But where are they?
And will they even make it into cities before cars are banned altogether?
Driverless vehicles promise safer, slower streets, but private driverless cars are still far from widespread.
Even New York has repurposed on-street parking spaces for use as outdoor restaurant seating during COVID.
Theres a momentum, and its pushing cars out of cities.
Will the likes of the newdriverless Cruise, from GM and Honda, be too late?
“They also reduce the per-kilometer cost of the commute.”
Theyre noisy, they pollute the air, and of course they kill people in collisions.
They also take up a huge amount of space.
Between parking and the roads themselves,cars use 50-60 percent of downtown land.
And ironically, supposedly car-friendly practices make it worse.
What about electric cars?
Those solve the emissions problem, but nothing else.
Of course you cant wipe cars out immediately.
Not without investing in great public transport.
The tide is finally turning against cars, though.
Drivers dont like it, but tough.
It makes little sense.
The good news is that even closing major city roads doesnt worsen traffic.
With good alternatives available,the traffic just disappears.
Do Self-Driving Cars Have Any Use?
Driverless cars are useful, but not as private vehicles, and not in cities.
Highways are easier to map, have less going on, and have fewer pedestrians.
In short, thats a perfect place to go driverless.
Or how about self-driving buses, like thesmart shuttle in Columbus, Ohio?
These bridge the gaps left in many US transit systems, getting people from their homes to transit hubs.
In the end, it might not be a bad idea to bet against cars.
