What is Digg?221 Comments
- jmfinn, on 07/18/2008, -3/+177I like how they are thinking. But really, something like this exists (and in Europe/Japan it works amazing). It's called a train. It would be far cheaper to (re)develop our rail networks than to develop the technology to bore thousands of miles of underground roadways.
Also, how do pee breaks work? - Ransack, on 07/19/2008, -1/+96why not take a train? it would be 10000X cheaper than building underground magic highways
- kylere, on 07/19/2008, -1/+63Umm give me a train system like Europe and cheapie electric rentals at my destination please. Amtrak sucks.
- gbudavid, on 07/18/2008, -13/+60A boring Ride no scenery??
- jezsik, on 07/18/2008, -5/+49Why not do this with the highways we have now? I can see a time where cars are equipped with bumpers that works the same way as rail cars. Plug in your destination and the car will hook up with a train of other cars going to the same destination (possibly behind a purpose-built locomotive that does all the pulling for long-haul trips).
- Murdats, on 07/19/2008, -4/+48a boring ride? you prefer stare at a road then watch a movie, read a book, sleep?
- uptown, on 07/18/2008, -2/+45All you have to do is lookup Boston's "Big Dig" to know that this won't happen. The time and cost to create such a thing would be prohibitive. What we MAY see is an underwater tunnel from the US to Europe for high-speed bullet trains. That would also be very expensive, but would be a very desirable alternative solution to flying for many.
- Diggrock, on 07/19/2008, -0/+26This sounds to me as the exact same concept as the subway...
- MaxMWood, on 07/18/2008, -2/+27Sounds like a great idea, it would reduce all kinds of dangers. Also if you think about it (aslong as it was impossible to use the engine) then you could travel at faster speeds because it was automated.
- ileftfark, on 07/19/2008, -1/+25Harriet Tubman has been doing this for years. Another example of white folks stealin all the blacks ideas.
/s - L0C0loco, on 07/19/2008, -3/+26Bingo! This US obsession with automobiles (at least the fossil fueled ones) is not sustainable. Replace the transit system that relies on aircraft (hub to hub and expand the number of hubs) with fast (electric) rail and then do light-rail/subway (also electric), hybrid mass transit, or plug-in hybrid auto rentals.
The scope, cost, and environmental impact of building and underground highway system is ridiculous and unconscionable. We need to think differently about the way we design, build, and operate in the urban centers we create. - inactive, on 07/19/2008, -1/+22It won't happen. What government on earth could realistically afford to do this anyway?
In Montreal, they recently extended the subway line. It now crosses a shallow river (goes under it). 3 stations: 800 million dollars. That's the equivalent of a 15 minute drive (at city speeds). - Hoogs, on 07/19/2008, -1/+22I, Robot anyone?
- knucklebusted, on 07/18/2008, -1/+21But, if I can get there easier and cheaper, although a little slower, than a plane, I'd go for it. Besides, I wouldn't have to rent a car once I arrived and I wouldn't have to wait in line at the terminal.
- gbudavid, on 07/19/2008, -2/+21I am a Truck Driver. To me there is nothing boring about driving. If you don't pay attention,the last sound you will hear is your head popping out of your backside as you crash and burn
- CRCulver, on 07/19/2008, -1/+19Yeah, because there is no comfort in a car. A sleeper carriage in a train has a bed, a sink, a toilet, adequate lighting, AC outlets for electronic devices, room to stretch your legs and walk about, a restaurant car you can head down to to eat and socialize (and drink alcohol), and so forth.
FWIW, after taking trains for most of my traveling life, I've hitchhiked 20,000km in the past 18 months because it proved a cheap way to see the world. But if I were an affluent full-time traveler, I'd much rather take trains constantly than be stuck in a car. - theandy1, on 07/19/2008, -0/+16Truck drivers are going to be pissed.
- RogueMountie, on 07/19/2008, -1/+16"Also, how do pee breaks work?"
Bucket. - cdigioia, on 07/19/2008, -0/+15That's stupid. There's no reason to do this underground, and being underground would increase costs exponentially.
If anything, high speed trains would be the immediate way to go. Here in Korea you can jump on a train that'll whisk you to your destination at 186mph, and that's NOW, not some far-flung fantasy. - PabloMac, on 07/19/2008, -0/+14Nonsense. There is a huge variety of soil types across this great land of ours.
- stutimandal, on 07/19/2008, -1/+13Build a railroad (railway) network, please.
- spinsight, on 07/18/2008, -0/+11This weekend I'm looking at an 8-hour car ride with my 2 year old daughter and 4 month old son....this would be awesome. Break out the Barney and ear plugs, and wake me when we get to Disney :)
- TYRONEBR549, on 07/18/2008, -0/+10Sounds good, but I would not use it till a couple of years after it is working. Kinks and all.
- heynoop, on 07/19/2008, -3/+13It's sad that so many people seemingly agree with Murdats' comment... you know there is much more to driving than just the road in front of you. You should pay more attention the world around you...
- linagee, on 07/19/2008, -2/+12Because we need to build tunnels for automated cars, we can't just have lanes for automated cars on freeways? (Saving millions--no trillions in this silly idea.)
- PabloMac, on 07/19/2008, -3/+13"...how do pee breaks work?"
I heard NASA has some cool diapers. - qwertydvorak, on 07/19/2008, -1/+10no bad weather or deer in a tunnel. safer considering it is automated.
- Yashar, on 07/19/2008, -3/+12That's a long time to hold your breath.
- kevinsboy, on 07/18/2008, -1/+10Sounds like time for another public works project
- GoatMonkey2112, on 07/19/2008, -0/+9Why not load cars on a train? You could park it, get out, use the restroom/restaurant or whatever facilities are on the train, then drive your car away when you get there.
- verkon, on 07/19/2008, -2/+10"You'd need vehicles that produce zero emissions through the use of fuel cells, batteries, solar power, hydrogen power or other energy-efficient methods."
Not so sure about solar power working so good underground. - DeskFlyer, on 07/18/2008, -1/+9http://tinyurl.com/6l3vxl
- nontoxyc, on 07/18/2008, -2/+10cheaper and better to build high-speed railroads, we could build another track along every track we have now quite easily.
- cbartlett, on 07/19/2008, -0/+7New York to London in 54 minutes:
http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/engineering/t ... - a2zb2b, on 07/19/2008, -2/+9And roadhead would be safer.
- stinkingfish, on 07/19/2008, -0/+7window
- Gregbertt, on 07/19/2008, -0/+7"Also, how do pee breaks work?"
They're like hydraulic breaks, but they use pee instead. - TheHayze, on 07/19/2008, -0/+7As long as they offer free wifi, or some other means to connect the internet while enroute. i'll be game.
- Reiben, on 07/19/2008, -0/+6Nor was it an actual railroad.
- Azerael, on 07/19/2008, -0/+6Unlikely that you would get carsick in a tunnel, as it would most likely be pretty straight.
- leontes, on 07/19/2008, -0/+6If it's automated, I would say, no, we won't drive on underground automated highways: we will ride on underground automated highways.
- jasonhdavis, on 07/19/2008, -0/+6I always thought it would have to be done in stages. Start with a GPS device that suggests a lane and a speed. Once enough people are using that device, start allowing it to control your car's speed for you. Then on from there allowing more and more automation over many years.
The biggest issue would be human's trusting the machine. It would have to be a gradual trust building exercise. - stinkingfish, on 07/19/2008, -0/+6so about 2 days in Iraq?
- phosphite, on 07/19/2008, -1/+7Sadly, the future of viable transportation probably consists of the following:
Short trips (up to 200 miles): Personal Electric Vehicles
Tight urban transportation: Hook your rented PEV back up to the trolly system and step in and have it carry you around.
Sub-continental long trips (city to city): Electric trains
Continental trips: Bio-fuel airplanes, solar-powered AirShips
I'd rather rock a 500HP AWD turbo'd car everywhere I go, but fossil fuels are getting too expensive and we're running low on those... - MaxMWood, on 07/18/2008, -0/+6By impossible to use the engine I meant for safety reasons so someone couldn't just start up their car while everyone elses was automated.
- PabloMac, on 07/19/2008, -0/+6Not millions. Not even billions. Trillions.
- unusualbob, on 07/19/2008, -0/+6The issue comes when we have natural disasters like floods and earthquakes. Most roads would become deathtraps. Otherwise I would love it.
- wrathoftheafe, on 07/19/2008, -0/+6so pretty much just like the interstate
- deltaandroid, on 07/19/2008, -0/+5What if you ever got a bad sync?
- Typhoon2009, on 07/19/2008, -0/+5Yes! We have to simply upgrade all our rail systems to be quite honest. At the very least get something like the TGV going. Even better would be bullet trains (maglevs).
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