ALL MOBILITY IS DEFINED WITHIN SPACE,TIME AND DISTANCE.

Walking at 2-4mph = 1 mile in nine minutes.

Bicycling at 10-15mph= 1 mile in five minutes.

Bussing (outside of the waiting) = 1 mile in five minutes.

Motoring at variant speeds = 1 mile in three minutes.

Amtrak high-speed “train” average = 1 mile in one and a quarter minutes.

Maglev at 300mph = 1 mile in 12 seconds

Now let’s postulate a mobility future where one can travel with the factors of space, time and distance using Maglev Technology to collapse the present acceptable framework and status quo way of getting around.

Considering that the fastest Thoroughbred horse on track can cover 1 mile in one minute and 32 seconds we should recognize that this is achieved for a single occupancy purpose.

A single occupancy purpose to get somewhere is therefore reliant upon a single choice by the passenger of direction and speed together with the ability to reach someplace within a vehicle of choice in a given time, as long as the path to get there has been provided.

Considering that a six horse Stagecoach carries multiple occupancies together with luggage, we should recognize that this travel choice is achieved with variable speeds and multiple station stops.

A multiple occupancy purpose to get somewhere is again reliant on multiple choices by passengers of direction and speed together with the ability to reach someplace, with the common vehicle of choice, within a variable time, as long as the path to get there is provided. The marked difference in this form of travel is that the choice of embarking and disembarking is radically different for each passenger.

A scheduled transit service is conceptually the same for historic trains such as Amtrak and the proposed future maglev service Transrapid. “On call” service is conceptually unique to Magplane.

Magplane's single 78 passenger vehicles are comparable to the way your local Police department deploys squad cars to specific areas in order to be as close as possible to emergency situations. Magplane vehicles hang around at geographically suitable sideline spurs in anticipation of servicing station calls within a demand time of say five minutes. At least as in calling for taxi service a known waiting time for passengers at a station to gain access to Magplane can not only be forecasted -- but serviced.

Thus Magplane is far superior to the pearls on a string station service of the proposed Transrapid concept. If Transrapid is the chosen high speed ground transportation system technology for “California’s High Speed Rail Corridor” it will make passengers wait for a scheduled train at a specific time from the Bakersfield station. This "train" (multiple cars hitched together) would take local Bakersfield passengers to LA in 47 minutes. This service offered would however only be available four to six times a day! So get to the station on time!

Whereas, if Magplane was chosen for the “California’s High Speed Rail Corridor” one could get from Bakersfield to Delano or Porterville, Fresno or San Jose as well as to the Los Angeles downtown station! Magplane serves multiple stations both nearby and far distant in a “ON CALL” capacity just like a taxi service.

Both Magplane and Transrapid offer similar speeds and technologies. However Magplane serves inter-city and intra-city travelling publics, while Transrapid still serves only inter-city activities---- just like OLD AMTRAK. The major Magplane difference therfor is the offering of an “ON CALL” friendly passenger system service that is far superior to Transrapid’s scheduled times and resultant capacities of service.

A known five minute minimum wait at any station for Magplane far outweighs the possibility of missing Transrapids scheduled train by not getting to the station on time. And having to wait another few hours or come back another day for Transrapids scheduled service is a fatal service flaw.

The vehicle space we use, the time it takes to wait and the duration required to get to stations near and far, together with the distance covered speedily to get there, are important factors to consider in building any new high speed ground transportation technology.

BY Graham Kaye-Eddie – Master Urban Designer.

Makabusi Inc. – Bakersfield – California

Email – makabusi@pacbell.net

Back to the Drawing Board

For those of us who believe in the power of informed planning and inspired architecture, what we saw in the six plans proposed for rebuilding the World Trade Center site was especially disturbing.

Eminent Domain

California The city of Cypress, CA has asked that the Federal Court to stay out of their dispute with the Cottonwood Christian Center on whether the city can use eminent domain to turn the church's land into a Costco. The city wants the issue to be decided under California law. The battle has gained national attention and is viewed as a test case of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000.

Impact Fees

The five-city, two-county Tri-Valley Transportation Council is considering an 80 percent increase in traffic impact fees on new development to help pay for regional road improvements, and home builders are balking

Marine Base Development

Navy officials have made their final decision and will move forward with their plan that calls for developers to create one of the country's largest urban parks at the El Toro Marine base in exchange for the right to build there. Under the plan, the Navy will pay to clean up any remaining hazardous waste from military operations

Air Pollution California

In a move that could change the way cars are designed nationwide, Gov. Gray Davis on (7/22) signed into law legislation that makes California the first state to combat global warming by requiring reduced tailpipe emissions of greenhouse gases.

Washington Monorail

The Elevated Transportation Co. (ETC) finished writing the monorail plan it will put before Seattle voters in November. Voters will be asked to approve a 1.4 percent motor vehicle excise tax increase to build a 14-mile line running from West Seattle through downtown to Ballard. The ETC was created by a citizens initiative in 2000 to develop a final monorail proposal.

Road Rage

Wanted: Volunteer drivers who are prone to being emotional, who weave in and out of traffic and who get impatient behind the steering wheel. The National Institutes of Health recently awarded $100,000 to a team of Tech and Radford University researchers to come up with a device to help reduce road rage. Volunteers will use a green light in their back windows and a switch to signal other drivers

HOW RIDICULOUS!!

PLACES OF CHARACTER

Places with character, history and picturesque streets perfect for strolling are getting scarcer in this land of sprawl, malls and cookie-cutter franchises. This week, the National Trust for Historic Preservation announced its Dozen Distinctive Destinations for 2002 -- U.S. municipalities notable for staying true to their roots, encouraging homegrown businesses and preserving distinctive architecture

MAGLEV -- Sending a New Message And Meeting a Big Need

"Transrapid U.S.A. President J. Christopher Brady says maglev supporters simply want a chance to prove the technology can avoid an Amtrak-like fate and be revenue-sufficient."</a<

Maglev is poised for breakthroughs in China–and U.S.

A Time of Suspense for High-Speed Rail Developments Worldwide.

GREAT ARCHITECTS, GREAT CLIENTS

To create great architecture, you need great clients with a vision."

DEVELOPERS EMBRACE NEW CERTIFIED DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIST DESIGNATION

Architects who expand their skills to include all aspects of the development process find expanded business opportunities.

Downtown, An Exodus That Cash Can't Stop

City and state officials are finding that cheaper rents in Lower Manhattan and millions of dollars in cash grants and tax breaks from the government are not enough to keep large companies downtown.

The reality of the future of down-town is best expressed by a prominent real estate broker who has worked with many of the companies said: "Incentives don't retain people. What retains people is quality of life and transportation. That's why they should stop yakking about office buildings downtown and put the money into infrastructure and residential development."