The Rotao hybrid transportation system is a multi-layer transportation system formed by adding Rotao elevated tracks and ancillary facilities above the original road traffic. The transportation system is called a hybrid transportation system not only because it applies both ground-level and elevated transport, but also because the elevated track can be used by a mixture of buses, commercial vehicles, and private cars.
Urban rail transit and buses include most of the applications of urban public transportation. Urban rail transit includes subways, light rails, monorails, suspended monorails and street cars, etc., which are used on routes with higher ridership. Buses are used on routes with lower ridership. Rail transit usually uses overhead or tunnel methods in areas with high population density and more congested traffic.
The current urban rail transit has the following challenges or shortcomings: (1) The insanely high construction cost of the elevated structures or underground tunnels; (2) the long construction period with impact of surrounding communities; (3) the long station spacing and the long walking distance from the ground to the platform; (4) The excessively high turnout construction difficulty which limits the flexibility of the application; (5) The low friction coefficient between the wheel and the track , which leads to a long acceleration and braking distance, and also limits its use on slopes and use on wet and slippery areas covered by rain and snow.
In summary, no matter the existing rail transit or buses, they have their inherent limitations. The Rotao hybrid public transportation system, as a part of a new generation of the transportation system, can adopt the points of rail transit and buses and avoid their shortcomings. It will become the optimal choice for urban transportation and even intercity transportation in the foreseeable future.
The Rotao hybrid transportation system includes the existing surficial transportation and the elevated track built above it. The speed limit for ground transportation is compliant with the traffic regulations, usually 50-60 kph. The speed limit on the track is 80-90 kph in urban areas and residential areas, 110-120 kph in suburbs and industrial areas, and 140-150 kph in outer suburbs and intercity. These limits are estimated according to the noise impact of the surrounding environment by high-speed traffic. If only based on safety and reliability considerations, the speed may be higher.
The Rotao elevated track has the following main features: (1) The highly modular production and erection mode reduces construction time and cost, and reduces the impact on surrounding communities; (2) powers vehicles on the track and charges the vehicle’s batteries. (3) The elevated track does not affect ground traffic with long girder span and no road width reduction. (4) The optimization of the vertical space can ensure that the elevated track deck is lower, and the urban rail will expand to form a multi-layer rail transit in the future. At the intersection of the two tracks, the upper track can still keep a lower deck height. For other features of Rotao Elevated Track, please refer to the introduction of “Rotao Elevated Track”
In summary, compared to other rail transit systems, the Rotao hybrid transportation system has lower cost, greater ridership, lower construction time, shorter stop spacing, higher average operating speed, stronger resistance to severe weather, and can be used as a charging tool for surficial electric buses. While being used as public transportation, it also provides a series of value-added solutions such as affordable automated logistics, mobile offices, mobile workshops, mobile homes, etc.