Even if it works for just highway driving in good weather--which, in spite of overall skepticism about timeframes seems relatively close--it's hard to see how it doesn't put a lot more cars on the roads. I can't believe I'm unique in saying that I'd go into the city after work or head into the mountains for a hike more frequently if someone/something else were driving me.
Operating costs are still a constraint And those are higher than a lot of people assume if they don't really think about it. But easier driving will absolutely put more cars on the road.
Why those durations? I would expect a typical car trip to be faster than transit, since it takes a direct route with no stops.
If transit is even as fast as driving, I'll take it 90% of the time. But that's quite an undertaking.
Compared to buses on the same roads (i.e. without a dedicated lane), sure, but not to subways/light rail.
I am reasonably sure economics will change that.
> Nobody has managed to explain me how self driving cars reduces congestion.
It doesn't, but it allows the work day to begin at commute time. Those that don't adapt will simply have fewer "work hours" to make up the lost productivity.
I suspect the bumpiness of roads will become a public nuisance once people start reading/computing in-car.
I take 15 minutes crammed in a small space with a bunch of strangers over one hour of solitude in a small metal box with windows any day.
Nobody has managed to explain me how self driving cars reduces congestion. It is space that is the limiting factor, and I do not understand how autonomous cars reduce the need for that.
Vice versa, rudimentary economic analysis says that if you do not need to concentrate on driving, you can spend more time in the car, thus sitting in the traffic is not that bad and more people are willing to do that -> more congestion.