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SkyTran affects many parts of the society just as roads and train systems do. Politicians, urban planners, land zoning boards, and existing transportation network policy makers can all contribute to this new architecture. With SkyTran, these public officials will have the opportunity to improve people's lives dramatically by providing solutions to old problems and empowering citizens.
Cost
Because SkyTran offers a significantly lower cost per-passenger-mile than the traditional transportation networks, it appears to be one of those rare virtuous circles: transit districts and local governments can both lower taxes AND raise benefits. In fact, the economic projections for SkyTran predict that in a fully functioning network, the cost per passenger mile will be cheaper than the cheapest means of transporting people today. Crucially, once guideway components and vehicles are in mass production, SkyTran systems can be profitable public-private partnerships that pay their full operating costs from fares, including a profit, instead of requiring tax subsidies. This would free up funds for other priorities, like health care. This can be done at fares that are still low enough to encourage people to use SkyTran instead of less environmentally-friendly transportation (the primary goal that justifies mass-transit subsidies today). This turnaround that will benefit society in many ways.
Health
Public health benefits can be hard to quantify, but we can still identify some clear benefits from switching to SkyTran.
The air will be cleaner as non-polluting electric SkyTran miles replace car and bus miles. The number of people suffering from asthma, COPD, lung cancer and other respiratory diseases will decrease, especially in big cities like Houston or L.A.
Many fewer people will die on the road, because SkyTran should be far safer per-passenger-mile than either cars or buses. Currently, 45,000 people (or about 75% as many Americans killed in the Vietnam War) die in traffic accidents every year. Skytran will change that immediately. As commuters switch from cars to SkyTran, communities will be safer and healthier. Hospital emergency rooms will be less crowded, which means that other critically ill people will be able to receive the care they need instead of having to wait in line behind yet another victim of a bad traffic accident.
Health Insurance will become much cheaper. Health insurance has become one of the biggest costs for businesses and governments today. With better pubic health, though, the costs of health insurance will begin to come down. Once SkyTran enables more people to be productive members of society without owning a car, a "driverless" lifestyle will become much more practical. It seems entirely possible that people who don't own a car would have lower health insurance costs, in the same way that people who don't smoke have lower health insurance costs. If health insurance is less expensive, people who currently can't afford insurance, or who are under-insured, can enjoy full coverage. Thus, SkyTran will improve people's lives while saving them, and the government, even more money.
We will need fewer roads and less maintenance on existing roads. If we shift a large percentage of travel to SkyTran, the need for roads will not disappear, but roads will be increasingly used by large freight vehicles instead of by passenger vehincles. SkyTran's economic efficiency (it can pay for itself via fares) will save people and governments many billions of dollars every year. This economic efficiency can also reduce the temptation of pork barrel politics exemplified by projects such as 'The Bridge To Nowhere" in Alaska and 'The Big Dig" in Massachusetts (a project originally slated for $2 Billion that ended up costing $15 Billion, with at least $1 Billion in corruption documented by the Boston Globe). This will help governments focus on the priorities people want them to focus on, which will help restore America's faith in government. And that is priceless.
Cost
Because SkyTran offers a significantly lower cost per-passenger-mile than the traditional transportation networks, it appears to be one of those rare virtuous circles: transit districts and local governments can both lower taxes AND raise benefits. In fact, the economic projections for SkyTran predict that in a fully functioning network, the cost per passenger mile will be cheaper than the cheapest means of transporting people today. Crucially, once guideway components and vehicles are in mass production, SkyTran systems can be profitable public-private partnerships that pay their full operating costs from fares, including a profit, instead of requiring tax subsidies. This would free up funds for other priorities, like health care. This can be done at fares that are still low enough to encourage people to use SkyTran instead of less environmentally-friendly transportation (the primary goal that justifies mass-transit subsidies today). This turnaround that will benefit society in many ways.
Health
Public health benefits can be hard to quantify, but we can still identify some clear benefits from switching to SkyTran.
The air will be cleaner as non-polluting electric SkyTran miles replace car and bus miles. The number of people suffering from asthma, COPD, lung cancer and other respiratory diseases will decrease, especially in big cities like Houston or L.A.
Many fewer people will die on the road, because SkyTran should be far safer per-passenger-mile than either cars or buses. Currently, 45,000 people (or about 75% as many Americans killed in the Vietnam War) die in traffic accidents every year. Skytran will change that immediately. As commuters switch from cars to SkyTran, communities will be safer and healthier. Hospital emergency rooms will be less crowded, which means that other critically ill people will be able to receive the care they need instead of having to wait in line behind yet another victim of a bad traffic accident.
Health Insurance will become much cheaper. Health insurance has become one of the biggest costs for businesses and governments today. With better pubic health, though, the costs of health insurance will begin to come down. Once SkyTran enables more people to be productive members of society without owning a car, a "driverless" lifestyle will become much more practical. It seems entirely possible that people who don't own a car would have lower health insurance costs, in the same way that people who don't smoke have lower health insurance costs. If health insurance is less expensive, people who currently can't afford insurance, or who are under-insured, can enjoy full coverage. Thus, SkyTran will improve people's lives while saving them, and the government, even more money.
We will need fewer roads and less maintenance on existing roads. If we shift a large percentage of travel to SkyTran, the need for roads will not disappear, but roads will be increasingly used by large freight vehicles instead of by passenger vehincles. SkyTran's economic efficiency (it can pay for itself via fares) will save people and governments many billions of dollars every year. This economic efficiency can also reduce the temptation of pork barrel politics exemplified by projects such as 'The Bridge To Nowhere" in Alaska and 'The Big Dig" in Massachusetts (a project originally slated for $2 Billion that ended up costing $15 Billion, with at least $1 Billion in corruption documented by the Boston Globe). This will help governments focus on the priorities people want them to focus on, which will help restore America's faith in government. And that is priceless.