# Will SkyTran be successful **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 26, 2018, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-skytran-be-successful/821946 "2018-09-26T12:38:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![erictan1999](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c57346/32.png) [@erictan1999](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erictan1999)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2018, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-skytran-be-successful/821946/1 "2018-09-26T12:38:51Z")
Hey guys 🙂 I am just wondering whether if SkyTran or personal rapid transit will be successful in large cities like New York or Tokyo. ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2018, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-skytran-be-successful/821946/2 "2018-09-26T13:56:55Z")
I’ve found that in general predicting the future is an inexact science. We were supposed to have flying cars by now, remember? ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2018, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-skytran-be-successful/821946/3 "2018-09-26T15:05:17Z")
No. Everything about it is idiotic. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2018, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-skytran-be-successful/821946/4 "2018-09-26T15:35:04Z")
I shall endeavor to seek out this new form of transit whilst my [autogyro](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWQrXLIuQEo) undergoes routine maintenance. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2018, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-skytran-be-successful/821946/5 "2018-09-26T16:01:27Z")
I’ve heard of somewhat similar systems set up in Brockway, Ogdenville, and North Haverbrook. ---
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2018, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-skytran-be-successful/821946/6 "2018-09-26T16:22:46Z")
I’m skeptical, but mostly from an economic standpoint. I think technically these things can be done, but economically, they don’t provide enough value to justify their long term success. People really won’t want to spend the money necessary for the benefit they receive from it. Now maybe a scaled down version or “test track” or subsidized system will be around for a while, but ultimately it will not be able to make a long term profit. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2018, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-skytran-be-successful/821946/7 "2018-09-26T16:31:42Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > I’ve heard of somewhat similar systems set up in Brockway, Ogdenville, and North Haverbrook. Tran = Transport Sky = Sky ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2018, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-skytran-be-successful/821946/8 "2018-09-26T16:48:44Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > Tran = Transport > Sky = Sky You might find [this](http://lmgtfy.com/?q=Skytran) link useful. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2018, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-skytran-be-successful/821946/9 "2018-09-26T17:09:18Z")
Looks like [a city in Israel is setting up a 600 meter track of this](https://www.israel21c.org/mag-lev-smart-overhead-transport-system-coming-to-netanya/). At 300 kph, the commute will be 7 seconds. (In-flight Vine video provided. First up, cat seeing cucumber.) ---
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2018, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-skytran-be-successful/821946/10 "2018-09-26T18:02:12Z")
There are two parts in transit systems: 1. Moving people 2. To where they want to go. This system seems to make part 1 a snap, but part 2 very difficult and expensive. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_the\_Turtle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_the_turtle/32/2926_2.png) [@Fear\_the\_Turtle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_the_Turtle)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2018, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-skytran-be-successful/821946/11 "2018-09-26T19:22:29Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > I’ve heard of somewhat similar systems set up in Brockway, Ogdenville, and North Haverbrook. and by gum, it put them on the map! ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2018, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-skytran-be-successful/821946/12 "2018-09-26T19:43:16Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > You might find [this](http://lmgtfy.com/?q=Skytran) link useful. You might find [this](http://i.imgur.com/XKX3t2O.png) link useful. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2018, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-skytran-be-successful/821946/13 "2018-09-26T19:56:27Z")
You know, a town with money’s a little like the mule with a spinning wheel. No one knows how he got it, and danged if he knows how to use it ---
**Author:** ![Disheavel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@Disheavel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disheavel)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2018, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-skytran-be-successful/821946/14 "2018-09-26T20:47:21Z")
It looks a tremendous amount like Schweeb, which Google invested in back in ~2010, except Schweeb used human power (bicycles) to run the system. With regard to SkyTran, no it will not be successful. Schweeb could be in specific circumstances due to lower infrastructure and building needs. I think for any transportation need, try to think of two locations you need to connect and why would SkyTran be better. Seattle, for instance, has three major hubs for current bike riders and many bus riders take that could be easily connected via 2-3 mile Schweeb tracks. [Schweeb movies](https://www.citylab.com/transportation/2012/03/whatever-happened-shweeb/1612/) if you scroll down you can see their concept and their still working demo track in New Zealand. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2018, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-skytran-be-successful/821946/15 "2018-09-26T21:50:46Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > You might find [this](http://i.imgur.com/XKX3t2O.png) link useful. You might find [this](https://joejmedler.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/5751534-mea-culpa-stock-photo.jpg) link useful.