THE TRANSPORT GAPS

Abstract

THE LACK OF EFFICIENT URBAN TRANSPORT IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM BECAUSE IT HOLDS BACK TOWN PLANNING, INCREASES HOUSING COSTS AND LEADS TO AN ENORMOUS AND CONTINUING WASTE OF ENERGY AND MONEY. TO REALIZE A NATION'S POTENTIAL IT IS ESSENTIAL TO PROVIDE IMPROVED MEANS OF TRANSPORT, ADAPTED TO NEW LIVING AND WORKING CONDITIONS. THE VERY PROFUSION OF SUCH MEANS MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO ASSESS THE RESPECTIVE ADVANTAGES OF THE MONORAIL, THE TRACKED HOVERCRAFT, THE EXPRESS SUBWAY (UNDERGROUND TRAIN) AND CYBERNETIC TAXIS' OF VARIOUS FORMS. A CONTINUOUS INTEGRATED TRANSPORT SYSTEM AS DESIGNED BY THE INSTITUT BATTELLE, GENEVA, IS PRESENTED. THE BATTELLE TRANSPORTER SYSTEM CAN HANDLE FOUR OR FIVE TIMES AS MANY PASSENGERS AS OTHER SYSTEMS. THIS SYSTEM FILLS THE TRANSPORT GAP BETWEEN PEDESTRIANS AND CAR USERS AND IS A NOVEL COMBINATION OF ESCALATOR AND BELT RAILWAY. CARS ARE NOT BUILT FOR SHORT DISTANCE TRANSPORT - HALF A MILE IN TOWN. SIX HUNDRED PASSENGERS PER MINUTE CAN BE CARRIED ON THE TRANSPORTER BELT. IT REQUIRES A SMALL CROSS-SECTION TUNNEL AND AS BOTH UNDERGROUND AND OVERHEAD VERSIONS ARE SUSPENDED, CAN CHANGE FROM ONE SYSTEM TO THE OTHER WITHOUT UNDUE DIFFICULTY. THE INTEGRATOR WHICH CHANGES FROM AN ESCALATOR TO A TRAIN AND BACK TO AN ESCALATOR IS DESIGNED TO INTEGRATE PASSENGERS WITH ANOTHER FAST MOVING PASSENGER TRAIN. WHEN INTEGRATOR AND TRANSPORTER ARE MOVING AT THE SAME SPEEDS, PASSENGERS SIMPLY STEP ON OR OFF THE TRANSPORTER BELT TO ALIGHT OR DESCEND. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT TRANSFER AND CONTINUOUS TRANSPORT SYSTEMS WILL TAKE ON CONSIDERABLE IMPORTANCE IN THE FUTURE.

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