[Grant-53]

Definitely want to see more high speed rail (150+mph) to take the congestion out of the air traffic system for trips up to 1200 miles or eight hours of travel. It would be easier to roll on/roll off a flatcar with your personal vehicle than tote the extra steel wheels on a small car. This would minimize the problem of limited range for an all electric car. There was a train that used to do that between NY and Florida. Passengers could ride, sleep, and move about in the rail cars as it was a 1300 mile, three day trip. I don't see tours buses going hybrid any time soon since they operate mostly at constant highway speeds. Buses that make frequent stops may well adopt the hydraulic accumulator system that UPS is testing on its delivery vans. All buses need to be more streamlined. I expect to see more hybrid cars, light diesel trucks, and electric bicycles. Those under 25 yr and the elderly are particularly drawn to low speed (20 mph) electric bikes or scooters. Rail and bus companies, I imagine, are more inclined to take electric bikes onboard than gas powered ones for safety reasons.
Conserving energy is important even when using renewable sources. So far our tranportation systems have been based on convenience as much as cost. Now we are looking for more integrated systems. Regional rail lines with stops in the airport terminal itself as in Philadelphia eliminate going to a parking lot outside. People like choices and like to pass, so based on the psychology of drivers, single tracks for private vehicles may not be very popular. In contrast, trollies are popular where available. In rural areas putting a diesel/electric 15 seat van on rails may work well. Wind and solar may be free but there are costs to collecting it and distributing it. In urban or built up areas real estate is priced by the square foot; in the country it is priced by the acre. This a key cost in any transportation system.