For a Bold New Vision for the Future of Transportation, Check out skyTran

Yesterday, I came across skyTran, a rather futuristic idea for mass transportation —a concept designed to relieve urban congestion and reduce the eco-footprint associated with transportation generally. Here’s one of dozens of illustrations they have on the website:

There are several pieces of good news here:

• The cost of installation is a fraction of that of light rail and other competitive ideas (about $4 million/km, vs. $100+ million/km).

• Similarly, it’s inexpensive to operate and maintain. The car does not ride on the rail; it flies about a centimeter above the rail. It’s propelled by a moving magnetic field, and, as it accelerates, it “takes off” like an airplane.

Here are my concerns:

• In terms of energy efficiency, I wonder how much better it’s going to do than trams that ride directly on overhead rails. At high speeds, I suspect the air resistance is going to be a far greater component of overall loss than the mechanical friction between the car and the rail itself.

• Far more importantly, and speaking of resistance, I’m wondering how communities are going to react to having this thing installed up in the air. Historically, in the US at least, it’s been very difficult to get things like this approved at the city planning level, where opponents will position them as “eyesores.”

Something to consider, however, is that there are really perfect applications of such technology. For example, my family lives in Santa Ynez, CA, and, as shown on this map, we’re a half-hour drive from Santa Barbara.

We’re connected by a two-lane mountain pass, Route 154 (pictured above), which, historically, has proven to be one of the most dangerous roads in the state. I drive up and back several times a week for one reason or another, as currently, there is no public transportation available whatsoever. It sure would be great to hop on the skyTran and be able to take in the amazing scenery, rather than keep my eyes riveted onto the roadway, calculating when to pass slow drivers, and worrying about speeding tickets.

Still, I can just hear the objections from people complaining about how skyTran would ruin the natural setting.

In a conversation I had yesterday with the company’s CEO, Jerry Sanders, he explained that he’s planning to start in Jerusalem. That’s a good idea, IMO; it’s a place where people really love electronic gadgets, and, who knows, may regard this as a kind of art.

The company’s looking for investors; if you’re interested, please let me know.