The best way to describe JPods, a new form of public transit soon to be tested in New Jersey, is “something out of the Jetsons.” At least that’s how one city official described the solar-powered pods, which are a combination of light rail and self-driving car suspended above roads. Imagine something like a ski lift running above our existing streets and you’re getting close to the right mental image.
But there’s one sticking point: The JPods are a private transit system. Will investors be willing to fund a network of pods that compete with light rail, buses, subways, and other current public transit options? And if the capital was there, would municipal governments let this happen?
The JPods Concept
Rather than having large train cars like trams or subways do, these fully enclosed “pods” are sized for small groups of people. The idea is for individuals or groups of friends to ride in one pod, as you would commute with a car. The JPods technology then navigates the pod along the rail network as close to your destination as it can get.
The pods essentially operate as mini, personal trains. They travel point-to-point along the rail network to the destination you input via an interactive touch screen. With more stations and switch points than a commuter rail or subway network, JPods can get a traveler much closer to their intended destination than mass transit.
As a finishing touch, the rails are covered with solar panel collectors, which supply self-sustaining power to the entire system. Bill James, the founder and CEO of JPods, believes that the solar panels above the rails will ensure that the network is always able to sustain itself, no matter how large it grows.
James is a West Point graduate, where he received honors in math, physics, chemistry, and engineering. In the U.S. Army, James worked as a logistics officer in addition to being qualified as an airborne Ranger. Despite my having about half a foot of height and four decades of youth over James, I still had the distinct impression that the former NCAA all-American wrestler could take me if he wanted to.
The team James put together to work on JPods includes a number of other West Point alums, with expertise ranging from power plant design and distributed energy generation to finance and law.