California’s infamous supercommutes could someday get a sci-fi makeover thanks to a new proposal exploring buses traveling up to 140 mphon the state’s freeways.
Apreliminary investigationcommissioned by the California Department of Transportation and highlighted this weekby KRCAis examining whether futuristic “high-speed buses” couldconnect major metro areaslike Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sacramento and San Diego using dedicated freeway lanes and advanced automation technology.
Once concept floated during a recent Caltrans webinar estimated a trip between San Francisco and Los Angeles could take just 3 hours and 12 minutes at speeds around 120 mph, according to KCRA.
That’s dramatically fasterthan the roughly six to eight hours drivers can spend traveling between the two cities on Interstate 5 and Highway 101.
“This project is simply exploring long-term possibilities,” Mehdi Moeinaddini of Caltrans told KCRA.
The vision sounds closer to something out of a futuristic theme park thantoday’s California freeway system.
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The buses would require dedicated lanes separated from regular traffic, automated driving systems, advanced braking technology and vehicle-to-everything communication systems capable of warning buses about hazards far ahead on the roadway.
Researched also examined international concepts including Australia’s Adelaide O-Bahn busway and the Netherlands’ “Superbus” prototype — a sleek electric bus capable of traveling roughly 155 mph on specifically designed guideways.
According to the Caltrans report, current American freeways simply aren’t built for those kinds of speeds.
Source: California Post – Breaking California News, Photos & Videos
