Light Vehicle Lanes: A small proposal by PC Kelly to help America achieve energy independence.

[originalpckelly]

The following ideas may not be original by themselves, but together, they jointly form a unique concept which may very well help with the rise of smarter and faster cars.

1. Light Vehicle Lanes (LVLs): More robust neighborhood electric vehicles (NEV) are artificially limited to low speeds in an effort to prevent them from traveling on higher speed major roads often driven by heavy trucks and cars. Many of these NEV designs, however, are capable of traveling at the speed of most roads and highways in this country.

It cannot be denied that these lighter vehicles are deathtraps when included in normal traffic on major routes, but it also cannot be denied that these vehicles are needed at this time in our nation to save green in our environment and in our wallets. Naturally, consumers are weary of buying a vehicle that will be less safe in an accident with a more robust car, we rightfully place a higher value on life than money. But, we need not sacrifice either.

We can have our cake and eat it too by separating the light vehicle traffic from heavy vehicle traffic. I propose a relatively simple system, already in use on many highways to provide HOV lanes and divide traffic traveling in opposite directions, in addition to one new ideas.

A. Concrete dividers separate the LVLs from normal heavy vehicle lanes, protecting the lighter vehicles from the larger ones in all types of upright impacts. I foresee that heavy vehicles may be able to rollover into the LVLs, though it may be possible to have metal guardrails rise out of the concrete dividers to prevent this from happening.

B. At the entrances to these LVLs, special trapdoor like sections of the road could be designed to automatically fall when a heavy vehicle drives over them. One idea is to have a concrete slab supported by hydraulic cylinders that will be connected to pressure release valves. When the pressure in the cylinders is too high, indicating a vehicle too heavy to travel in the LVL, the pressure would be released and the section of road would fall. I suspect that there is a perfect distance for the road to fall to produce a safe jolt when the edge is hit, while stopping the vehicle from traveling any further. Testing on the part of scientists will determine this for the vast majority of heavy vehicles. A proactive driver information program would be necessary to educate drivers about the consequences for entering an LVL.

C. Light vehicles could be equipped with a barcode like symbol read by a laser embedded in the roadway in addition to the autofalling road sections at the entries to the LVLs. If a vehicle was detected passing an optical sensor, but lacked the symbol (or possibly even a radio transmitter) lane/law enforcement personnel would be automatically alerted to the driver violating the traffic laws, and they could be dispatched to ticket the offending driver and escort them safely out of the lane.


2. High speed car transporting trains in highway medians. Right now, Eurotunnel provides a car ferry service from the UK to mainland Europe. This technology, tried and true, could be easily adapted to upping the speeds of Americas highways with a very clever car ferry service. Stations could be placed at certain on/off ramps to highways, with drive through access for small/light vehicles and even larger/heavier vehicles. Even if the light cars themselves do not run on traditionally shorter range battery electric power, they may very well have a limited fuel capacity and cramped conditions that do not lend themselves well to prolonged highway driving.

Though LVLs would be used for shorter high speed hops on highways, highspeed car ferrying trains would be able to shorten trips over long distances, while moving people/vehicles more efficiently/safely than the people/vehicles themselves can.

110 MPH would not be difficult to attain with the appropriate locomotives, but that would double the highway speed of cars, while cutting trip time in half. In addition, the track laid could also be used by highspeed passenger trains at possibly even higher speeds, for those people who do not drive and use mass transit to move about. It is not at all unusual for foreign highspeed lines to operate at velocities of 200 MPH. (186 MPH for most lines, 200 MPH for new lines like Germany/France's new POS line.)

At least one of the two previous ideas already exists, but combining them together into one project would really give boost to the prospect of fuel efficient light cars, while also helping regular old cars traveling even faster with great efficiency.

This is a plan to improve America's darling the interstate highway system and because of the fact that driver independence is maintained while improving fuel economy and reducing emissions I think it might very well be successful in our country.

What do you all think of this little proposal?

[seriousstan]

1. B. is too ridiculous to even imagine. Do you know any physics at all?

[originalpckelly]

2. What is so unimaginable?

Yes, the pressure in the system is constant, but that doesn't mean that there can't be some valve that stays closed until enough force is exerted on the other side of the system to cause it to open. Maybe I explained it wrong. I'm thinking of something that would act like a pneumatic pressure release valve, but it obviously isn't that. It's like a force release valve.

[lvx35]

3. Its all about cost of development at this point.

I agree that the LV concept is a good one that should be pursued, but I expect to see a lot of cheaper options first. In the advent of on ongoing gas crunch, expect google's bus system to get serious:
http://www.news.com/Google-takes-the-bus/2100-1032_3-5987262.html
And expect services integrating cell phone GPS with mass transit route planning. Expect a larger information system for logistics to integrate with this, including private "extensions" to our bus system, and possibly even orchestrated planned ridesharing among commuters, through the same information system.
After a long term gas cruch, I expect to see LVs come to prominence. But I don't expect any great infrastructure changes, because the same forces making oil expensive will make construction expensive. LVs will be "around town" vehicles, but we could see them on rails somewhat like you say. I'd bet more on a system where your LV takes you around your town and you just rent LVs where you are going, and move by mass transit. Its just cheaper...My guess is the energy crunch will challenge the "ownership" paradigm in which it makes sense to always carry your vehicle with you...

[originalpckelly]

4. The only reason the highway model might work in theory, is that people already use it like MT.

I think people want the independence that a separate vehicle provides, I have no problem with taking mass transit myself, and do so, but most people aren't like me.

[lvx35]

5. But why?

Beak it down. I can tell you from having gotten rid of my car. Car's are:

1) fast
2) a storage locker
3) a "place" you can go and be alone and safe

But when I look at the future, I see huge artificially intelligent logistics systems handling delivery of EVERYTHING, so your car is no longer about bringing home the groceries, they don't need to be storage lockers, and the transit systems will be so efficient that they will be fast as well. That just leaves 3.