Cities Worldwide Are Reimagining Their Relationship With Cars https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/11/14/climate/car-ban-air-pollution.html

I’m a big fan of where the energy and policy innovation is going here, BUT I’ve also observed for over 5 years that there are basic limits to how any mobility system can grow.

The axiom is basically this:

Trees do not grow from their leaves backwards.

Specifically, the kinds of new mobility connectors being toyed with (pun intended) will not achieve operational prominence or acceptance until they extend value from the current mobility networks.

This frustrates many to hear, I know, but history is filled with false starts for the reasons I suggest. We must bridge our technology solutions from what works today.

If rotorcraft is to become the 5th R (the first four being roads, rivers, railways, and runways), it will do so building from what exists and is productive.

Without question, we need to support the underlying technology development, but we must also support the underlying logistics, safety, and other infrastructure as this important technology matures.

It is not mature yet.

https://hover.vtol.org/communities/community-home/digestviewer/viewthread?MessageKey=e5486ef9-4958-4aae-8465-1885faa3b0cf&CommunityKey=96e59f2d-a277-48ef-828c-3c3b146e5912&tab=digestviewer#bme5486ef9-4958-4aae-8465-1885faa3b0cf

Skyportz is focused on providing a network of landing sites over the next five years so that when we have eVTOLs certified to fly commercially they will have somewhere to land.

Source: Why Property is the Missing Piece of the ‘Flying Car’ Puzzle

[Comments: 1. “experts say” is never a good way to represent sources. 2. Noise has yet to be addressed. 3. After 737 MAX, the FAA is going to be MUCH more cautious. 4. The first UAM air connectors already exist and operate under current FAA regulations. Ed.]

https://www.kqed.org/news/11759453/how-nasa-ames-is-helping-the-faa-brace-for-the-rise-of-delivery-drones

[Planned corridors for noise, safety, traffic control, etc., are essential to success in UAM, just as having defined nodes in an area where such systems can land and takeoff.  These routing networks and the land nodes are a key infrastructure system needing development in parallel with the air vehicle technology. ed.]

RAI Amsterdam, Johan Cruijff ArenA and the municipality of Amsterdam will jointly explore the added value and feasibility of a drone hub corridor.

Source: Urban Air Mobility: Amsterdam Considers Drone Hub Corridor – DRONELIFE

Let’s explore a new form of connectivity for rural communities.

Source: In addition to urban air mobility, why not rural air mobility? | TechCrunch

Not so fast…The answer is because the economics of all other modes of transportation overwhelm UAM, i.e., UAM is WAY MORE expensive, except when time or access matters, neither of which is a challenge in rural areas.

The “Global Urban Air Mobility Market Analysis & Trends – Industry Forecast to 2027” report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com’s offering.

Source: Global Urban Air Mobility Market Study 2019 with Analyses & Forecasts Through 2015-2027 – ResearchAndMarkets.com

https://medium.com/@UberPubPolicy/fast-forwarding-to-a-future-of-on-demand-urban-air-transportation-f6ad36950ffa#.z7p6mv7v7