Changing Times

More and more people are talking about the changes that are occurring in the transportation industry and especially in the personal transportation segment.  Ride sharing in the form of Uber, Lyft and others is spreading and exists currently in Austin.  It is a matter of time until we see them in Georgetown.  These companies ultimately reduce the demand for vehicle ownership.

Another emerging trend is the advent of the driverless vehicle.  It is predicted by many that these autonomous technologies will show up first in long-haul trucks. Several manufacturers are currently experimenting with driverless trucks as the technology matures.  All the auto manufacturers are developing driverless cars and several have been operated, all-be-it with a safety driver, on streets and highways across the country.

These autonomous vehicles are having a tremendous impact on large segments of the US economy.  It is predicted that they will be much safer as computers don't drink and drive or talk and text on a phone.  The reduction in vehicle crashes will negatively impact both insurance companies and auto repair and replacement parts companies. This of course will benefit the consumer.

Coupling the trend of driverless vehicles with ride sharing will likely result in fewer privately owned vehicles.  Driverless vehicles will become available on demand to transport people to the grocery store, medical appointments and entertainment venues.  Again, this benefits the consumer as they will not have to bear all the costs of owning a vehicle, which sets in their garage a large percentage of the time.

These trends are happening very quickly and we are likely to see them in Georgetown in the next few years as the regulatory and legal liability issues are worked out.

The bottom line for the City of Georgetown is that they need to recognize these trends and plan to accommodate them.  That means NO Lone Star Rail!  A fixed rail system is hugely expensive, inflexible and only serves 1-2% of the population.  There is not a single rail system in the United States that is self-supporting.  The driverless cars are likely to be here before the first revenue paying passenger is transported on the rail line.  The citizens of Georgetown's children and grandchildren will end up paying for a rail system over their lifetimes that does not meet their transportation needs.