A conversation on TED.com: What do you think will be capable of solving the problem of Traffic Gridlock which our world faces in the near future?

Prakhar Jain
Delhi
India

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What do you think will be capable of solving the problem of Traffic Gridlock which our world faces in the near future?

If you watched the TED talk [Bill ford: A future beyond Traffic Gridlock], it is likely that you will be inspired to think of a possible way which would help us solve the major problem of global gridlock.

As is evident from the talk, we desperately need to revolutionize the way we commute today. For this, we need a system which is sustainable enough to ferry people conveniently for at least a few decades. The solution, as suggested by Bill Ford, to devise a smart vehicle network doesn't seem enough to be able to tackle the entire problem. (1000 cars/hour are trying to move on a road designed for 100 cars/hour, our smart vehicle network can merely give us alternate routes which may also be equally congested).

Hence, I believe that the solution lies in revolutionizing public transport (integrated with smart vehicle network) because it can provide the capacity which we require in the future. Already European nations have started prioritizing public transport (http://nyti.ms/lEExSd) and taxing the people commuting by private-cars. This step is being justified by stating that they do not have enough space to build wider roads to accommodate the increasing traffic. This is exactly what we will be facing elsewhere in the world very soon.

Also, a universal solution may not be possible. The solution will vary depending on the country and its economic status. Talking of a developing nation, it is unfeasible to construct a network of Metro rails spread throughout the city owing to the high construction costs as well as a high gestation period. Hence, a cheaper and more versatile solution is sought. In these situations, BRT (Bus Rapid Transport) system provides a feasible alternative since it requires less capital as well as less time to be brought into implementation. BRT is also suitable for developed nations, as it is easier to allocate a lane to the bus service.

For more on Bus Networks (including BRT) vs Metro rails vs Monorails,
read this - http://wp.me/pinhe-kP

Related Talks:

Bill Ford: A future beyond traffic gridlock

Topics: Bus Rapid Transport

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Prakhar Jain
- 0
Jul 13 2011: Very true. @Simon and @Mike.

The problem does not have a singe magic solution.

Since each place, each country has its own dynamics and its type of traffic problems, it is essential that the solutions to counter the gridlock be based on the location and not some universal formula.

Luckily, developed nations already have a good public transport system. and we need innovations to so that public automatically prioritizes public transport over their own cars.

A bigger challenge is for developing nations since these do not even have the resources to erect a huge public transportation system in place. (which includes metro, monorail etc). I believe Eco-friendly bikes can help here combined with a BRT like system for public transport.
simon roger
- 0
Jul 13 2011: bikes with electric motor support are a great tool. i trid them in a site visit in Austrias region Vorarlberg where the local energy providers has a field study with e-mobility. they can run up to 30 km/hr easily and u still do a little bit (adjustable to individual ability/fitness) training. If cities support this with infrastructure (lanes/locking stations etc) this can have a very good impact
- Prakhar Jain
  - 0
  Jul 13 2011: Sounds Interesting. Can you provide a web-link for the same?
  That would help us understand the concept better.
  - simon roger
    
    0
    Jul 13 2011: http://www.lvrj.com/news/new-program-lets-some-public-employees-ride-electric-bikes-123786059.html
    
    its not easy to find an example with english speaking documentation. this article I found about a LAs Vegas project on ebikes. the ebikes have some very compelling features that might push so they can play a part in the smart city of the future:
    
    1.) there is experience of more than 10 years with sharing normal bikes in cities. (german railroad company deutsche bahn has a network since 10 years)
    2.) the power station feature for loading with electricity could complement the e-car infrastructure that will hopefully be buidl up
    3.) same average speed (or higher) than cars in the city, no parking issues and low per kmh cost
simon roger
- 0
Jul 13 2011: Mike, i realise that my comment is very "theoretical" and i agree with you on the more practical approach...a very good example is the IBM case with the city of Stockholms toll system. Nevertheless I hope that people will "try" to coordinate some aspects so later joiners have it easier to implement sustainable transport systems
Mike Allen
- 0
Jul 4 2011: Let the individual cities and countrys come up with there own local solutions. We don't need a world government answer. Look at how the IPCC screwed up Global warming by lying about the facts.
simon roger
- 0
Jul 3 2011: I believe that one of the crucial aspects of a future mobility solution is to integrate the insight out of local projects into the setup of a global infrastructure. The global infrastructure/plattform would be an interwoofen hardware (concrete transport applications) software (multilingual/multi culture intuitive supervised by a gvt. setup) solution. This final goal will obviously been achieved by milestones on the way.
Prakhar Jain
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Jul 2 2011: True! the Smart vehicle network is nothing great and it won't solve the problem. It will only delay the problem.
Either the solution is something which we havn't seen in life yet OR it has to be less usage of private cars.
anthony bruni 30+
- +1
Jul 2 2011: So a crazy thought, but if no one had ever seen a bicycle before I would wager I could give a TED talk on it as a way of reducing the toxic traffic that is clogging our urban arteries. It requires a minimum of infrastructure, is affordable, easily maintained, improves the health of its users, and is the most energy efficient means of transportation developed.
- Prakhar Jain
  - 0
  Jul 2 2011: A cycle is a great more for transportation. In fact, if you read the article in nytimes (linked in topic's intro), many cities have brought in the concept of shared cycles to fill in the gaps of metro rail network.
  But, a cycle on its own? seems a bit incomplete to me...
  I can't see myself cycling to my office, which is 30 kms away! and that too everyday!
  It doesn't seem to have many incentives for people to switch to it.
  But yes, it can be a small part of the big implementation. :)
  - anthony bruni 30+
    
    0
    Jul 2 2011: True, bikes would be an incomplete solution to the traffic problem, I just wanted to throw it in there because its way many people can opt out of this modern problem without having to wait on politicians. That said if we are serious about this problem we need to build a public transportation infrastructure and not just a car infrastructure. I do like the European approach on this of being proactive in discouraging car use.
    The problem I have with the Bill Ford talk was he wants to create a smarter grid to make traffic flow better, which will just encourage people to drive more. As well meaning as he may be he would be better off sticking to designing better cars. Most traffic is fairly predictable, and could be eliminated with a healthy investment in trains and bus.