The Smart Jitney

NewSolutions
Number 12, April 2007

Community, a solution for saving the environment and conserving resources with equity for all.

The Smart Jitney: Rapid, scooters. This represents about 30% of the
approximately 750 million cars in use in the

Realistic Transport world today.
Worldwide, there are 75 million new
CEUs built each year, 20 million as replace-
Plan C, Community Solutions’ response to Peak Oil and climate change, recommends energy ments and 55 million as new additions
conservation alternatives in three categories: buildings, agriculture and transportation. Of the to the world passenger vehicle fleet. The
three, transportation is the easiest category to address, but the solution involves changing our world’s growth in automobile fuel con-
value systems and the way we view the world, rather than relying on high risk technology. sumption for CEUs is about 8% annually.
For many decades, the problems of transportation have revolved around the issue of private
versus public. After World War II the country made transportation via the private car the top
priority at the expense of public transportation. This choice is not sustainable. The private
car, regardless of its convenience, can no longer serve as the principle mode of people
transport. Its high cost, the depleting of fossil fuels, and climate deterioration – along
with high rates of deaths and injuries – make it unacceptable. Our choice today
is to determine what kind of strategy should be adopted to move the basis of
transportation away from the private automobile.
Since Peak Oil could arrive sooner than expected and the depletion rate
could be faster than predicted, prudence requires a backup plan other than
merely changing car technology. A “Smart Jitney” system could be developed
rapidly, and provide for a very sizable (50-75%) reduction of gasoline con-
sumed and greenhouse gases generated by transportation. It could also be the
model for a new and more efficient approach to personal mobility. Ultimately, it
could be vital in keeping our economy going by giving people a way to get to and
from work if there suddenly was not have enough fuel for private cars.

U.S. Transportation Today population, increasing use of fossil
– Defining a Way of Life fuels, decreasing vehicle occupancy, as well
The U.S. transportation system is extremely as great numbers of deaths and massive America’s cars and CEUs generate
complex. The car dominates our economy property damage. 45% of the world’s total generation of
and our way of life. Before we can change In 2006 there were 210 million personal auto-mobile CO2.
to a more sustainable system, it is important vehicles in the U.S. including SUVs, cars, On average, every American buys 13 cars
to understand the effects of the automobile pickups, and other “car equivalent units” or in his/her lifetime.1 Figure 1 shows the total
as well as the major trends – a growing car CEUs, not including motorcycles or motor U.S. transportation fleet except for trains.2
The long life of these vehicles illustrates
Figure 1: U.S. Transportation Fleet the difficulty of replacing them with more
efficient ones, assuming highly efficient
Fleet Number Median Life Cost to replace half the
(years) fleet (in 2003 $) vehicles are available.
Automobiles 130 million 17 $1.3 trillion Heavy trucks are extremely important
Light trucks SUVs, etc. 80 million 16 $1 trillion when considering the transportation of
Heavy Trucks, Buses 7 million 28 $1.5 trillion food and other materials. In addition, the
Aircraft 8,500 22 $0.25 trillion 8,500 aircraft flying at 30,000 feet do more
climate damage than their numbers suggest

NEW SOLUTIONS APRIL 2007, NUMBER 12

because the emissions from burning fuel are
deposited at higher altitudes. Figure 2: Increase in Global Fleet Size and Petroleum Use

Performance Improvements and
Growth Trends
Automobile engine technology improves
at approximately 1.5% annually.3 However,
even this improvement does not necessarily
result in better mileage because at the same
time that fuel efficiency improves, the size
of both vehicles and engines increases,
cancelling out the potential miles-per-
gallon improvement.
For instance, if the current car fleet were
still at 1981 engine size and vehicle weight,
the passenger car would now get 38 mpg
instead of the current 28 mpg. The reason
it hasn’t is because technology improvements
have gone into other attributes demanded Source: World business council for Sustainable Development, International Energy Agency, Sustainability Mobility Project

by the marketplace, such as speed, accelera- These projections assume present trends continue, no new policies are implemented, consumer
tion and size rather than fuel economy. behaviors do not change significantly, and alternative fuels and radical technological innovations
do not significantly penetrate the market. Limits in oil availability are also not considered.
...if the current car fleet were still at
1981 engine size and vehicle weight, the distances traveled far outweigh the mileage Vehicle Occupancy
passenger car would now get 38 mpg improvement from any new kind of engines. U.S. drivers tend to be solitary (see
instead of the current 28 mpg. And, even supposing there were sufficient Figure 3). Typically, American drivers
oil to fuel this growth, the amount of CO2 average about 1.5 persons per car for a trip.
Another reason our petroleum consump- it would generate would increase, rather Vans have only slightly more than two pas-
tion (and with it our CO2 emissions) are than reduce, global warming. Rapidly sengers.5 Averaging all the different kinds
steadily increasing is that the number of cars increasing use while performance improves of vehicles gives an occupancy of about 1.3
and trucks is rapidly growing, not just in the only slowly is neither sustainable nor persons per vehicle; a great quantity of fuel
U.S. but on a worldwide basis (see Figure 2).4 survivable.
This chart, which projects growth based on
current trends, shows the numbers extend- Number of Passengers per Trip for Different Vehicles
Figure 3: Number of Passengers per Trip for Different Vehicle Types
ing to completely unsustainable levels. And
it does not take into consideration Peak Oil. 2.5
When oil production peaks, there will be
a steady yearly decrease in the availability of 2
diesel fuel and gasoline. Those who argue
that basic changes to the transportation 1.5
system are not needed because of improved
car efficiency are not addressing the implica-
tions of going from 750 million cars that
1
get 35 miles per gallon with an average
yearly mileage of 10,000 miles to something 0.5
like 1.3 billion cars (in just 23 years) that
might get 50-70 miles per gallon and drive 0
an average yearly mileage of 15,000 miles. Car Van SUV Pickup Other All
The increase in the number of cars and the Truck

NUMBER 12, APRIL 2007 NEW SOLUTIONS : PAGE 3

is wasted when driving vehicles that could
contain more passengers. Vehicle Occupancy 1977 and 2001 (persons per vehicle)
Figure 4: Change in Occupancy 1977 to 2001(persons per vehicle)
Unfortunately, this tendency to drive 2.5 2.4
alone is increasing, as shown in Figure 4.,6
and is coupled with the increase in auto- 2.1 2.1
2.0
mobile size and weight and longer driving 2 1.9
1.8 1.8
distances. Our own society and the societ- 1.6

Family/personal business

Family/personal business
ies of other countries are risking climate 1.5 1. 3

Social and recreational

Social and recreational
degradation by rapidly expanding our more
1.1
car-intensive way of living.
1

Home to work

Home to work
Car Deaths and Injuries

All purposes

All purposes
Shopping

Shopping
The current car paradigm encourages 0.5
people to take as many car trips as possible.
Such heavy use of cars requires building and 0
maintaining an enormous number of roads, 1977 2001
garages and parking areas. Advertising
that supports the cultural ideal of rugged Instead of improving, the occupancy level of our vehicles has decreased since 1977. Only
individualism encourages driving the largest by increasing this level can we accommodate our need to use less oil and produce fewer
possible cars while we allow our buses and
trains to be unpleasant. Walking and cycling 1.2 million deaths and about 40 million in- injuries are even higher in the Third World
are inconvenient and dangerous, and the juries yearly. In the U.S. about 40,000 people where the infrastructure to support the car
priority is always “don’t delay the car.” die each year in auto-related accidents. paradigm is not as well developed as in the
The cost of the private automobile goes There are hundreds of thousands of U.S. As the car begins to penetrate societ-
beyond financial and environmental con- people injured in auto accidents who never ies such as China and India, we can only
siderations.7 Figure 5 illustrates annual auto fully recover, many condemned to a wheel- expect that pollution, injuries and deaths
deaths and injuries. The world total is about chair for the rest of their lives. Deaths and will increase.

Figure 5: Worldwide Traffic Fatalities and Injuries in 1998

Worldwide there are close to 1.2 million deaths and 40 million injuries each year from traffic accidents and there is a strong correlation between
the wealth of a country and its relative automotive safety.


New Automotive Options number of cars cancels out any mileage ...the electricity used by a pluggable
improvement. hybrid is generating CO2 at the power
It is likely that oil supplies will be virtually
In recent years, proposals have been plant roughly in the same amounts as
exhausted in about 40 years at the cur-
made for what is called a “Pluggable Hybrid generated from the tailpipe of a
rent rate of consumption. Although the
Electric Vehicle (PHEV)” based partially gasoline engine.
internal combustion engine, now into its
on the work of Dr. Andrew Frank at the
second century of use, is being constantly
University of California - Davis. Frank that there is no need to change their behav-
improved, it does not appear to have the
modified several vehicles by adding batteries ior and, of particular concern to automobile
potential to do more than its historical
that allowed them to operate in either a and oil corporations, there is no need to
1.5% per year mileage increase.
gasoline or electric mode. This is proposed reduce consumption by buying smaller cars
Many people hope for some kind of
as a logical and straightforward extension and driving less.
technological breakthrough. The favorite,
of the hybrid concept. However, since the Our current CAFE (Corporate Average
under development for more than 30 years,
electric component of the typical hybrid is Fuel Economy) standards were passed by
is the hydrogen fuel cell car. But after so
essentially a form of extra power for the gas Congress in 1975, just a couple of years
many decades of failed promises, its success
engine under heavy driving loads, it funda- after the beginning of the first energy crisis.
is unlikely. Only a few hundred have been
mentally differs from the classic electric car. We have been in the new energy crisis now
built as experimental models. This may
An electric car requires a much larger for at least five years and Congress has failed
well be one of the longest technological
battery and one which is subject to a much to address the issues, leaving the responsibil-
proposals in history with the least amount
heavier load than is the case with a hybrid. ity for intelligent action to individuals.
of progress. Only the futile efforts for fusion
The fact that a hybrid system successfully
power offer a similarly hopeless effort.
uses batteries in a particular way does not Results of the Private Auto
Electric cars are another hoped-for
option but they too have been around
mean that an electric car (with much larger Paradigm
batteries) combined with a gasoline engine It is difficult to realize how something that
almost as long as the automobile itself, with
can be designed and built quickly. A heavily is so ubiquitous and popular can also be so
only minor improvements. In the 1990s,
promoted modified Toyota Prius could damaging and harmful. Cars have played
under pressure of California law, several
not be driven at a speed above 34 mph on a major role in destroying community, a
auto manufacturers built about 4,000
electricity.8 loosely used term that represents a feeling of
electric cars, most of which have now been
But most important, such a car with home, of family and neighborhood. With
scrapped. The electric car has always been
its heavy dependence on pure battery the private automobile,10 people are now
limited by battery technology and hoped for
operation just shifts where the CO2 is footloose and “free.” We have speed and
breakthroughs have not materialized.
produced, replacing gasoline burned by the mobility but have lost community
A recent development is the successful
engine with electricity generated through relationships. We have chosen the freedom
hybrid car, based on the combination of a
the national power system. Since 50% of of the individual over the integrity and
gasoline engine and an electric drive, both
electricity is generated from coal, 20% from support of the community.
well-researched technologies. Two problems
natural gas, and 20% from uranium, the Our culture includes an idea of freedom
face the hybrid. One is the tendency to use
electricity used by a pluggable hybrid is known as “the freedom of the open road.”
the electric engine for faster acceleration
generating CO2 at the power plant roughly A rite of passage for teens to become men
rather than mileage improvements. The
in the same amounts as is generated from and women is getting a license to drive. The
other is the small numbers being purchased.
the tailpipe of a gasoline engine.9 automobile allows a young person to leave
After 10 years, only about a million hybrids
As the car’s contribution to global warm- their “community,” to experiment with high
had been shipped through 2006, about
ing and the threat of dwindling fossil fuels speed, and, removed from their family, with
one out of every 750 cars in the world.
becomes more obvious, the hyping of new sex and drugs. The automobile is constantly
Possibly in 5-10 years, 1% of the total
auto technology, whether it is the fuel cell being marketed to them. Our culture has
fleet might be hybrids. This does not seem
or a pluggable hybrid, delays what is really accepted this so-called freedom for our
adequate, considering oil may peak in the
needed – cultural change. People assume (as children, ignoring the damage and danger
next five years.
advertising and even our government tell to their well-being.
A hybrid fleet might give a 20-40%
them) that there is no need to modify their The greatest fear of parents is not drugs
overall improvement in gas mileage. But,
habits since the new technology is presum- or pregnancy but death or injury in a
as said before, the increasing growth in the
ably “close at hand.” They are led to believe car accident. And no wonder parents are


concerned – almost every beginning driver Our urban sprawl has no precedent in Peak Oil and Climate
in the U.S. has an accident. Parents don’t history, so the feasibility of a mass transit Change: A New Transport
want their children to be among the 40,000
lives lost each year or the 2 million injuries,
system has yet to be proven – a true mass
transit system for the U.S. today may, in
Paradigm
many permanent and crippling. fact, be impossible. In addition, the energy The world is threatened with the combina-
Because we crave what the car provides, savings of mass transit, in the context of tion of declining fossil fuel resources and
we have accepted the destruction of our implementing such a system in today’s con- a climate that is already severely damaged
communities, the negative impact on family by the products of fossil fuel burning.
life and the deaths and injuries. But now The damage is already so bad that severe
Figure 6: Mass Transit Over-
the private car is threatening to destroy life rated (Btu per passenger mile) restrictions may have to be placed on the
on the planet as climate change becomes consumption of the remaining fossil fuels,
Private Car 3,549
a critical problem. Peak Oil and climate making the need for alternative transport
Light Truck (SUV) 7,004
change are challenging our current transport systems even more important. A new
Bus Transit 4,160
paradigm – without their threat, it is incon- transport paradigm would place the highest
Airplane 3,587
ceivable for Americans to consider that life priority on minimizing the use of fossil
Amtrak Train 2,935
might be worthwhile without a private car. fuels, a priority higher than convenience,
Rail Transit 3,228
speed, or personal “freedom.”
The Role of Mass Transit Mass transit offers only a small improvement At the same time, a new approach could
At first glance, mass transit appears to be a over private vehicles for personal travel, and solve some of the problems of the existing
possible and obvious alternative. European is hardly applicable. system. For example, it could be much safer.
cities are often praised for their superior A new system could protect people from
transit systems. The New York City subway figuration of cities and urban sprawl, may irresponsible drivers – something that is
supposedly offers an alternative to the be highly overrated. Figure 6 shows that not possible today. It could allow parents
private car. But in all the cities with mass existing mass transit systems do not provide to retain control over the safety of their
transit systems, there is still a growing car significant fuel savings.11 It depicts the Btus
population. Streets are becoming more of energy per passenger mile (assuming A new transport paradigm would place
crowded, and far more expenditures are average passenger densities) for each type the highest priority on minimizing the
made on roadways than subways and buses. of transportation. use of fossil fuels, a priority higher
Subways and other forms of mass transit As previously noted, it is not obvious than convenience, speed, or personal
today are only supplemental to the car. that a mass transit system can be imple- “freedom.”
High density is required for mass transit. mented on top of our current sprawl. The
In successful past implementations, resi- mantra of “We need light rail” provides children’s lives a little longer. It could also
dential developments were laid out in dense no evidence that a light rail system would give people precedence over vehicles. Walk-
corridors, typically along a rail or streetcar work. Modeling of this complex system is ing, cycling, and buses could be made more
line. Between those corridors were open required but has not been done to date.
convenient and cars less convenient, revers-
spaces and farms. The ideal configuration That leaves us with the private car as
ing the trend of the last century. This differs
was analogous to a wheel, the hub being the only option. In spite of its numerous
from most of today’s proposed solutions
where people went to work and shopped, benefits, the many conveniences and the
that simply involve combinations of mass
while the spokes represented where they lived. sense of freedom associated with the auto-
transit and the private automobile.
When the private car became popular, mobile, it is unlikely that the concept of the
No viable approach can be a one-for-one
the areas between the spokes were more private car, as we know it today, is viable for
replacement of the current car fleet with
accessible and were eventually filled in. the future. Traffic is worsening all over the
more efficient ones. It would take decades
Food growing was transferred further and world. We can’t continue using a machine
to replace the 210 million vehicles in the
further away from where people lived. This that has been so devastating for the planet.
U.S. with some superior version, even if
led to urban sprawl, making mass transit As energy resources deplete and pollution
more difficult. After some time, there was worsens even a 100 to 200 mpg automobile such a version were already on the drawing
no longer any attempt to build along mass cannot be the main vehicle for billions board. However, it might be possible to
transit lines, so today they have mostly faded of people. convert the existing private car to public use
or disappeared. Another option is needed. for a jitney system.


The Smart Jitney Option degradation, combined with reducing avail-
The Smart Jitney is an intermediate tech- ability of oil, require an option that can be
nology which increases service and reduces implemented rapidly. A jitney system would
energy use with existing vehicles. It could make it possible for people to continue to
provide – anywhere, any time, any place – travel fairly long distances to work, school
pick up and drop off. It is not limited to and for necessities if transportation fuels
tracks, lines or schedules. It could also pro- were no longer available in the quantities
vide a very high level of security and safety. currently being consumed or if the dete-
A jitney is defined as a small bus that riorating climate effects of CO2 emissions
carries passengers over a regular route on a could no longer be tolerated.
flexible schedule. Another definition of a
jitney is an unlicensed taxicab. Basically,
Smart Jitney Benefits Where parking is an issue, parking spaces
a jitney is a form of mass transit using One key benefit of the Smart Jitney would could be reserved for Smart Jitney drivers and
cars and vans, not passenger buses. Jitneys be faster transit time. Commuters sitting their passengers.
typically are not required to travel specific on any freeway in any large American city
routes on a specific schedule as are trains, (most of us) are aware of the stop-and-go reduce the consumption of fossil fuels. This
buses and street cars. They are both ancient traffic at rush hour, averaging only a few would help avoid economic disaster, lower
and contemporary. miles per hour for much of the journey. Use the chances of worldwide wars over fossil
of a Smart Jitney system could eliminate fuel resources and, even more important,
three-fourths of the cars currently on the reduce CO2 emissions. Increasing the
road, and allow much more rapid flow of passengers per vehicle substantially would
traffic. Even the time for stopping to pick provide a very large reduction in such emis-
up and drop off riders would be small rela- sion, helping to eliminate the specter
tive to the time spent in the current conges- of global warming with its potential for
tion. Scientists have developed many kinds massive disasters and loss of life.
of ride optimization algorithms for complex
pickup and deliveries for both people The Smart Jitney could address the

and materials. important task of improving passenger

A second benefit is that the Smart Jitney miles per gallon by changing the
The concept of the Smart Jitney is simple: you
use your car, pass a test, apply a magnetic would use the existing car fleet instead of current car paradigm rather than
sign to your car door and you’re off! requiring all new vehicles. It is important waiting decades to change the car’s
to begin thinking about passenger miles per miles per gallon.
A jitney system could basically increase gallon, not car miles per gallon. Thus an
passenger occupancy from the current 1.5 SUV getting 10 miles per gallon containing The fourth major benefit would be to
persons per trip to 2-4 times that num- six passengers is getting the same passenger eliminate much of the current carnage
ber. An increase of 2-4 times would allow mpg as a Honda Insight with one passenger. which is accepted as part of our ordinary
using one-half to one-fourth the number The Hirsch report2 has pointed out that way of life. Just as we have accepted the
of vehicles to achieve the same number of replacing the current fleet could take 10 to possibility of destruction of planetary life
passenger trips, removing most of the cars 20 years. The high mileage cars that would by nuclear war or climate degradation, we
on the road at any particular time and thus be needed to replace the current fleet are have accepted the huge number of deaths
substantially reducing fuel consumption not yet available and may never be, if one and injuries associated with the private
and CO2 emissions. considers the failed promise of the fuel cell automobile.
A jitney’s advantage is that it could be car and the marginal improvement of the By monitoring driving in real time,
quickly implemented, using the existing hybrid automobile. The Smart Jitney could keeping records of driver performance,
personal vehicle fleet. More and more evi- address the important task of improving enforcing speed limits and other laws via
dence says that the CO2 reduction required passenger miles per gallon by changing the Auto Event Recorders (AERs), lowering
to stabilize the atmosphere may be as current car paradigm rather than waiting speed limits to save gasoline and by many
high as 70-80 %. And the reduction must decades to change the car miles per gallon. other options which would be designed into
begin soon. Non-linear increases in climate The third major benefit is to drastically the system, the Smart Jitney could save tens


of thousands of lives every year. Additional portation modality. Rides would be planned completed (a few seconds of calculation) the
lives could be saved because there would be and scheduled in a similar way to an airline rider would be assigned to a participating
significantly less traffic and the best drivers reservation, except in a more timely, local vehicle. The driver of the vehicle would be
would be at the wheel. and responsive manner. notified and provided the pickup location
An existing technology that would be and time, along with directions.
Smart Jitney Technology incorporated into the Smart Jitney system is The rider would be picked up and
An important advantage of the proposed the Auto Event Recorder The AER is analo- dropped off as requested. After the trip,
Smart Jitney is that the technology needed gous to the flight recorders on airplanes.
for implementation is already available and, AERs already exist on more recently manu-
for the most part, in mass production. The factured automobiles. The National Trans-
vehicles are already available – existing cars. portation Safety Board (NTSB) estimates
Jitneys can be any vehicle, new or old, small that 65 to 90 percent of all vehicles in the
or large but with the minor addition of a United States contain some type of AER.12
cell phone connected to the car. These systems record driving activity that is
Each passenger using the jitney system taking place in real time including vehicle
would have a personal cell phone although speed. This information would provide the
computer access or regular phone access basis for adding a new level of traffic safety
would also be available. Eventually, the cell and could be fully implemented nationally.
phone would include GPS capability as well
as an emergency call button for security. Smart Jitney Process Smart Jitney vehicles and drivers would be
evaluated in much the same way as E-Bay
Whenever the rider feels any sense of danger As previously noted, the Smart Jitney users evaluate sellers.
or threat, punching the emergency call but- system could be accessed by the Internet
ton would automatically transmit informa- or telephone. In either case, a request for the rider would submit an evaluation by
tion to the nearest law enforcement center service would be initiated by the passenger cell phone or web, similar to the evaluation
for assistance. dialing a reservation number using their used by the Internet based company E-Bay.
Initially there would be relatively small cell phone (or the Internet) and entering a E-Bay’s method of evaluating customer
adjustments to the existing vehicle fleet pickup location and a destination loca- satisfaction and publishing the information
and the ubiquitous cell phones currently tion along with desired times for pick up has eliminated many complaints because
dominating communication. Reservation and drop off. A fifth number to be entered people stopped buying from sellers with poor
tracking systems accessed by the rider’s and would be the level of service desired. delivery performance. By having both a
driver’s cell phones (or via the Internet) The Smart Jitney computer would ride evaluation and AERs, driver records of
would need to be developed and installed constantly be monitoring all cars that are long-term performance would be available.
throughout the country. The reservation part of the system, including the number
system would control both the ride manage- of passengers, the destinations and the Levels of Service
ment and bookkeeping of this new trans- vacant seats available. Once the analysis was The easiest and most efficient system would
be one where all riders take whatever ride is
available. It might be difficult for Americans
to share in such a completely democratic
jitney system. Therefore, different levels of
service would be required with at least three
levels provided in the initial system. Other
levels could be developed as the system
evolves.
The first level of service is more or less
random. Only the pickup and destination
locations are entered along with the time of
pickup and preferred time of drop off. The
When Cuba lost access to Soviet oil in the 1990s virtually every vehicle was put into use as a rider would input the data and the system
jitney in an effort to solve their new transportation problem. would inform him or her of the car descrip-


tion and time of pickup. The rider would
accept the random assignment to the most
available vehicle. This level would allow for
the most possible rides and the quickest
service.
The second level of service would allow
a person to input preferences, requesting
rides with certain groups of people. Possibly
the most important would be for women to
be able to request rides with other women.
Men could also request non-coed trips.
Other options would be to limit selection
by requesting certain age groups. Still others
might want to put limits on the playing The Smart Jitney program could also include trucks and other vehicles, for transportation of all
of radios or wish to ride with people who kinds of goods.
will be quiet. Any rider should be allowed
to select the mode that best suits them. passenger. Certain limitations would be rity, safety, and privacy. In general, women
required. For example, teenagers could not are more concerned than men, particularly
The automobile has become far more be jitney drivers. Minimum age limits for with regard to security. Other issues deal
than transportation – it represents the drivers would correspond to the age limits with a feeling of loss, both of private time
good life. However, it might be that it set by insurance and rental car companies, while driving and the loss of the self-esteem
represents a form of addiction. which reflect the very high accident rate of associated with ownership of a vehicle.
young drivers. Americans have been taught to believe vehi-
Of course, if a rider’s preferences were too More rigorous driving tests would be cle ownership says something about who
strict, availability of rides would decline. administered to be qualified as a Jitney they are. The automobile – for them – has
The third level of service would be to driver. People with poor driving records, as become far more than transportation – it
allow scheduling of rides in the future with measured by accidents and traffic citations, represents the good life. However, it might
a specific set of people. For example, a would also be barred from being Smart be that it represents a form of addiction.
group of people with mutual interests who Jitney drivers. People with DWI convic- Increasingly, the private automobile
have a predictable schedule on a regular tions would not be permitted to be drivers has also been responsible for the fears and
basis (such as work or school), would be until some time had elapsed or some type concerns many of our Smart Jitney evalu-
accommodated. This would mean that of re-qualification had been passed. People ators expressed. Its availability certainly
for family outings, all could ride together. with child molestation records could not be makes crime much easier – perpetrators can
Other levels of service would be added as drivers. Existing Smart Jitney drivers could be miles away from the scene of the crime
experience dictates. also lose driving privileges based on poor in minutes. Date rape becomes easier when
driving or the use of intoxicants. Finally, not a man and woman are alone in a vehicle.
The Smart Jitney Driver everyone would want to be a jitney driver. Moreover, the image of the private auto-
The Smart Jitney need not be implemented Drivers would be compensated for mobile, as presented in advertising, is typi-
as a separate business like a taxicab service providing the transportation service, with cally one of power, speed and force. Cars are
or a mass transit business. It is intended to the fee regulated just as mass transportation sold on that basis, with strong emphasis on
be a form of ride-sharing using existing pas- fees currently are. An additional benefit the individual and implied contempt for the
senger vehicles and existing drivers. Anyone for drivers would be greater access to community. The poor record of young male
with a good driving record could serve as a dwindling fossil fuels and more flexibility drivers is possibly based more on driving
jitney driver. in transportation. with a certain machismo image in mind
Overall, the number of people driving than from a lack of driving skill.
should decrease significantly. Although Addressing Concerns – The Smart Jitney could serve as a vehicle
people could still drive and maintain an Security, Safety and Privacy for cultural change as well as a new transporta-
automobile, it is expected that eventu- Evaluators of the Smart Jitney proposal tion modality. But to do so, security, safety
ally most people would accept the role of typically are concerned with issues of secu- and privacy problems must be addressed.


Security With multiple passengers daily provid- cars but eventually replacement vehicles
Security is a term that covers the risk and ing reviews, poor or unsuitable drivers could be designed with a focus on safety.
danger from other people who, for whatever would quickly be identified and their Rather than more electronics for watching
reason, may intend some kind of harm to jitney license taken away. TV in the car or automatically parking the
our persons or psyches. Concerns about vehicle, collision avoidance electronics could
protected from the potential of violent or
personal security are not trivial. Figure 7 be implemented.
bullying passengers.
compares the members of the G-7, the Automobile companies have always
At the completion of each ride, passengers
seven wealthiest countries in the world.13 given priority to speed, styling and image
would be asked to rate their Smart Jitney
It shows that the U.S. has about four times over safety. The failure to set standard
experience, covering such categories as the
the murder rate, 2.5 times the rape rate bumper heights, to provide governors to
condition of the vehicle and the skill and
and 3.3 times the assault rate of the other suitability of the driver. With multiple pas-
six countries. A comparison to Japan alone sengers daily providing reviews, poor or
shows that the U.S. has 8.6 times as many unsuitable drivers would quickly be identi-
murders per capita, 15 times as many rapes fied and their jitney license taken away.
per capita and 22.5 times as many assaults Eventually, selection of top-rated drivers
per capita. could become an option when scheduling
The U.S. is a very dangerous culture a ride. Obnoxious passengers would also be
and its citizens are more violent than the identified by the rating system.
majority of people in the rest of the world.
Women have good reason for concern. But Safety
most American men, although feeling safer Safety in relationship to automobiles
than woman, must also take the necessary refers to the accidents, deaths and injuries A reduction in the number of car wrecks,
precautions for living in a violent country. that come from a myriad of causes includ- deaths and injuries could be one of the best
results of the Smart Jitney system.
“I wouldn’t ride with a man,” many ing auto and traffic equipment, roads, unin-
female reviewers said, stating openly their tentional driver errors and reckless drivers.
maintain speed limits, and to limit perfor-
fear of the violence in our culture. Initially, Initially, to insure vehicle safety, there would
mance and weight to protect slower and
the ability to choose to ride only with other be mandatory inspection of vehicles for
more frugal drivers (including those who
women must be a component of the Smart Smart Jitney licensing. Annual inspections
choose smaller cars) calls for some form of
Jitney system. Additionally, children and would also be required. Passenger reviews
regulation that places the priority on safety
minors must also be protected from bully- would include questions on the apparent
at the expense of marketing features.
ing or other anti-social behavior. Everyone suitability of the vehicle.
If the forty billion dollars a year spent
– men, women and children – must be At first, Smart Jitneys would be existing
on automobile R&D were redirected from
styling changes, then major safety improve-
Figure 7: U.S. and G7 Violence Rates ments could be realized quickly. Further-
more, cars could be designed for longevity
Country Population Murders Rapes Assaults
(millions) per 100 K per 100 K per 100 K and ease of repair, which would contribute
US 300 4.3 30 764 to reduced CO2 emissions by minimizing
Japan 130 0.5 2 34 the amount of embodied energy expended
Germany 82 1.2 9 142 on the automobile fleet.
France 63 1.7 14 176 Traffic equipment and roads must be
UK 62 1.4 14 748 carefully evaluated but are not the main
Italy 60 1.3 4 50 reason for accidents. Driver errors could
Canada 34 1.5 74 718 be dramatically reduced by setting a lower
US/G6 Ratio 3.8 2.5 3.3 speed limit, 50-55 miles per hour, the opti-
US/Japan Ratio 8.6 15.0 22.5 mum speed limit for efficient performance
of the internal combustion engine. Slower
Security is a primary consideration, particularly for women in the U.S. given the high rates of moving vehicles with higher passenger
violence in this country compared to most other G6 nations. density would leave more of our streets


available for bicycles and also reduce the risk Infractions of privacy would be traced find and develop lucrative options outside
of riding them. Irresponsible drivers would back in the ride-sharing system by reviewing the purview and control of major auto
quickly be eliminated by the rating system. records and appropriate responses taken. manufacturers. An effort by a few hundred
Through a shift to ride-sharing, the systems engineers and programmers could
nation could set a high priority on reducing Implementation Strategies lead to this paradigm shift in an amazingly
highway carnage. Legislation and market Implementing a system of this complexity short time.
demand for safe jitney vehicles could force would not be difficult. At least one rental
new safety standards from the automobile car company, Zipcar.com, has an Internet The Smart Jitney – Long
manufacturers. system with some of the features proposed Term Implications
for the Smart Jitney – scheduling with The combination of Peak Oil and Climate
Privacy many options and tracking cars via GPS. Change challenges both the last century’s
Privacy refers to people’s need to main- In the United Kingdom, liftshare.com industrial economy and rapid growth. It
tain the confidentiality of their personal administers a ride-sharing program which is becoming ever more apparent that this
identification including name, employer or matches riders and loads to cars and trucks economy is based on a concept of no
place of residence. Whereas safety refers to around the country, utilizing phone and physical limits.
the damage done by irresponsible drivers Internet connections. Liftshare has more The accepted view is that the world
and passengers, a breach in privacy refers to than 150,000 individuals and businesses will never run out of fossil fuels, or, if it
people intruding in one’s life through inap- as members. And, based in Germany, Mit- does, technology will find replacements.
propriate access to their personal data. fahrzentrale.de offers ride-sharing through- Yet, as the world peak in oil production
In modern times, real privacy is increas- out Europe to its 600,000 members. approaches, no clear replacements are visible,
ingly limited even though we have a sense The technology effort is far less than and many of the alternatives presented are
of it in our private cars and homes. Internet that associated with creating a new video themselves finite, merely delaying the reality
access and phone records, along with other game for teenagers. An 18-month feasibil- of physical limits.
ity model could be done for approximately In terms of climate change, popular
...the Smart Jitney system would utilize
$500,000. Prototype systems could be wisdom and practice have been that the
the same methods of anonymity and made available a year after that with expen- earth and air are adequate depositories for
protection as banks or any other institu- ditures of a few million dollars. This is a toxins from fossil fuel use. These so-called
tion promising confidentiality, with the much lower-risk effort than building fuel “sinks” have been viewed as essentially
same caveat... cell cars or beefing up the national coal- limitless. However, the accelerating increase
intensive power system for battery vehicles. in CO2 emissions worldwide and the rapid
private information, can now be purchased However, there will be enormous resis- melting of polar ice suggest the “sinks” are
by businesses, corporations and government tance to the concept as it will require a para- getting full.
agencies such as the CIA and NSA. Market- digm shift that will include changing the The use of fossil fuels changed the world
ing of people’s personal information is now legal system, the law enforcement system, from one of smaller more local communi-
somehow acceptable, and viewed simply as and all aspects of the transportation system. ties with limited mobility and resources to
a business opportunity. The 2006 Hewlett- Because of this resistance, a grassroots effort one of large urban concentrations with high
Packard scandal on “pretexting” shows how to develop the system may be required. A mobility. Goods and food are shipped from
easy it is for people’s personal information cooperative public development, similar thousands of miles away. High mobility is
to be obtained. to that of the LINUX computer operating based on the private car with its continuous
With people sharing rides with strangers system, may be the best way to achieve early use of significant quantities of gasoline.
on a daily basis, the protection of privacy implementation. The advantages of this way of living are
will be a challenge. The Smart Jitney system All development to date on The Smart becoming more and more questionable.
would utilize the same methods of anonym- Jitney has been put into the public domain, Low energy ways of living will need to
ity and protection as banks or any other as an “open source” approach is desirable. include many changes, such as devolution
institution promising confidentiality, with Hardware changes are minor and, should from concentrated urban centers to smaller
the same caveat – “We cannot absolutely manufacturers with vested interests be communities and local food supplies. Even-
guarantee that your ride sharing informa- reluctant to develop the ideal products, tually a pattern of smaller neighborhoods
tion will not one day be inadvertently existing technology can be adapted. Once and towns with a focus on walking and
revealed or stolen from us.” the system is underway, the market may bicycling will be more the norm. This is not


This is not a return to some previous economic system. Cooperation, a key value References
period in human history. Medical science in other cultures, is viewed as a sign of
1. http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/
and other advances will not be aban- weakness in America. Walking or getting
mi_m3165/is_4_42/ai_n16116806
doned even if we drive less and share in a car with a stranger or riding a bus is
just an unexpected inconvenience in other 2. http://www.mnforsustain.org/oil_
cultures. For Americans, it is seen as a threat peaking_of_world_oil_production_study_
a return to some previous period in human
to who we are. hirsch.htm
history. Medical science and other advances
will not be abandoned even if we drive less What will be the effects of Peak Oil 3. http://energy.senate.gov/public/
and share vehicles. and Climate Change? Will society make index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.
The Smart Jitney may start as a short- a choice to be more competitive or more Testimony&Hearing_ID=1604&Witness_
term emergency solution within the existing cooperative? Or, as happened in the Great ID=4548
infrastructure, since it will allow us to keep Depression, will people simply begin coop-
4. http://www.mindfully.org/Energy/2006/
the same patterns of living. Any inconve- erating and helping each other? Peak Oil
One-Billion-Cars17apr06.htm
nience and discomfort we may experience and Climate Change will be the test case of
people’s reactions – they could be the basis 5. Transportation Energy Data Book, 25th
will be overshadowed by the possibility
for a new way of living or it could become Edition, 2006, page 8-11, Center for
of stopping planetary degradation and its
a dog-eat-dog world. Transportation Analysis, Oak Ridge
threat to basic survival. In the long run, the
We are at the end of the era of the pri- National Laboratory; http://cta.ornl.gov/
Smart Jitney could evolve into some mode
vate car, the ultimate example of American data/index.shtml
of transportation not yet envisioned. It
could help serve the larger physical commu- consumer values and the most destructive 6. Transportation Energy Data Book, 25th
nity in the future as an intra-city mecha- device ever made. The Smart Jitney can Edition, 2006, page 8-12, Center for
nism for longer travel. It’s possible that the replace the car and help restore community. Transportation Analysis, Oak Ridge
evolution from an emergency measure to a Men will have to start behaving well to National Laboratory; http://cta.ornl.gov/
key component of a jitney-based mass tran- women. Society may have to give up pro- data/index.shtml
sit system, within the context of a decentral- fane language in public, like smoking was
7. http://international.fhwa.dot.gov/
ized local way of living, will naturally occur. disallowed in public places. Just as people
ipsafety/ipsafety.pdf
cannot drive when drunk, they will not be
Summary able to ride when drunk. Such social criteria 8. http://www.calcars.org/conversions-
must be imposed even though it is counter factsheet.pdf
Our culture has declined in many ways.
Skills like politeness, good manners, to our so-called freedom, which is often 9. http://www.communitysolution.org/
courtesy and chivalry have atrophied. nothing more than a license to be offensive. pdfs/NS9.pdf, page 9
Misbehaving in public is “cool.” Conversing But if implemented properly, the Smart
Jitney ride could be a real pleasure. 10. Bowling Alone by Robert Putnam,
with strangers used to be an art form and Simon & Schuster; 2001
children were taught such social skills. One Initially the Smart Jitney may be a
of our principle cultural values is competi- traumatic change to the current mode of 11. Transportation Energy Data Book,
tion which is also the key principle of our private cars. But the threat of energy short- 25th Edition, 2006, tables 2-11 and 2-12,
ages, loss of jobs, and life threatening climate Center for Transportation Analysis, Oak
change can provide the motivation for such Ridge National Laboratory; http://cta.ornl.
a system. The concept and design are such gov/data/index.shtml
that long term benefits for the environment 12. http://www.detnews.com/2005/
and society will accrue. Eventually, the per- autosinsider/0510/03/A01-335316.htm
sonal advantages in terms of time, safety
and economics will become apparent 13. http://www.communitysolution.org/
and this transport approach will pdfs/NS7.pdf, page 3
prove to be superior to the exist-
ing private system as it helps
save us from climate disaster.
– Pat Murphy

New Solutions
is published by Resources The Final Energy Crisis. edited by by David W. Orr
Community Service, Inc. Andrew McKillop, April 2005 Your Money or Your Life: Transform-
The Power of Community: How
under its program, The The Long Emergency: Surviving the ing Your Relationship with Money and
Community Solution. Cuba Survived Peak Oil
Community Service, Inc., This fascinating and empowering End of the Oil Age, Climate Change, Achieving Financial Independence by
a non-proﬁt organization, film shows how communities pulled and Other Converging Catastrophes Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin
has been studying and together, created solutions, and ulti- of the Twenty-first Century by James The Small-Mart Revolution: How
promoting small local Howard Kunstler April, 2005
community for more mately thrived in spite of decreased Local Businesses Are Beating the Global
than 60 years. oil imports from the USSR. By The The Collapsing Bubble: Growth And Competition by Michael H. Shuman
Community Solution. Order at www. Fossil Energy by Lindsey Grant, Seven and Bill McKibben
To subscribe to New
Solutions, become a powerofcommunity.org. Locks Press, May, 2005
The Logic of Sufficiency by Thomas
member. Send your tax- Twilight in the Desert: The Com- Princen
deductible contribution
of $25 (or more) to
Peak Oil Books ing Saudi Oil Shock and the World
Radical Simplicity: Small Footprints on
Economy by Matthew Simmons,
Community Service, Inc., The Oil Depletion Protocol: A Plan a Finite Earth by Jim Merkel
P.O. Box 243, Yellow June, 2005
to Avert Oil Wars, Terrorism, and The Conserver Society: Alternatives for
Springs, OH 45387. Your Economic Collapse by Richard The Empty Tank: Oil, Gas, Hot Air,
contributions will help us and the Coming Global Financial Sustainability by Ted Trainer
continue this work.
Heinberg, September 2006
Catastrophe by Jeremy Leggett, The Circle of Simplicity: Return to the
To receive regular The Post-Petroleum Survival Guide Good Life by Cecile Andrews
November, 2005
email communications, and Cookbook: Recipes for Changing
The Small Community, Arthur
send us an email at info@ Times by Albert Bates, October 2006 Other Recommended
communitysolution.org. Morgan, 1942 (available from CSI)
Beyond Oil: The View From Resources
Hubbert’s Peak by Kenneth S. Design on the Edge: The Making The Long Road, Arthur Morgan, 1936
Deffeyes March, 2005 of a High-Performance Building (available from CSI)
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