The next mobility adventure
Doe, John.
Abstract:
We are conquering, at an ever increasing rate, an epochal revolution on the whole territorial mobility system of people and things:
- the abandonment of propulsion systems based on fossil fuels is a sure thing, being in favour of renewable energy, making traffic no longer "a pollutant", but almost silent and discreet, compatible with the environment that it is often segregated from (with artificial barriers and tunnels);
- the automatic driving of private transport vehicles will make the journey an experience as “relaxing” and safe as public transport, thus reducing the safety devices on the side of roadways, promoting forms of "street" cohabitation;
- the use of drones for small postal deliveries will greatly reduce ground traffic which is becoming more and more congested due to the increase of e-commerce. They will also be interfaced with the automatic driving of private vehicles (auto-delivery).
Motorway service stations will need to take on different roles, offering a wider range of services and assistance (show-rooms and vehicle maintenance-repair workshops):
- these areas, that are widespread throughout the territory, will become hubs to carry out the interchange between the sorting using heavy-duty vehicles, and the final delivery with drones or autonomous cars sent as "messengers".
In this scenario, the motorway service stations will become more similar to airports and inland ports, exchangers serving not only travelers but also and above all portions of metropolitan areas, small cities and territorial areas of influence, establishing a relevance “holding” system.
Keywords: mobility; vianility; delivery; traffic; service station; smart city;