Public Transportation and Smart Growth

Streetcars were restricted to their tracks, and the tracks forced them to follow a very narrow area. Some Streetcars (more common of modern LRVs, which are nothing but updated streetcars) can have pass areas with mini-meters of other Streetcars OR other objects like Streetcar stops.

Now, the Streetcar is kept on its narrow track by the physical nature of the track. This bus is doing the same but using computers to make sure the wheels of the last two sections follow the exact same track of the first section. With modern computers not a hard thing to do, all you would need is a computer program and connections with each set of wheels so that each follow the first. It is NOT the rock solid system of a physical rail, but if the computer, the program and the connections with the wheels are working, will work.

The main advantage of this system over Rail, is that it can operate on pavement, no need for a separate rail system. The main disadvantage is that do to its size, it can NOT operate like a normal bus, i.e. pull over to load and unload passengers around parked cars. It has to operate in areas with no on street parking OR the loading zone for buses are enlarged. For example, in areas with a lot of cars on the streets, it is not uncommon for bus drivers to pull the FRONT of the bus to the bus stop, load passengers, then pull out into the traffic lanes, keeping the rear of the bus in the traffic lanes the entire time. Can you image what that would do with a bus like this one? First set of wheels pulls to the curb, while the second set of wheels stays in traffic, then the first set of wheels of the second section will want to follow the first set of wheels to the curb, while the second set of wheels on the second section would want to stay in traffic, the same with wheels of the third section. Just a mess, that the computer program will have to handle OR just run the bus in areas with little or no on the street parking (or extra long, much longer then the bus, bus stops).

In many ways, except for the ability to use pavement not rails, this type of bus will have all the restrictions that a streetcar would have. Given that, this bus combined with a overhead wire for electricity (i.e. a "Trolley Bus) would be ideal in areas where the primary means of public transit is to used local roads (In areas with high populations that demands that public transport be on its own right of way, Light Rail/Streetcars would still be preferred, a physical restriction is just better then a computer generated one, rail is more energy efficient and there is a clear preference for rail over buses among commuters). On the other hand in areas where it is hard to install a separate right of way, this bus may be a solution.