Transport Innovation

Innovative Transport Precedents
A collection of innovatives public transport modes, ideas and concepts.

Google Driverless Cars

Nice, France. CBD Tram
Pedestrian friendly solution
In the CBD, the trams drop the overhead power and run on batteries to avoid the eye-sore of overheard power lines.
Pedestrians share the same surfaces which is possible with a tram unlike other systems like buses which are significantly more erratic. Green sections offset the negative visual impact transportation often induces on a city.

Istanbul CBD Tram
Historical tram runs the length of this pedestrian shopping stretch in Istanbul. The street is predominantly pedestrian occupied however pedestrians seamlessly part when the tram comes through.

Biway Electrical Bus

The Biway is a bus with the ability to turn into a train. These electrically run buses can link to other Biway buses and form a train.
Through the use of 'fiber freeways' which are essentially elevated train tracks linked up byways would be able to travel as an automated train. While the bus is connected to the fiber freeway, it would be able to recharge its battery. Another plus is the ability for passengers to move between buses when they are connected, possibly making stops for bus transfers unnecessary.
The hope is that these buses would eventually replace gas powered public buses, offering a green solution to the buses we use today and creating a much more efficient system.

Volva Road Train
Concept animation of truck pulling cars in a train like fashion. Interesting idea but has some obvious flaws and safety concerns.

Straddling Bus
Very interesting concept. Addresses some key down sides to existing public transport modes. Seem to be an effective solution without disturbing existing road traffic and without requiring significant infrastructure such as subways.

Tubular Rail
In this redesigned locomotive, a single rigid train travels through elevated support rings, negating the need for traditional train tracks.
The train would have guidance rails and would be in keep contact with three of the elevated rings at all times, ensuring it has enough support and power to continue running.
The developers hope that the tubular train would be able to act as both high-speed rail and commuter or light rail systems. Their more aerodynamic model can reach speeds of 150 miles per hour for trips between 100 and 600 miles long, while the model designed for commuters would be able to reach speeds of around 90 miles per hour.

Non-Stop MTR System (The Train That Never Stops)

The developer of the Non-Stop MTR system believes that the greatest inefficiencies when it comes to train travel is the fact that trains have to stop to pick people up.

The 'train that never stops' has pods on the roof that passengers can enter or exit. At each stop, the pod with the people disembarking is left at the station, while the pod on the platform filled with waiting passengers is picked up, all without the train having to stop.

These non-stop trains would save time, as those minutes spent waiting at each station have a habit of adding up to hours at the end of the day and they would save energy. The constant acceleration and deceleration that trains go through each time they stop at a station requires a huge amount of power.

Superbus
Shaped like a 50-foot long fish and featuring eight doors per side, as far as descriptions go, the Superbus' sounds pretty ridiculous, but this method of transportation puts the emphasis on catering to its riders.
The Superbus, will operate from a central routing optimization system. Its routes will be entirely customizable based on the preferred starting points and destinations of the passengers. Like many other modes of transportation on this list, the fact that changeovers would no longer be necessary could save both time and money.
TuDelft, the company that created the bus hopes that one day specialized express routes would be developed for the Superbus, making travel even more efficient.

Responsive Network
Architectural Masters (Professional) Thesis
Victoria University Wellington, NZ
Supervisors: Tane Moleta + Jules Moloney

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