Creating Equitable Transportation with Breakthrough Transit Innovation
Current transportation is inequitable, unsustainable, and relatively unsafe. On a global scale, transportation is the:
- Largest single source of carbon, emitting 5.8 gigatons of GHG annually
- significant barrier to disadvantaged communities
- #1 cause of death for people 5 to 29 years old
Transit should be the solution but it's not working because it is prohibitively expensive and takes decades implement. Swift Rails is emission free, installs in months with minimal disruption or environmental impact. Elevated 12-15ft, we're above the congestion and extraordinarily safe. We are exceptionally affordable to construct, and fare revenue will exceed operational expenses allowing for long-term operations. Our system completely changes the transit cost equation. Our impact will be measured in dramatically reduced GHG emissions, accidents and access to clean, affordable transit. This solution can be widely scaled within New York and around the country.
A 2012 profile from the Office of the NYS Comptroller stated Niagara Falls "struggled through decades of population losses, rising crime and repeated attempts to reinvent itself from a manufacturing town with some tourism to a major tourist destination". Without more transportation capacity, growing tourism is not feasible.
Swift Rails will substantially increase critical transportation capacity by a magnitude simply not possible with conventional means. Our rails are only 28" wide, supported by 12" diameter posts. We use 400 ft2 per mile vs. 161,000 ft2 for each road lane. Light-rail transit would cost billions, ruin the natural scenery, and there is not enough available space. More buses would cause more gridlock.
As mentioned, we have met with most major community stakeholders, all of whom support our solution for the reasons stated above. Further, our partner, Niagara River Greenway Commission (NRGC), oversees the biking/trails corridor which means very limited permitting or right-of-way (ROW) hurdles exist for over 80% of our proposed route.
Our system is simple to construct. Within 3 years, we will substantially improve the desirability of Niagara Falls as a tourist destination, people will stay longer because there will be more to do and see.
In addition to vaulting Niagara Falls into a true major tourist destination, stimulating substantial job creation and creating a thriving economy and highly desirable place to visit, work and live, our system will transfer substantial amounts of car and bus traffic to zero emission electric vehicles, reducing air and noise pollution, traffic congestion, parking demand and decrease accidents.