Cooool. China's elevated bus drives above cars.

[woo me with science]

http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13746_7-20012633-48.html

China's elevated bus drives above cars


China's elevated bus drives above cars

China's latest solution to its notorious traffic and road congestion combines the best features of subways and buses into a single mass-transportation vehicle that rides above traffic rather than in it. Or under it.

Eliminating the need to tunnel underground or build expensive bridges, these elevated buses straddle the road on rails and provide enough clearance for other vehicles on the road (except for large delivery trucks) to drive under. This strategy will allow the buses to travel faster than the speed of traffic without the need for dedicated lanes or structures.

Construction of 115 miles of track will begin in Beijing's Mentougou district.

[Marr]

1. Seems like a damned good idea to me.

I'd love to see something like that in the states.

[EmilyKent]

2. This is so totally cool!

[glowing]

3. seems extremely dangerous with one vehicle being manuel and another on a schedule.

Its one more condition to worry about when trying to change lanes, unless, its driven over an express carpool type lane where people cannot get off or exchange lanes except for at set points. Looks cool as all hell... The power nation of our future showing innovation of tomorrow.. while we continue shedding jobs/ manufacturing/ talent pool from our country.

[woo me with science]

4. When I first glanced at it, I didn't notice it was on tracks.

I was imagining the BUS changing lanes over cars on the highway. Now that would have been dangerous! I am not sure how lane changing occurs, but it'd make sense to have that particular lane as a sort of express lane with very limited or structured opportunities for changing.

[Stinky The Clown]

6. It spans two lanes of car traffic.

Seems lane changing isn't an issue, but left and right turns need to be controlled. I'm certain that would be very easy to work out.

This is a good idea and can be put in place in almost any location

[Romulox]

7. But exits will be deadly.

The entire thing needs to be elevated to make sense (so that one may exit down and therefore not have to cross the track. At which point it makes more sense to build an elevated train.

[Dorian Gray]

5. That's really cool

NYC could use this type of bus system! Our busses are SLOW!!!!

[pipoman]

8. I wonder what a semi truck looks like under there...seems like they are 1/3 of traffic

[woo me with science]

25. The article says semis go into a different lane,

not under the bus.

[Motown_Johnny]

9. don't try to park if that thing is coming

[lunatica]

10. Good idea. And it can travel faster than the traffic which will attract more passengers

I would love to go to work without being caught in traffic and getting there faster than if I were driving.

[pipi_k]

11. So how do people get on and off this thing?

And what about people with disabilities who can't climb a ramp or 20+ feet of stairs?

[Statistical]

17. How do people currently get to second story structures? n/t

[canetoad]

28. A lot of people with disabilities

don't.

[treestar]

18. Looks like you get on at that door level, from a raised platform

There could be elevators at the station.

[cbdo2007]

12. This seems really dangerous. Cars driving at one speed, while a huge object

around them is traveling in the same direction at a different speed, just a few feet away?? Psychologically, I woudl think this would make drivers slam on the brakes or at least slow way down. Imagine driving in a moving tunnel.

[woo me with science]

13. People will get used to it quickly.

I imagine the interstate highways seemed pretty scary at first.

[cbdo2007]

19. The interstate highways aren't moving around them at a different speed.

[NickB79]

23. Um, what about when you're in the middle lane of traffic on a busy highway?

People in the right lane going slower, people in the left going faster (sometimes MUCH faster). Large, larger, and MUCH larger vehicles zipping by you on either side. When the traffic is thick, it IS like the highway itself is moving around you.

I will admit to being a bit apprehensive when I'm passed by a large semi while in my subcompact Scion, but it doesn't seriously affect the way I drive; I just grip the wheel a bit tighter and pay a bit more attention to the road. I would expect the same of Chinese drivers when passed over by this bus.

[Statistical]

15. Like anything else people will get use to it.

Those who are "afraid" can simply use the left lanes. If you notice the bus/train is hooked to a track on the median thus is always uses the right most lanes.

Within a generation it will be no more scary than sharing road with large trucks, driving through tunnels, or merging at interstate speeds.

When you got over a billion people you need to be efficient with transportation resources.

[LanternWaste]

27. Like a biker in one lane, and a trucker in the opposite lane?

Like an American biker in one lane, and an American trucker in the opposite lane with no median?

[mzteris]

14. Love it!

(and how the "people" in the video weren't Chinese...)

[treestar]

16. Really cool!

A bit creepy if you're in the car and it drives over you.

[Ganja Ninja]

20. I'm not sure how much of an advantage this would be over an ...

elevated tram system. Obviously it can't turn with traffic. Mixing it with regular road traffic will mean it will be delayed by accidents and road crowding. I just don't see how it will move faster than traffic unless it is completely separate from it.

[thereismore]

21. How does it turn? nt

[kenny blankenship]

22. And what do cars underneath it, that do not want to turn, do when it does?

[EstimatedProphet]

24. It's a great idea until someone makes a left turn.

Not sure how they'll deal with that, otherwise, I'm all for it.

[snooper2]

26. Nice to see Jeeps are popular in China

:)

[malaise]

29. Very cool

I always associated this sort of innovative thinking with America. The rejection of science by the Fundies and RWs has kicked America to the back of the pile.

[Yavin4]

30. Gives A Whole New Meaning To

Being thrown under the bus.