After a successful career managing the development of computer systems for major US corporations. I am now enjoying retirement studying and thinking about society's fundamental problems: the environment, climate change, and transportation in future high-rise cities.
I am concerned that the focus on electric cars is ignoring the wasteful sprawl, ever-worsening traffic congestion, demand for more roads and bridges, and the environmental impact of building and maintaining more and more heavy infrastructure.
I think a better answer to the urban transportation problem is an advanced form of cable transportation: Individual vehicles traveling on cables above the city. I believe:
People will want to use the system because it is faster, safer, and less expensive than owning and driving a car.
Lightweight vehicles will use much less electricity than electric cars.
The cables and towers will be much less expensive to build and maintain than roads and intersections.
We can use more of our cities' surface area for pedestrians, bicycles, shade trees, etc.
