As I write this, Columbus has just lost out to Philadelphia to host the 2016 Democratic National Convention. One of the factors in our failed bid, it would seem, was our lack of a suitable public transportation infrastructure. This loss will no doubt revive and accelerate debates about public transportation in Columbus. Indeed, Mayor Coleman’s final State of the City address calls yet again for Columbus to develop light rail.
Such calls go back at least half a century. The October 1962 issue of Columbus Dispatch magazine asked civic leaders to imagine the future of the city in 30 years (1992). An architectural sketch printed in that issue showed that even then the city’s future seemed destined to have light rail (there was a monorail substation depicted). While there would still be vehicular traffic — moved along double-decker streets—Columbus’ service director predicted that express busses and a monorail would connect the downtown with giant parking lots at expressway interchanges.
And yet, Columbus still lacks a monorail, light rail, or (outside of COTA) a robust public transportation infrastructure. Despite predictions and future visions to the contrary, Columbus remains wedded to the automobile, and as a result our infrastructure steadfastly remains designed for automobile traffic. Why has Columbus proven so resistant to mass public transportation?
People like the privacy that individual automobiles afford, and like that cars are “always on” in that automobile drivers can access their car whenever they wish (rather than waiting at a designated place for a scheduled stop). Michael McDaniel & Jared Ficklin delivered a TEDxAustin talk where they imagined Austin criss-crossed by an “urban cable” system they call “The Wire.” Like an elaborate ski-lift system, a car — like one I would ride at the State Fair — would arrive every few minutes at designated stops. It would be a public transportation system with the privacy people desire.
So here’s an alternative future of transportation in Columbus: Columbus becomes the first all-driverless city. Imagine an enormous fleet of Google driverless cars that would roam the city seeking to serve passengers. It would be very much like Car2Go, except these cars would arrive at your destination when you summon them; instead of me going somewhere to meet the car, I could via my mobile device call for a car to meet me at my location. Perhaps the system is already monitoring my location, and cars have been routed to hover around me in anticipation of my needing a car. Such a system of driverless cars would be “public” in that no one owns the car, “always on” in that they could be accessed with relative ease, but also “private,” allowing riders to cocoon in the vehicle. Such a system would combine elements of private automobile ownership and public transportation, and would do so upon an existing automobile-based infrastructure.
Our history shows that Americans will not voluntarily engage in massive change. Circumstances — sometimes dire circumstances — will compel such change (as when gas prices skyrocketed in the early 1970s: only then did Americans begin to demand smaller, more fuel efficient cars). With gas prices at ten-year lows, that external push for alternative transportation will be muted. But a public transportation system based on a fleet of driverless cars — cars powered by electricity or some other renewable, carbon-neutral form — would mean Columbus would develop a unique 21st century public transportation system.
Maybe a system of driverless cars would finally lure political party conventions to the city?
David Staley is president of Columbus Futurists (columbusfuturists.org & facebook.com/ColumbusFuturists) and a professor of history and design at The Ohio State University. You have also seen him co-hosting TEDxColumbus.
The next Columbus Futurists monthly forum will be Thursday March 26 at 6:30 PM at the Panera Bread community room (875 Bethel Road). Our topic for the evening will be “Future Trends in Terrorism.” Our guest for the evening will be Jeffrey Lewis, author of The Business of Martyrdom: A History of Suicide Bombing.