Refocus General Motors On New Transportation Technologies

Well, congratulations fellow Americans. We now own an automobile company. Due to the dismal failure of the incredibly incompetent, but highly rewarded, management at General Motors we now have a controlling interest in that once successful corporation.

Their focus on greed and personal profits drove our nation's auto manufacturers to develop vehicles that guzzled gas and are a major contributor to the planet's environmental pollution. They had the audacity to actually invent the concept of "planned obsolescence" and designed automobiles that fall apart after a few years in the belief that customers would then have to buy new ones. Then they failed to adjust when the Japanese spotted this obvious failure, developed much better products and took the market away from them.

The management aggressively combated environmental and safety regulations. They also fought unions, outsourced thousands of jobs and fired hard-working Americans for no other reason than improving their bottom line and pocketing the profits. This process, seemingly practiced by most of our corrupt corporations, eliminated the income of many middle class families that were previously able to purchase their products and contributed to the collapse of our economy.

They resisted the development of new technologies that are environmentally friendly because of their ties with oil and tire companies that deliberately developed a dependency on their products through monopolies that enable them to raise prices at will and generate wealth for their ownership without regard for the health of the planet or the lives of future generations of people

It's not as though the auto makers weren't warned of the oncoming demise of their industry. Film producer Michael Moore, a native of Flint, Michigan, initially made his reputation with the documentary Roger and Me, which detailed the industry's problems over 20 years ago. Movies like the animated Who Killed Roger Rabbit? pointed out an early plot by the auto and tire companies to eliminate trolley systems and replace them with freeways. There have been countless examples and warnings of these monopolistic practices over the years.

So, now that we Americans own an automobile manufacturer, the question is what do we do with it? Building more vehicles based on internal combustion engines is definitely not the answer. We should not be bailing GM so it can build more of the same cars and enabling it to continue its failed policies.

The best solution would be to convert our auto factories, in the short term, to build the vehicles required for 21st century transportation. We also need mass transit systems with a focus on alternative energy technologies. And we should employ auto workers who can provide the needed skills to produce them.

For the time being, our factories can build hybrid or all-electric vehicles and batteries while we design and develop new methods of transportation. Let them start the conversion work now with the government's “shovel ready” bailouts. Our auto manufacturing facilities can be retooled in a matter of months and begin producing these vehicles. These same manufacturers demonstrated this ability when they converted to produce airplanes, tanks and other weapons for World War II.

Some of GM's empty factories should be converted to build other products, perhaps windmills, solar panels and other alternative forms of energy. Our government, which is still squandering billions of dollars a month on ill advised wars overseas, should be easily able to fund and employ an eager and skilled workforce to build them.

The next step is to develop light rail mass transit services for all of our large and medium-sized cities. And employ local people to install and operate these systems. Bus systems based on environmentally efficient technologies will be needed for people living in rural areas.

The long-term goal should be to build high speed railways for the country and alternative technologies for personal transportation. Our failure to develop this technology is a national embarrassment. Current plans for a bullet train from the Bay Area to Southern California have been delayed for decades, while Japan is celebrating the 45th anniversary of its first bullet train this year. Korea has a bullet train that goes faster than 300 mph. The technology would enable travelers to go from New York to L.A. in 10 hours!

We also need new transportation technologies. Among the safest and most efficient ways to move large amounts of traffic would be sensor-based freeway traffic systems for private autos. The vehicles employ sensors to track an embedded guidance system that steers the cars in a programmed route – at a set speed --- and a controlled distance.

Drivers can connect with the system and relax, without worrying about traffic while the system safely delivers them to their destination. They can use the time to relax and read, make some phone calls and take care of office work or surf the Internet. When the vehicle is delivered to its exit, the driver takes control of the vehicle and drives off to his destination.

Vehicles can actually travel more safely at faster speeds – without traffic delays – if they move at the same speed. This practice reduces lane changing and eliminates the need to pass other vehicles. It also does away with road hogs and aggressive drivers who rapidly change lanes and weave through traffic, causing the delays. This technology would shorten trip and commute times and handle more vehicle traffic than today's freeways as well.

A more advanced system would deliver vehicles upon request, offering quick, safe and efficient individual and family transportation for the citizens while reducing the demand for private ownership of vehicles. And the costs of parking space as well.

These vehicles could be anything from small single passenger vehicles to limousine-like corporate cars with all levels of styles and services in between. But THEY All MOVE AT THE SAME SPEED and employ the same type of guidance system. Passengers are delivered to a programmed destination while relaxing or taking care of business and when the vehicle reaches his exit, the driver detaches from the system and drives off on our normal roads and highways. To return home he hooks back up to the system and is delivered back to his original address before the vehicle is returned to the system.

If you're thinking that a concept like this isn't a practical fix for our current traffic problems at this time because it will take too long to develop, consider the fact that these and similar technologies were proposed and designed over 40 years ago and haven't been implemented! And could it possibly be worse than what we have?

To salvage the auto manufacturers, these companies need to focus on new transportation technologies and hire their employees to design and build them. The project will employ Americans, provide sensible transportation for future generations of Americans and rebuild our currently deteriorating economy.

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