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Vision
Two businessmen arrive
at a suburban FasTran terminal. Travelers arrive by "shared van", personal electric transport devices, bicycles,
walking and jogging.For the users of bicycle and personal electric transport
devices, this transit authority uses FasTran’s 21' super wide cabin to board riders with their bikes and electric
devices. This closes their "last travel mile" from terminal to destination. Looking north, a sleek, wide-bodied vehicle is nearing the terminal. The appearance of the
vehicle is futuristic. FasTran's frequent schedule is measured in minutes during rush hours and worry to
catch a "specific train" at a "specific time" is not a concern for these commuters. The two businessmen
enter the vehicle by one of two wide entry doors on the right side, while exiting passengers leave using the two wide doors
on the left side. This dedicated flow pattern creates orderly, non-hassle, entry and exit. The two passengers are now in the
super-wide vehicle that is equivalent to the interior cabin width of a B-747 aircraft. They walk on 1 of
2 entry/exit aisles that bisect the cabin from the right to left. From the cabin's front to the rear are 3
wide aisles. Each seat is entered/exited directly from/to an aisle (no climbing over another passenger
to reach your seat). All seats are wide with premium comfort. Direct lighting highlights
the passenger's seat area and indirect lightning provides a soft, aesthetic background. The doors close. The vehicle rapidly gains speed. One of the commuters scans the TV monitors located near the
ceiling of the cabin. On one the news; the second, financial returns; and the third, provides general entertainment (closed
caption). The other commuter opens his PDA and accesses the internet via the vehicle's WiFi. He looks up
briefly to see the digital reader...72,73,74,75 MPH, he mentally notes, cruise speed. Outside, the vehicle is traveling 25'
above bumper to bumper freeway traffic in its "can't be missed" multi-colored advertising wrap (premium advertising
income for the transit agency). The vehicle appears to be flying as a large portion of the vehicle's cabin "flies"
away from the guideway in the "free air space". On the left side of the vehicle, the rider notices an InterCity HRS vehicle rapidly gaining speed as it banks into
the right turn and follows the guideway to cities south. The Urban and the InterCity HSR share the same
technology and the same guideway. By design, the two most significant sensations commuters of both systems
notice are wide-comfort seats, quiet (low noise levels within the cabin) and absence of side-to-side roll experienced on other
transit types.
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