Cooperation with the Road-traffic

If everything seems to be going well, you have obviously overlooked something.

he beamcarried traffic system is of course a new infrastructure that could almost entirely replace today´s road traffic. But since the road traffic today is so thoroughly integrated with our civilization and our cities, the beam networks would have to be integrated with that environment. Thus, for a long time to come, growing beam networks would have to cooperate with other forms of traffic as much as possible.

On this web-page we will look at: General considerations Cooperation with Private Cars Cooperation with Trucks Cooperation with Buses Cooperation with Rescue Vehicles

	1. General Considerations

Figure 1:1.

There is a strong tendency with roadbuilding companies and auto manufacturers to perceive the beam traffic technology as a threat, and not as a possibility. In reality, beam traffic implementation could improve the efficiency of the road network, reduce the costs of extending it and alleviate the environmental consequences of it. Congested roads could be complemented with beam traffic conduits at very moderate costs as compared to the available alternatives. Operating the beam system would also be cheaper than maintaing roads. The illustration above (figure 1:1) shows a 4-beam conduit positioned above a 4-lane highway.	The supporting crossbeams would be 25 - 30 meters apart, (shown i figure 1:2 below), the distance depending on the dimensioning of beams and supports. These complementary beams could either be built as a two-beam, two-way traffic conduit along one side of the road (or maybe with one beam on each side of the road; requires more supporting poles) or as a two-beam two-way conduit in the middle of the road. All that would be needed for this would be sufficient space on the ground to plant the supporting poles!

Figure 1:2. Higway with 4 parallel beams (in blue) seen from above. A frontal view would resemble figure 1:1.	The beamcars can travel along the beams with speeds that are about 30 kilometers/hour (or 20 miles/hour) faster than the maximum allowable speed on the highways, and the beamcars are not hindered by congestions on a adequately designed beam network. They are also considerably safer to use. If one were to use beambuses that could carry 32 people, the theoretical passenger capacity during peak traffic hours for one beam would be about 30 times higher than for an ordinary motorcar lane. If we were to use 1-person beamcars, the theoretical passenger capacity would be about 1.5 times higher. This is partly because the beamcars can keep shorter distances than private cars between each other, for a certain speed. The reason for this is, of course, that the beamcars, being automatically controlled, do not have to take into account the reaction times of human drivers. At the present, there is a lot of experimentation with Road Traffic Information Systems, whose aim is to improve navigability in the streets.	The improvements that can be achieved in this manner are very marginal. And these systems will further increase the costs for maintaining the road infrastructure. The Electronic Highways needed for carrying traffic information are part and parcel with the beam system, from the moment of installation. These conduits would preferably consist of fiber-optic cables, and could serve as a communication backbone to facilitate such things as traffic billboards with varying text reflecting the traffic situation. They could be interconnected with a cellular radio system to convey traffic information to drivers of private cars. They could also be used in cooperation with automatic traffic supervision, and transfer reports about speed violations and accidents. The beam traffic system is unique in its ability to cooperate effectively with all types of existing traffic. In most cases, this cooperation would considerably improve the general traffic situation for all kinds of traffic. The beam traffic system could serve both as an information and as a transportation go-between with other systems.

	2. Cooperation with Private Cars

Figure 2:1 Here is an idea that could be applied in order to access roads with such heavy traffic that traffic snarls tend to occur during rush hours (or even at other times of day). In parallel to such roads, one could build a lane (on both sides of the road, if space permits) which would lead to loading depots for beamcarried flatcars. Motorists (denoted in red in figure 2:1 above) entering this lane could drive directly onto these waiting flatcars (shown in yellow above), and be whisked away to a location of their choosing; a location which is not so heavily trafficed. The obvious advantages for the motorists; saving time saving gas enabling them a few moments of relaxation would make most motorists willing to pay sufficiently for such a service, to make this idea very worthwile.

Figure 2:2 Some space for queueing would have to be provided for, as shown in the close-up (figure 2:2) above, but this has to be complemented with a traffic light at the lane entrance, to prevent overflow of motor vehicles. Figure 2:3 The lanes in figure 2:1 would probably be too short to be able to transfer the necessary traffic volumes, but they convey the idea. In reality, they would probably have to be half a mile long (= about 800 meters) or more. Loading and unloading would be done in parallel, several cars at a time. The flatcars would lower down, swivel 90 degrees and take on the motor vehicles, as shown in the figure above.

For this system to function properly, the motor vehicles leaving the flatcars would have to go one way, and vehicles entering the flatcars would have to come from the opposite direction, as shown in figure 2:5. This would require more space and pavement, but motor vehicles need space on the ground, it cannot be avoided. It is important that motor vehicles can enter and leave the flatcars as quickly as possible, in order for this system to be efficient. Thus, the motor vehicles must not be in each other´s way. It is rather like a ferry, except that with the flatcars, we could (and should) use both ends of the flatcars simultaneously, as shown in figure 2:4. Figure 2:5	The idea of this concept (in the figure at left) is that all beamcars have to enter and leave at the same time, more or less, and a new group of (in this case) 6 beam vehicles (flatcars) move in together to take their place. They cannot move individually, since they would be in each other´s way. A smart solution to that problem has been presented on other webpages, in connection with passenger transport. As shown below, one could very well have the stops arranged in parallel, as shown below. At the cost of som more beams, one gains 2 things with this arrangement: The number of stops could be arbitrarely large, since the beamcars can move independently The flatcars do not need the swivelling function. They need, however, the FLYWAY® elevator. Figure 2:6
Figure 2:7 Another idea is to transport motorists across the star-shaped network of access roads to or from a city when traffic snarls occur, such as could happen during road repairs or after a severe road accident. This could be accomplished by encircling the city with a ring of beams (depicted with blue in the picture to the right) which would meet the access roads at points where transfers of motorcars between roads and beams could be easily accomplished.	Figure 2:8 This system could also be used to redistribute uneven traffic loads, and to enable motorists to take a shortcut if they want to travel from one suburb to another, using first one highway and then another, in the opposite direction. A traffic snarl at location A in the picture above could be considerable eased up if vehicles were transported along the beams (denoted in blue) to points B or C. The illustration below (figure 2:9) gives a closer view of what it could look like (with the beams shown in blue), but in reality (of course) the highways would be much further apart.

Figure 2:9

Figure 2:10

Figure 2:11	Since the FLYWAY® beamcars are designed to be able to travel at more than 100 km/h (60 miles/hour), aerodynamic design of the carriages and cabins are quite important. One idea to reduce air drag while transporting motor vehicles is shown at left. The design could stand some improvement, but at least it is an idea.

Figure 2:12

For beamcars that are not equipped with the FLYWAY® elevators, there are, of course, 2 alternative solutions. Either let the beam come close to the ground, as in A in the illustration to the left (figure 2:12). Or one could have a ramp for the motor vehicles up to the beamcar, as in B. We think you will agree that A is the better solution. Travelers using private motorcars could also be provided with transport service in the shape of small beam vehicles at strategically located parking areas. These beam cars could be requisitioned as they are needed, automatically driven to the parking spots, and lowered to the ground. Those of you who have visited Disney World in Orlando, Florida would have an incline as to how it could work; when you park your car, you are met by a mini-train, that takes you up to and through the gates to the park. Initially, the travelers would be taken by their beam cars directly to a nearby train, bus, or subway station. As times goes, and the beam network progressively becomes more and more extensive, the travelers could be taken closer to their ultimate destinations (and from points of departure).

	3. Cooperation with Trucks

Containers and mobile platforms for carrying goods could be lifted up from and placed upon the platforms of ordinary trucks. This means among other things that one could make do with trucks that are not equipped with cranes.	Figure 3:1

n the long run, redistribution of goods could be performed from redistribution centra situated outside residential areas, so that trucks do not have to enter these areas, with their noise, pollution and roadwear. The goods would be transported from these redistribution centra by beam vehicles to suitable places inside the urban areas, close to its destination. From these points onwards, it could be moved by small electric trucks, if the beam vehicles cannot go all the way. But a better arrangement would be, of course, of the beam vehicles could go directly into the industrial sites or warehouses where the goods is destined.

This is easily accomplished with the aid of beams mounted in the ceilings of these locales. In smaller redistribution centra within the urban area, the beam vehicles could automatically handle the loading and unloading of goods and produce that are destined for other places, outside the urban area. They could handle the loading of dairy products and other foods in cold-storage facilities, so humans need rarely enter into those places. Sorted garbage could be picked up automatically according to schedules, and deposited and depots.

Containers containing the same type of refuse could be places directly on the backs of trucks, if trucks are still used, for further transport do distant reclamation centers. But there is no reason why the beam vehicles could not handle the transports all the way. And automatically, of course. And in the same manner as vehicles for transportation of people could be tracked at all times, one could also keep track of a shipment, be it garbage or produce. The sender or receiver of a shipment could always find out where it is. Maybe plans have been altered at the last moment! Then it would be no problem to remotely redirect the shipment to a new destination.

	4. Cooperation with Buses

T he illustration at right (figure 4:2) shows a bus terminus (the buses are depicted with red). A close cooperation with roadbuses can be achieved by: a) placing the stops of the beamcars on the platforms of bus terminals, and close to bus stops whenever the beams and bus routes happen to intersect each other. This is illustrated in the birds-eye view to the right.	b) using the the same stops in the streets as the buses. This is generally the intention with having elevators on the beamcar cabins. For safety reasons, however, the beamcars will need small, roofless cubicles on the ground, with automatically locked doors. The beamcabins are lowered from above into these cubicles (those are the ones illustrated as yellow squares to the right). These cubicles would be automatically locked for all normal access whenever there is no beamcar in place. The information systems of the beam system and the bus traffic could be integrated with each other so that bus travelers could see to it that a booked beamcar is waiting at a certain stop when their bus arrives. And, of course, beam car travelers could plan their trips in accordance with the timetables of the buses, as the scheduled beam vehicles would conform their timetables to those of the buses.	Figure 4:2

Figure 4:3

	5. Cooperation with Rescue Vehicles

Ambulances, police cars and other rescue vehicles often find it awkward to get through in the urban traffic, with its often congested streets. They can be seriously delayed, and they are also a potential traffic hazard, since they stress other motorists, run red traffic lights and don´t respect speed limits. For a metropolitan area with an extensive beam network it could be a good idea to use specially adapted beamcars as rescue vehicles. They would be stationed at strategic sites and need not be manned during transport to or from the accident site. Their crew could arrive on other vehicles, from other sites.

This applies in those cases when the vehicles carry equipment that is needed by the rescue personnel. For such a scheme to work, the beam network needs direct connections to fire stations and hospitals. But that´s not the biggest problem. The biggest problem here is that, to be useful to rescue vehicles, the beam system need to reach practically everywhere in the area to be served. This means not only that it has to reach the most remote sites, but also that the mesh has to be fine enough. So, this is clearly a solution for the more distant future.

There is of course a smarter solution: To manufacture a fleet of rescue vehicles for road travel, but which could be lifted in their roofs by beamcars with grappling hooks; the same type of cars that are planned to move containers. Ambulances and other emergency vehicles would then be lifted above the traffic in the streets and transported in the air long stretches of the road they have to cover, and they will arrive at the accident site or scene of the crime much sooner and safer.