Should Cities Install Moving Sidewalks? 698
theodp writes "The real problem nowadays is how to move crowds,' said the manager of the failed Trottoir Roulant Rapide high-speed (9 km/h) people mover project. 'They can travel fast over long distances with the TGV (high-speed train) or airplanes, but not over short distances (under 1 km).' Slate's Tom Vanderbilt explores whether moving walkways might be viable for urban transportation. The first moving sidewalks were unveiled at Chicago's 1893 Columbian Exposition, and at one point seemed destined to supplant some subways, but never took root in cities for a variety of reasons. Vanderbilt turns to science fiction for inspiration, where 30 mph walkways put today's tortoise-like speed ranges of .5-.83 m/s to shame. In the meantime, Jerry Seinfeld will just have to learn to live with 'the people who get onto the moving walkway and just stand there. Like it's a ride.'"
Re:WAT (Score:3, Informative)
30 mph = ~13 m/s
I'll take the faster one, even if it is expressed in silly units.
Hong Kong has one (Score:5, Informative)
The Central Mid-Levels Escalator [wikipedia.org] moves you up and down about a half mile in a busy hilly part of the city. It has its critics but it seemed to be pretty well used when i was there.
Re:Obesity? (Score:2, Informative)
No of course not, people apparently need to be allowed to "make their own decisions" according to a lot of libertarian-esque wharblgarbl on the internet these days -- even if those decisions are really, really poor.
Units: 30mph = 13 m/s . . . 0.5-.83 m/s = 1-2mph (Score:1, Informative)
And I haven't RTFA yet, but I'd hope it addresses the issue of speed differential -- for moving walkways to work right, you have to be able to ramp up and down to speed anywhere you might wish to enter/exit. One trivial method is a turn-table -- get on near the center, with a tangential speed <2 m/s, walk out to the edge where you've got a full 10 m/s or so, and step over onto the straight walkway running at constant speed.
However, the cleanest solution, if also the most expensive, allows navigating around people who just stand there, and also allows entry/exit at any point. Just have 10 belts side-by-side, with speeds ramping in 1 m/s increments. To speed up, move left, to slow down, move right. IMO about 1 m/s differential is easily handled by people, once they get used to it, but if old folks can't deal with it, you can increase the bands arbitrarily -- just add money.
Re:escalators too (Score:5, Informative)
In Asimov's Science Fiction the walkways had different speeds. You could go 5 miles an hour, or you could step left and go 10 miles an hour, or step left, and go 15 miles an hour, or..... step left and go 100 miles an hour. So it's no big deal if someone just stand there. You can move to the faster track and pass them.
Heinlein has a similar concept in his "The Roads Must Roll" short story.
Re:WAT (Score:3, Informative)
0.83m/s (meters per second) would be about 9,612 feet per hour, and a mile is 5,280 feet.
So it's 9612 / 5280 = 1.82 miles per hour, or about 2 mph.
The speed of an average human walking.
Re:NO. (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Foundation's Friends.... (Score:3, Informative)
Not a good idea (Score:5, Informative)
Re:escalators too (Score:5, Informative)
You probably live in suburbia where you only encounter escalators in the mall. In any big city subway you'll find that a significant number of people are in a hurry and walk up those escalators. Please stand on the right.
Re:WAT (Score:3, Informative)
Here you go. [magiccards.info] I think you'll find the cost quite manageable.
Re:escalators too (Score:5, Informative)
Technological solutions like this work well in Japan because people there have a society that values politeness and not being a flaming asshole. I've read they're so polite there that they even switch off their headlights at red lights, so they don't bother the people waiting on the opposite side. Over here, people happily leave their mis-aimed high beams on and blind people who are waiting for the light to change.
Funny enough, the last time I was in Japan I asked my host why she kept turning her headlights off at red lights - it turns out it wasn't to be polite. It was because she wanted to make the lamps in her headlights last longer.
Re:Obesity? (Score:5, Informative)
Saliva is only slightly more sterile than the kitchen floor of a frat house.
It may not all be harmful germs, but there sure is a lot of bacteria living there.
Human bite wounds, though relatively rare, have a higher rate of infections than cat or dog bites.
Re:NO. (Score:1, Informative)
I'm impatient so I always end up walking on the airport moving walkways anyway.
That's exactly WHAT THEY'RE THERE FOR! How do people not know that?!
You're not supposed to stand still on them like some slackjawed cow and get in everyone's way.
Re:Charge a toll. (Score:3, Informative)
The Hong Kong example does charge a toll. It uses the same Octopus Card [wikipedia.org] system as the subways.
Learn how to ride a bike! (Score:3, Informative)
They can travel fast over long distances with the TGV (high-speed train) or airplanes, but not over short distances (under 1 km).
It's called a bike. Learn how to use it, FFS!
And to preemptively counter the usual complaints...
Sweat -- The best way to drastically reduce sweat-drenched clothes is not to wear a backpack or shoulder bag but use dedicated bike bags that are attached to the bike rack. Also, if you're breaking into a heavy sweat after 1 km (a casual 4 minute ride), you should ride your bike more often to get rid of that excessive weight.
Safety -- again, the article talks about an urban environment and distances under 1km. Unless you live in Gaza you should be able to find a safe and quick route.
Re:Obesity? (Score:3, Informative)
>>>Fuel tax revenue does not come close to the funding level required to maintain roads.
False. I can't speak to the whole of the US, but in my state the fuel taxes generate *extra* revenue. The government then uses that excess to help prop-up the Maryland train transit system (which doesn't sell enough tickets to sustain itself). Put another way, in this state, the cars pay for their own unkeep. They pay-in enough gasoline/road tax to keep the highways built PLUS also keeping the rails maintained.
Re:escalators too (Score:3, Informative)
H. G. Wells, When the Sleeper Wakes, 1899.
His concept had multiple speeds as well, but even that was predated by the working design at the Chicago World's Fair [wikipedia.org].
Re:WAT (Score:3, Informative)
Even more apropos to this subject is Heinlein's The Roads Must Roll [wikipedia.org].
Re:escalators too (Score:1, Informative)
Re:WAT (Score:3, Informative)
Urza was a genius.
Re:Obesity? (Score:3, Informative)
In Asia, there isn't even a single piece of Graffiti in the darkest corner of the subways.
Can't speak for Asia generally, but observe these pics from my 2007 visit to Taiwan:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cathychang/sets/72157603572831113/ [flickr.com]