The world has the most effective transport system that offers extraordinary mobility to a large proportion of Americans. However, this mobility needs to be extended to those that do not enjoy it without unduly increasing congestion, pollution, or energy consumption. The advent of new telecommunications services, such as videotax, will provide transportation agencies with new technology. In addition to increasing the mobility of all citizens, including the elderly and handicapped, a community videotax system can provide residents with a variety new recreational, educational and employment opportunities. Most of the costs of installing a community videotax system will be paid by advertisers and local businesses. This paper describes videotax, the Auto-Ride parataxis concept, and how it can complement andsupplement conventional transit, paratransit and ridesharing services. Itpresents the major findings of a study conducted for the State of Hawaii,using Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) funding to analyze the potential of videotext to reduce a variety of transportation energy and environmental problems. The State of Hawaii is organizing a public-private partnership to test the Auto-Ride concept in a community of approximately twenty-five thousand residents.
Abstract