Lofty Taxi
There is a better way to get from A to B in traffic
Flying cars would be so awesome...
...but are only possible in cartoons
So build an elevated guideway and “fly” the cars above and below it
Guideway advantages:
- Safety of fully separated crossings
- Safe operation in adverse weather
- Freedom from traffic, stops and stop lights
- Leaves ground-space traversable for cyclists and pedestrians
- Electrically powered vehicles without carrying heavy batteries and without range anxiety
- Reduced energy needs due to steel wheels on steel rail, to minimal slowdowns and speedups and due to reduced travel time
- Smooth ride
- Quiet
- Permanence of service for developments
Mass Transit mode
- A capacity reaching 20,000 people per hour along a single dual-direction guideway. Consideration in the BRT1 and LRT2 range of service
- Everyone is seated
- Parties travel together exclusively, nonstop to destination
- Running speed is 30 mph (45 km/h)
- Top speed up to 85 mph (135 km/h) for higher-speed sections
- Two bucket seats in the top running Podcars
- Two side by side seating benches in the bottom Podcars. Accessible
- Optimized for dual-direction lines along typical arterial roads
High Speed mode
- Trains are formed for long distance, high-speed travel
- The front and rear motive power propels the train like TGV1 or ICE2 do.
- Trains are formed and depart quickly without schedules
- Direct to destination service
- Running speed like high-speed rail (HSR), but total travel time shorter
Typical station
- Elevator in every station
- Podcars ready to be boarded or arriving shortly (1,200 podcar/hr capacity)
- Glass doors in station open with Podcar doors, same as elevator
- Stations closer than a 5 minute walk
- Footprint of station is as long and as wide as a city bus
- Stations climate controlled, access restricted and monitored
- Vending machine, parcel box co-location possibility
- Imagine Lofty Taxi in your city
- Municipal leaders can welcome a Lofty Taxi proposal for specific routes
- Provincial/State and Federal leaders can provide a matching grant for the working demonstration system phase and determine desirable intercity routes
- Investors can put in around $10 million to see Lofty Taxi through to the working demonstration system phase
Contact:
François Allard – Inventor, B.Sc. (Hons)