An entrepreneur who has connected with the Rock-dale Municipal Development District (MDD) was in town Monday, discussing his plans to make the area a center for a cutting-edge, ultra high-speed transit system.
Curt Crider of Mobile, Alabama, made a presentation to the Rockdale Municipal Development District (MDD) and also set up a prototype demonstration of his technology at Coffield Regional Airport.
He foresees Rockdale as the manufacturing center for his plan to implement a system for transporting people, freight and even vehicles at high speeds between major cities.
Crider foresees the possibility of creating a number of jobs in Rockdale and Milam County.
PODS—“Rockdale is the perfect place,” Crider told The Reporter. “It’s right in the center of Texas’ largest metropolitan areas.”
Crider said he became aware of Rockdale, and its MDD, because of Milam County’s attempt to lure Amazon to locate its second headquarters to the county.
He got in touch with MDD Executive Director Kara Clo-re. “We’ve been working with ‘Project Open Road’ for several months,” Clore said. Monday was its public debut.
Crider said his design is similar to the “Hyperloop” proposed by high-tech entrepreneur Elon Musk.
The Hyperloop concept, first proposed in 2012, envisions pods traveling in pressurized capsules.
Crider says his revision, Advanced Rapid Transit System (ARTS) is better, incorporates more advanced technology and aluminum wheels.
“It essentially provides a ‘tailwind’,” he said. “And the aluminum wheels reduce resistance.”
HIGH SPEED—Its features/goals include 600-miles-per hour express and local forced air transport of freight and passengers along with 250-miles-per-hour express and local fully-automated vehicles and a 250-mile-per-hour automated car trollies for non-automated trucks and cars.
It would be designed to rapidly integrate into the current network by supplying roadways dedicated to the new vehicles, increasing rates of travel and decreasing the financial cost of transportation and the human cost of highway accidents.”
Crider told the MDD board the concept would enable travelers to safely, and at speeds almost comparable to flight, take their vehicles with them between cities rather than flying and renting a car.
He told The Reporter there would pods for passengers, vehicles and freight similar to the “Chunnel” train which links the United Kingdom and France under the English Channel.
Crider said at present he has financed the project on his own but is looking for investors.
The MDD board did not take any action nor did Crider make any specific request on Monday.
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