The closed-track performance of the automobile has far outstripped its present performance on existing public roads. Auto travel times are impacted not only by clutter and congestion, but by frequent, controlled intersections required for crossing roadways. Thus average US metropolitan travel takes 7 times what it would for a free-wheeling automobile on an open track. In a costly consequence of their limited capacity, our surface roadways consume some 30% of the urban landscape and by dividing land and spreading development greatly impede pedestrian travel. Freeways, which eliminate intersections to speed traffic, consume vastly too much real estate in return for a limited capacity to handle urban loads, and thus are incompatible with compact urban landscapes.The 3G Road Company
Background
A new road type offers to eliminate intersections, greatly increase traffic capacity, and greatly reduce the land required both for an alignment's right-of-way and for venue parking structures. The new road promises to greatly improve average travel times, to safely move ever increasing urban numbers and allow expeditious transport into dense modern landscapes. An in-depth analysis of the impact of such a 3G Road network on this societal problem is outlined in a book entitled "The Third Generation Roadway", which is provided here as a pdf file and is also and available in hard copy at Amazon.com or at the publisher's site: Wind Canyon Books. In addition, available here on-line, are a short, illustrated Prologue as well as an article that provides more detail on 3G Concepts for Interchanges.
3G Road Vision
The 3G Road venture offers to use proprietary technology to demonstrate an alternate roadway, to co-exist with our present street and freeway infrastructure, for door-to-door automobile-like travel. The system, described by the National Transportation Research Board as "a transportation system more suited to the 21st century than has yet to be proposed", envisions people, massive numbers of people, all traveling their unique door-to-door routes, all with their unique timing, and all in the comfort of the private vehicles. No trucks, no buses, no SUV's. No stop signs, no red lights, no intersections. No transfers, no congestion. A transportation of people with time efficiency, space efficiency, and fuel efficiency. Automated, safe, pleasant to use.
Key to a successful development is the fusion of several on-going thrusts in transportation technology. The required incorporation of autonomous vehicle control techniques require a major participant. The participation of an automobile company must produce an otherwise ordinary but attractive vehicle, presumably electric, capable of navigating the roadway: mechanically or virtually attached to, autonomously interacting with, deriving power from, and propelled by the roadway. Participation is required as well from a major civil engineering firm for design and development of the roadway structures -- both elevated and surface.
A less technical but extremely difficult subsequent task for the venture will be the establishment of a demonstration community of users. Solution to this "chicken and the egg" problem will require an ideal test community, government participation, or deep pockets. The ideal community needs sufficient motivation for its individual citizens to buy vehicles and use them without an extensive road network. A bedroom-office pair is suggested similar to the pairing of the Pasadena-Downtown LA pairing which motivated the original freeway.
Near Term Development
Adapting proprietary designs, a test track will be modeled, fabricated, and demonstrated. The demonstration is intended to validate medium speed line, the all important interchange concept, vehicle travel on these structures, autonomous control, and various post and span designs. Key tests must prove the performance of the modest but sophisticated 'wheel-trucks' needed to attach light-weight vehicles. Remotely controlled vehicles, presumably small stock autos, will be employed but not be a focus item. The vehicles need to navigate on closed streets, autonomously dock to 3G Road track, fully attach to the track, travel at proposed boulevard speeds [40 mph], navigate interchanges demonstrating the various paths, and autonomously position themselves to accommodate fellow travelers.
Team Formation
The company seeks various talented individuals who can cement key roles within the effort. Prominent among these roles is: marketing and sales focused on both government and private entities and promoting both direct funding and collaborative agreements; direct involvement of an "angel" investor; design and modeling of both mechanical and electrical systems; fabrication of those systems; autonomous control techniques aimed toward intelligent vehicle and intelligent highway interactive optimization; many-body control theory optimizing heavy vehicle flow; and engineering management. Mechanical designs include the wheel-truck and its incorporation into the test vehicle, modeling and fabrication of proprietary track, the support structures including their adaptive features, and the test bed topography itself.
Preliminary inquires can be made to Roger Davidheiser at davidheiser@hotmail.com.
Last modified:
September 03, 2016
