Driverless-Vehicle in London

The Driverless Future is Happening Now

/ /

We must be doing something right if we’re able to get a St Louis Towing Company on singing in chorus to what we’ve been preaching all along. Check out this insightful article about coming to terms with an automated future, and cities that are making the switch work…

Human beings, in general, are incredibly thoughtful creatures, they think logically and are for the most part good and kind to their fellow human beings.  For some reason when we get behind the wheel of an automobile all that goes out of the window.

While we’ve managed to create some sort of semblance of order on our highways, the plain truth is that there are far too many accidents that can be directly attributed to driver error.

As a tow truck driver in St Louis I see the result with horrible daily accidents, traffic, and general mayhem on the streets, byways, and highways in-and-around STL.

A Better Way?

While all this mayhem might be good for business, I’d probably be the first to admit that there’s a better way.  After some soul searching, I strongly believe that this “better way” will be powered by driver-less vehicles run by Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Although robots driving our cars seems like a frightening proposition, studies after studies have shown that a driverless future has the potential to reduce congestion and will almost certainly cut fatalities by more than 90%.

These are huge benefits worth looking into that could save millions of lives and improve the standard of living for many others.

So in a bit of a departure from my normal towing articles, I wanted to take some time to highlight cities that are starting to take the leap into a driverless future and talk about the benefits of this automation and get into some cities that are starting to apply the technology.

Driverless Vehicles Could Produce a Drastic Reduction in Emissions

Drive in any major city on the East Coast and it will become all-too apparent that the current transportation system in the US is highly inefficient.  City populations are steadily growing and many of the roads in major cities are congested as a result.

Driverless vehicles could help solve that problem, as a recent study showed. The study looked at how many driverless cars would have to be in a city to handle the demand.

They divided the cars into two services, one service that would allow people to share a vehicle and one service that gives you your own private car. They determined that on this system people could be transported effectively with just 10 percent of the current vehicles.

To put it another way, applying the results of this study globally, automation could reduce the number of cars needed by 90 percent.

Almost a Reality in London

Driverless vehicles have been viewed as a technology that will only come about in the distant future. However, many companies are actively developing autonomous driving technology.

In London a company called Addison Lee is has conducted trials in Greenwich with NO accidents thus far (knock on wood). It is expected that their taxi service should be operational by 2021.

Scotland is Investing in the Technology

In Scotland the government is investing in driverless technology. They are planning to have driverless buses transport passengers from Fife to Edinburgh, a 14-mile-long route. Each bus can carry up to 42 passengers and can complete around 1,000 trips each week. Trials have already begun, and this could become a reality by the year 2021.

China Already has a Driverless Bus

In China a driverless bus has been operational since 2015. The bus takes passengers along a 20-mile-long route through a busy city. While a bus driver currently sits behind the wheel, they are only there for safety reasons.

Driverless Trains Already in Use in London

When thinking of driverless technology everyone automatically thinks of vehicles like cars and buses. However, automated trains may be easier to develop according to Australian company Transdev. This is shown by the fact that in London driverless trains are already in use. London has a driverless train transporting passengers along it’s Thames link line.

The technology can sense where other trains are and adjust speed accordingly, allowing the trains to travel closer together and, similar to the driverless buses in China, a trained human being oversees the train fleet with centralized software.

What are towing businesses to do?

Change is inevitable, and just like any other category, businesses need to adapt to the times or face extinction.  Driverless vehicles could have numerous benefits for a public transit system. From Scotland to China, governments and companies alike are looking at automation technology to see how they can use it to benefit humanity in the future.

Thanks for reading and drive safe!

This article is used with permission and originally appeared on the website www.reliableguystowing.com on 2/7/2019

New York Subway Stop At Coney Island

Is There Any End in Sight To New York City’s Subway Woes?

/ / /

Despite being in one of the biggest, most recognizable cities in the world, the New York Subway System is – quite simply – a mess.

This or course is a major problem – especially considering it serves a population of over eight and a half million people!

In this week’s article we’ll be discussing how NY got to where they’re at today and examine some potential solutions.

Unreliable Service

The biggest complaint about the subway system is its unreliability. People using the subway are frequently upset about experiencing lengthy delays. The other major problem with the subway system is that some stops are difficult to access as they don’t have lifts.

Without lifts people with disabilities won’t be able to use the subway service, as they often lack the mobility to climb flights of stairs. Even if the stations do have lifts, there’s no guarantee that they’ll be working with subway lifts not working an average of 53 days each year. But why are these problems plaguing the subway of New York City?

Maintenance Failures

According to a 2017 article in the NY Times, the main cause of many of these problems is years of disrepair resulting in faulty equipment.

As far as failure scenarios, signal failures usually to blame for problems along the track. These are devices stationed along the track that are designed to measure the speed of the train. If the train is going to fast, the brakes are deployed, the train stops, and the driver is penalized. However, some of these timers don’t work properly.

This forces drivers to travel at lower speeds to avoid setting off the timers. Because the trains aren’t travelling at their capacity, delays become inevitable. Now that we know a little more about the problems, let’s see how the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) plans to fix them.

Current Initiatives

The MTA has announced a ‘Fast Forward’ plan, a 2017 initiative which promises to solve many of the problems currently experienced on the subway. There are many aspects of this plan, such as updating the app to better let people know about elevator break-downs. They are also going to examine signals along the track to prevent them from malfunctioning.

Once this plan has been completed the services on the subway should be a lot better. However, in the meantime a lot of construction will be required to upgrade old equipment. This will cause delays as trains have to slow down in construction zones to protect the safety of workers.

Next Steps

This article has examined the New York subway system. We looked at what the problems are and how they were caused. The MTA’s solution to the subway was also discussed.

While this will eventually result in a more efficient, more accessible subway system it will take time.

This plan can take up to ten years to fully complete. In the meantime though, expect the lengthy delays and myriad problems surrounding the New York subway system to continue upsetting it’s customers.

Train

The Best Solutions To Improve Our Public Transit

/ / /

When we are talking with passengers on the bus lines around the world, we are always impressed with the number or different answers we get on how to improve public transportation. It has always amazed me how countries such as Japan or South Korean managed to solve this problem. Their culture doesn’t tolerate being late; it’s considered to be a sign of disrespect.

On the other hand, the American nation is facing massive public transportation issues, roads are jammed continuously, people are always late, and somehow the state officials don’t see a possible solution.

Bus frequency

When looking for ways to boost public transportation, first and furthermore, passengers want frequent rides. You would be surprised that speed isn’t an issue for the majority of riders. For example, if you are waiting for downtown in the rain, or on some suburban backstreet, people want to know that ride will arrive soon, preferably in less than 15 minutes.

Train Transportation

The wait is one of the most significant problems, and it’s a part of the transportation cycle. Even if the bus is fast, when you arrive at the curb and start waiting for the transportation to pick you up, that’s when the problems begin.

Incorporate an efficient bus tracking system

One of the ways to improve transportation efficiency is to boost the transit ticketing system. The ticketing systems need to be fast and to react quickly so they can load and unload passenger promptly. Tap and go should be rule for bus fares, not tap, wait, and go.

This distinct difference might be a couple of seconds in duration, but, it’s quite noticeable when a large number of people tries to get on board. The inefficient ticketing system will slow down the traffic even more.

Passenger comfort

People want comfortable buses that can accommodate as many passengers as possible. Face-to-face seating isn’t that comfortable, especially when you are knee-to-knee in a confined space. It creates awkward moments between strangers.

Transdev_tramway_passagers
On the other hand, providing smooth, quiet, and spacious buses can play a significant role in reducing the stress and anxiety of public transportation experience.

Transportation

How To Improve Public Transportation Policy In The U.S.?

/ / /

American needs to start focusing on public transportation, which is one of the pressing issues. Annually, the public sector spends around $170 billion on transportation, and we will need to spend even more to revamp our battered infrastructure.

However, another crucial problem we are experiencing at the moment is that our nation lacks a clear-cut vision. In this case, there is no way to target spending and make sure that all those billions reach an economic and environmental goal. So, here are a couple of suggestions our state officials should consider.

Improving export

Our country should be more export-oriented, for the future of our economy. But now, there is no way to ensure that ports and border crossings will accomplish such a goal. No one is paying enough attention that traffic moves smoothly through these areas. If we are talking about Mexico and Canada, these crossings are always clogged, which interrupts trade and creates additional issues.

Bus

When we consider challenges that Detroit is facing, which is the number one binational trading center on the planet, we then realize how our economy is in jeopardy. This trading corridor is connecting the U.S. and Canadian auto industries, and other sectors.

Considering that Canada is our most significant trading partner, we should work hard to fix the problem happening on Ambassador Bridge.

Getting Greener

The U.S economy should think of the ways to reduce carbon dioxide and improve the quality of the air. We should explore green energy and unleash entrepreneurial activity around green technology. Yet, the US officials have been slow to address this problem.

peopleboarding
One of the problems we are facing now is the lack of regulations. There is no gaining authority which will make sure that all players talk to each other and don’t work at cross purposes. Let’s take for example electric cars. The Obama administration’s goal was to put one million electric vehicles on the roads by 2015. He managed to accomplish that, but they oversaw charging places.

Adding innovations

The 21st century brought us great technology which we can use to make transportation smoother and more efficient. For instance, traffic signals that are controlled by computers can optimize the flow of traffic.

Electronic toll-collection tags allow drivers to pay without stopping and so on.

Yet, the use of these technologies on our roadways is lacking. One of the reasons why there is no incentive for cities to utilize these innovations is because transportation dollars aren’t distributed based on performance.

ublic Transportation In The Us

Three Ways To Improve Public Transportation In The Us

/ / , , /

Since the emergence of cars and other transportation means, America has increasingly relied on the construction of highways as its primary mode of transportation. Soon the country had to face the repercussions of a highway system because it doesn’t meet the demands of all its citizens.

Additionally, the lack of engagement of state officials to oversee how public transportation funding is spent creates further issues and denies the implementation of a unified vision for transportation. However, there are still steps that should be considered, which will improve public transportation and infrastructure program.

Repairs and maintenance should go before construction projects

Based on current laws, DOTs aren’t obligated to spend any federal funding they get for transportation projects on maintenance and repair. Given the case, the government should create separate funding for maintenance and repairs, or create a competitive program that will offer them thoughtful approaches to tackle the challenges they face every day.

Transportation In The Us

Also, to encourage other modes of transportation the USDOT’s program, the TIGER should be focused on maintenance and find alternative ways to meet transportation needs. Funding new projects should be based on whether or not the communities are maintaining their existing transportation infrastructure.

Focus more on alternative modes of movement

Even though all DOT’s funds are used to build and expand highways, the revenue that is gathered for non-highways is usually challenging to raise. In this case, the numerous forms of alternative forms of movement are neglected, which creates additional issues.

FTA photo collage_0

The construction of highways is connected to the coordination of land use. That’s why it’s crucial that local municipalities, state DOTs MPOs, and transit agencies combine their efforts and to diversify modes of travel. This will reduce the traffic jams and enable everyone to arrive at their destination on time.

Provide rewards for innovations

Considering the Federal Highway Administration MAP-21 regulation, 12 performance areas should be measured to criterion how state, MPOs, and transit agencies use their funds. When they fail to meet the target, then they should lose a portion of their funds and report faults to the public.

Transportation

Additionally, to follow the effects of MAP-21, especially on transportation, federal transportation funding should monitor and examine its influence on job creation and growth. Once public transportation guidelines are prioritized, the administration should publicly praise and reward those who met their expectations and target and provide additional financial recourses.

1 2 3