cars have to get 54mpg. Taking humans off the gas pedal is about the only way they are going to do that. Computer controlled acceleration can save quite a bit of fuel as it can measure how much gas is being used and adapt.

In my last 2 new cars I managed to get better mpg than the epa rating on their window sticker just by paying attention to throttle modulation. Autonomous cars can look at terrain and change driving style to suit.
That is, of course, if we haven't switched to electric by then. Tesla is making some good progress despite a couple hiccups. Tesla has a lower cost version and suv set to hit the market (suv already landed I think) Ford and Chevy have electric cars on the roads. Even Kia has put out an electric car. As more and more companies produce them, the technology is going to get cheap enough we can have sub 20k electrics affordable to most people.

There are far too many accidents and injuries and deaths to not push for autonomous cars sooner than later.

In Denmark they tax the dog crap out of cars. A Honda civic will run you 80 grand after tax. They do this to make public transport and biking more attractive and it works. They've done the math and it costs less to provide public transport than repairing damage caused by cars. So they still allow cars, you just have to pay a premium to cover damages.
An intelligent tax plan could make autonomous cars happen before the 2025 mark.
Tesla already released software for it's cars that allows them to be able to self drive for the most part. Stop signs and redlights are an issue, still impressive nonetheless.

High speed rail is attractive because 2 hours to California instead of 5 hours+ if there is traffic is much better.
NY to LA in a few hours instead of 2 days.

The benefits of intelligent travel far outweigh the small freedom of piloting your own car. I'm a car guy that loves to build and drive cars by the way.