#1. Their version of the VISION
kind of implies that I am claiming to be able to "totally remove all
commuter congestion" in any city with a SINGLE LINE of SkyTran that
just moves more people per hour than light rail. Nothing could be
farther that the truth. The key to this important SkyTran congestion
elimination claim is all related to LOW COSTS! Why?
Basically, the overhead guideway to
safely support a continuous high speed flow of these extremely small
SkyTran vehicles is also quite small and light. Our cost analysis
calculations show that a complete SkyTran system (guideway, vehicles,
stations and electrification) would cost less than 1/19th of the cost of
light rail per mile (approximately 5%). What we want to do is spend
the SAME proposed budget a city has raised for light rail and erect
19 times as many miles worth of guideway that crisscrosses all over
the same city in a three dimensional overhead grid system.
So, if a city was planning to build say
32 miles of light rail, we would for the same amount of money, build 32
miles times 19 = 608 miles of SkyTran instead and spread it out all
over a city. This is what makes SkyTran's hourly passenger-mile
capacity overwhelmingly huge. Analysis tells us such a full 3D
SkyTran grid now gives a city the capacity to carry the combined morning
and evening passenger-miles of traffic (approximately 7 hours total of
ALL the automobile traffic congestion) in just 1.5 hours! The
100 mph non-stop speed and automation to allow close vehicle following in
safety are the two other key ingredients that create this huge capacity
advantage.
#2. "propelled by passive maglev
tech" is not correct. The passive MagLev (note caps are used
in that word by us techies) only provides the non-contact, non-wearing
levitation float of the vehicles. A linear synchronous electric
motor or linear induction linear motor (or combination of both) will
provide the PROPULSION power for accelerating, decelerating and cruising
of all SkyTran vehicles.
#3. The page's title is based
on a question: "3 RADICAL IDEAS, BUT ANY REAL SCIENCE?" Note that
Professor Jerry Schneider DOES NOT even question the science behind
SkyTran. We like that! He is an expert in innovative
transportation and fully understands that SkyTran is basically just a
unique combination of existing proven technologies - light weight, super
strong, composite structures; low speed aerodynamics; structural analysis;
computers; factory automation principals; electric control, sensing and
drive systems; ergonomics; the patented Inductrack passive MagLev; and
project management. No scientific breakthroughs of any kind
required. As Professor Schneider acknowledges - the real problem is
political and working with government agencies.
#4. "Transportation systems are
complicated, especially in urban areas where there's no room to add
infrastructure." Whoa - this is exactly what SkyTran
solves! Look at our SkyTran renderings and superimposed photos.
We have always planned something so small that we can install it:
a). into existing sidewalks with
minimum interference to the walking area available to pedestrians and
b). directly to the side of
buildings.
There is no requirement for the wide swaths of land used by other forms of
transportation such as light rail. This also means we don't have to
pay large sums to buy huge areas of land and then destroy buildings,
schools or homes to install SkyTran.
#5. "deal with environmental
concerns". The energy for SkyTran is clean electricity and very
little of it - especially compared to the private automobile.
Performance analysis tells us that these aerodynamically streamlined small
vehicles will obtain the equivalent of 200 miles per gallon energy
efficiency WHILE moving along at a steady 100 MPH! Try that with
your SUV! How many billion barrels of petroleum could that
eliminate the need for - in America and the rest of the world?
#6. Their title calls it:
"SkyTran Public
Transportation". We much prefer to call it "SkyTran Personal
MagLev Transit". It is used much more like today's most popular
form of transportation - the private automobile. You leave when you
want to. You never have to wait for a scheduled group carrying
vehicle to arrive. Furthermore, you go where you want to on the 3D
grid and are not limited to traveling along a single linear path and
having to "transfer" to move perpendicular to that path to get to your
desired destination. Better yet - never any red lights to slow you
down and never, never wasting time at many intermediate stops because so
many people are carried on board (the dreaded GROUP transit) meaning
someone always has to get off at each and every station and others have to
board. Light rail's average speed is reduced to 15 to 17 mph because
of all that GROUP necessitated stopping. Ridiculous technology -
especially for the huge capital costs and forever taxpayer subsidies
involved. I can get places
faster on my bicycle!