> I can't help but think about how much this would alleviate traffic congestion
Especially given that I do not see how self driving cars could decrease traffic congestion problems. A self driving car takes as much space as a "regular car", so only ways I can imagine autonomous cars reducing traffic are:
1. People ride less with cars.
2. People share rides more.
3. Autonomous cars are significantly more efficient finding free parking spaces, so they reduce the amount of cars looking for a free parking spot.
4. They do not need to be parked, so parking space is given to moving cars (and this actually helps, not increases, congestion).
5. Autonomous cars can drive in less space and/or are smaller.
Of course, any of these claims being wrong attribute to increased congestion due to autonomous cars. And to be honest, I find it unlikely that any of those claims would be correct in the sense that it would materially reduce the congestion problems.
(Well, maybe one more option came to my mind that might actually help. If the autonomous cars would be able to increase the capacity of crossroads by somehow communicating with each others like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pbAI40dK0A )
> (Well, maybe one more option came to my mind that might actually help. If the autonomous cars would be able to increase the capacity of crossroads by somehow communicating with each others like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pbAI40dK0A )
How do cyclists and people walking handle that type of intersection?
Most trips during high traffic are single passenger. Self-driving taxi services will right-size the vehicles for the task, which will reduce congestion some amount, and the vehicles themselves will drive in a more uniform fashion than humans, which will alleviate traffic waves and congestion due to accidents.
I have difficulties seeing people who now drive 5 series BMW to change to self-driving Renault Twizy[1] just because a self-driving taxi service decides the it is big enough.
And there is a limit how far uniform driving helps. If the capacity is full, it is full.
Why? The experience of not driving or looking for parking at all and doing absolutely anything else while you are transported is significantly better than driving a BMW. That's why the really rich people have chauffeurs. There will likely be taxi services that cater to the elite with better interiors, just like there are private plane services that cater to them. The vast majority of people driving mere 5-series BMWs will be happier with merely slightly upscale right-sized taxi services.
They will then have to find a place to park the car, handle maintenance, etc. The cost premium of offering luxury vs. no luxury is in line with the cost premium of owning a 5 series vs. owning a Toyota. The premium of owning a car vs. not owning a car is not.
Especially given that I do not see how self driving cars could decrease traffic congestion problems. A self driving car takes as much space as a "regular car", so only ways I can imagine autonomous cars reducing traffic are:
1. People ride less with cars. 2. People share rides more. 3. Autonomous cars are significantly more efficient finding free parking spaces, so they reduce the amount of cars looking for a free parking spot. 4. They do not need to be parked, so parking space is given to moving cars (and this actually helps, not increases, congestion). 5. Autonomous cars can drive in less space and/or are smaller.
Of course, any of these claims being wrong attribute to increased congestion due to autonomous cars. And to be honest, I find it unlikely that any of those claims would be correct in the sense that it would materially reduce the congestion problems.
(Well, maybe one more option came to my mind that might actually help. If the autonomous cars would be able to increase the capacity of crossroads by somehow communicating with each others like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pbAI40dK0A )