An automobile on a platform (green), a passenger cabin (light blue) and a freight container (not shown but similar in size to the cabin) may be moved along a common guideway. Each is supported by a carrier vehicle which moves within the guideway and which is driven through electric power supplied from conductors within the guideway. (See Carrier Vehicle in Guideway ). Key features include:

• On-board circuitry on each vehicle is in continuous communication with monitoring and control units along the guideway and can respond to changes in speed of a vehicle ahead in a very small fraction of a second. By comparison, the reaction time of a human driver may be on the order of one second or more. (See Electronic Control System).
• With fast-response electronic control, the capacity of the guideway is quite large and at speeds of 100 MPH or more may be safely assumed to be 3600 vehicles per hour. A single guideway may have as much capacity as two or more freeway lanes, since freeway lanes reportedly have a per-lane capacity of only 2000 per hour at 40 MPH and even less capacity at higher speeds.
• Both guideway costs and costs for rights-of-way are minimized. Weight limits such as 5000 pounds for autos are placed on loads to be carried, thereby limiting the required size and cost of guideway components and allowing guideways to be elevated, to have relatively long spans and to be readily erected above or along streets, highways and railroad tracks, or below electric power lines. The guideways include modular components of precast and prestressed concrete.
• Uniform connections are provided that releasably lock any carrier vehicle to any platform, cabin or container and that cooperate with mechanisms that transfer a load between one vehicle and another or between a vehicle and a storage or servicing location. The arrangement facilitates maintenance and servicing of vehicles, platforms, cabins and containers and has other advantages. (See Transfer Features).

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