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Everyone understands and uses highway overpasses, but seldom consider why such expensive, land-consuming structures are necessary. In a nutshell, they provide grade separation between crossing paths to avoid the delays and occasional collisions of an ordinary street intersection.
Grade separation simply means that potential conflicts are avoided by making one path or route rise up to cross above the other. When a dual -- i.e. two-way -- path crosses, or simply diverges from, another dual path, somebody has to make a left turn and grade separation is the only way to assure safe, continuous flow for everyone.
Monorails and elevated rail systems almost never have branches. So they are found only in loops or in single lines -- often contorted lines to connect all the dots. (Seattle recently tried to build one, but the projected cost soared out of sight and it was canceled.) The real problem is that there has never been a compact, inexpensive way to "branch out." The one branch in Disney parks occupies several acres; the lone elevated one for American "subways" is in Brooklyn, huge and hideous. The Chicago El has branches above the Loop, but they are bulky eyesores and still lack grade separation, so collisions can happen and delays are inevitable. The El is not true Rapid Transit. Every modern subway or "Metro" has safe branches, but those branches are always underground, huge and three-dimensional-- but placed out of sight at enormous cost.
This is why MONOBEAM remains a world-class breakthrough. Its simple method of grade-separated branching, further illustrated herein, is unprecedented and still not copied anywhere in the world. Allowing affordable aerial networks, Monobeam can be the basis for an international, cutting-edge industry in America, and a very profitable one because it is so simple. Even the dual switch can be factory-built and shipped on a freight car!
Grade separation simply means that potential conflicts are avoided by making one path or route rise up to cross above the other. When a dual -- i.e. two-way -- path crosses, or simply diverges from, another dual path, somebody has to make a left turn and grade separation is the only way to assure safe, continuous flow for everyone.
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Regional transit systems must include networks. But networks need branches for two-way traffic. (A tree without branches would be pretty useless.) And in rail transit, branches need switches plus grade separation.
Regional transit systems must include networks. But networks need branches for two-way traffic. (A tree without branches would be pretty useless.) And in rail transit, branches need switches plus grade separation.Monorails and elevated rail systems almost never have branches. So they are found only in loops or in single lines -- often contorted lines to connect all the dots. (Seattle recently tried to build one, but the projected cost soared out of sight and it was canceled.) The real problem is that there has never been a compact, inexpensive way to "branch out." The one branch in Disney parks occupies several acres; the lone elevated one for American "subways" is in Brooklyn, huge and hideous. The Chicago El has branches above the Loop, but they are bulky eyesores and still lack grade separation, so collisions can happen and delays are inevitable. The El is not true Rapid Transit. Every modern subway or "Metro" has safe branches, but those branches are always underground, huge and three-dimensional-- but placed out of sight at enormous cost.
This is why MONOBEAM remains a world-class breakthrough. Its simple method of grade-separated branching, further illustrated herein, is unprecedented and still not copied anywhere in the world. Allowing affordable aerial networks, Monobeam can be the basis for an international, cutting-edge industry in America, and a very profitable one because it is so simple. Even the dual switch can be factory-built and shipped on a freight car!
