LRT way behind

New LRT route into Cambridge would bypass much of Eagle Street — April 28

The LRT is quite possibly one of the most ridiculously-timed projects in the history of the region.

Why are we ripping up roads and spending billions of dollars on antiquated infrastructure when the era of self-driving technology is on the horizon? We can see this technological revolution happening in our very own backyard; development in this field is being carried out in our strong tech sectors throughout Waterloo Region and testing is actively happening in Paris.

Self-driving technology isn’t going to end at personal transportation.

Where I think this technology will inevitably lead us is to self-driving public transportation. Imagine for a moment a legion of buses that self-schedule their routes based on station density and the intended destination of their patrons. Imagine the unparalleled efficiency — a form of public transportation that adapts itself to its patrons in real time to minimize station congestion and ensure efficient travel.

And the truly amazing thing is that there isn’t any reason this can’t exist. Everything I said above is feasible. We’re already solving these types of routing problems in other industries, and selfdriving cars are arguably already here. Companies are pouring a ton of research and resources into making them better.

On top of this, we’ve already tried rails before. In the 1880s, for about 30 years, Cambridge had a tram service through the city. It ended up closing down because a newly opened bus service proved to be the better form of transportation and people stopped using the trams.

Is history going to repeat itself at the massive expense of the taxpayers?

Bobby Szwajkowski

Cambridge