Drivers need to be better about seeing cyclists and sharing the road, and vice versa. This is undeniable. The Tunnel Taxi, however, is not the solution to this problem.
I mean, the thought is certainly there, isn’t? By giving cyclists a “path” through the taxi cab, this design allows them to stay in their lane and not go weaving in and out of traffic. And, having seen New York City cyclists firsthand, I have no doubt many of the more experienced and crazy of their number would have no problem zipping through the Tunnel Taxi and out the other side!
It’s the slower, stupider cyclists I worry about, of which there are also many. The “injury or death” warning signs would be lost on them, I’m afraid—although the people in the cab would certainly get quite the show now, wouldn’t they?
Beyond the Tunnel Taxi there are other far more mundane future taxi cab designs over at the New York Times. [NYT via Neatorama]
Carpool
Monday, January 17, 2011 at 9:26 PMAwesome. I was always looking for a way to combine bike riding with carpooling… and here it is! Take “tunnel taxi” add handles and seatbelts inside. Voila. Biker rides in, attaches self, and then rests feet off pedals and enjoys the ride!
If this takes off I promise to add a “cyclist” passenger option to http://www.jayride.com.au ;)
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Tuesday, January 18, 2011 at 9:43 PMCyclist enters taxi-tunnel, going straight ahead.
Meanwhile, taxi indicates to turn…
SPLAT!