Robotaxis Almost Happened in 1964—With Help From the U.S. Government

Why It Matters

Fichter’s early work shows that the technical promise of on‑demand, driverless transit has existed for sixty years, but only advances in autonomous vehicle technology are finally making it viable. The outcome will shape urban mobility, congestion, and the balance between public and private transit providers.

Key Takeaways

• Donn Fichter proposed Veyar PRT in 1964, using elevator‑style guideways.
• Federal government funded $6 million for PRT prototypes at Transpo72 (1972).
• West Virginia University’s 1975 PRT system logged >100 million trips but was costly.
• Waymo and Zoox deliver driverless robotaxis, fulfilling Veyar’s concept without guideways.
• High infrastructure costs and street congestion keep true personal rapid transit unrealized.

Pulse Analysis

The idea of personal rapid transit emerged in the early 1960s when Donn Fichter, a Northwestern engineering graduate, envisioned Veyar – a network of small electric pods that could be summoned like an elevator and travel directly to a rider’s destination. His design relied on lightweight guideways that would attach to existing streets, promising a congestion‑free, environmentally friendly alternative to cars and buses. Although the concept attracted federal attention, culminating in a $6 million grant for prototype demonstrations at the 1972 Transpo72 exposition, the technology needed for autonomous control and the capital required for city‑wide guideways proved prohibitive. West Virginia University’s 1975 campus‑centric system demonstrated feasibility but suffered from high per‑rider costs and limited scalability.

Fast forward six decades, and the core promise of on‑demand, driverless travel is finally materializing through robotaxi firms. Waymo now operates fleets in six major U.S. cities, completing roughly half a million rides per week, while Zoox runs purpose‑built, bidirectional vehicles on the streets of San Francisco and Las Vegas. These services eliminate the need for dedicated guideways by leveraging sophisticated sensor suites and AI‑driven navigation, effectively turning ordinary streets into virtual tracks. However, they also inherit the same traffic congestion that Fichter sought to avoid, and recent incidents—recalls, failure to yield, and reliance on remote human operators—highlight the operational challenges that persist.

The lingering question is whether robotaxis will evolve into a public utility akin to the original PRT vision or remain a niche, profit‑driven offering. Policymakers must grapple with issues of equitable access, regulatory oversight, and the potential need for hybrid infrastructure that blends dedicated lanes with existing roadways. If cities can address these hurdles, the integration of autonomous fleets could finally deliver the rapid, point‑to‑point mobility Fichter imagined, reshaping urban transport and reducing reliance on traditional, polluting vehicles.