I live in Chicago, IL. This means that I have to deal with constant, heavy traffic. I have mentioned before that Chicago is always at the top of the list for the worst traffic in the US. Oh joy! I technically live in the South Suburbs, so I am approximately 45 minutes from downtown Chicago when there is no traffic. However, during rush hour traffic that time escalates to well over an hour. And even though I live in the suburbs my kids still attend school in the city. The school is not as far as downtown but some mornings it takes over an hour to get them to school. In fact, when I woke up this past Wednesday morning during the snow storm Google Now on my smartphone said that it would be 1 hour and 41 minutes to my kid’s school. Luckily they were with their Dad so it was not my turn to take them. Whew! The traffic map that day looked worse than this…
On days like that the below photo shows what we have to deal with. Can you say ugh? Sitting in bumper to bumper traffic that is crawling is no fun.
I recall watching a traffic analyst on TV probably 4-5 years ago talking about ways to prevent traffic jams. I recall dreaming and wishing that the technology that he talked about was real. I hate sitting in traffic! As technology evolves we are blessed with things that help us overcome all kinds of things… like traffic backups. The future is almost here!
Toyota is working on that right now. Having recently visited the Chicago Auto Show I saw my share of concept cars, but none like the i-ROAD. The Toyota i-ROAD uses new advanced green technology that will change the way we drive in the future. The i-ROAD is a unique vehicle with only 3 wheels that looks like cross between a futuristic motorcycle and a car. The small footprint allows for easy maneuverability. What I’m thinking about is easier parking which is also very important here in the Chicago area. The i-ROAD is based on a unique system that uses technology to connect your car with public transportation and bicycles to get to your destination in an environmental friendly way. Add that to the fact that you never have to buy gas and I’m sold.
Watch the video below to learn even more about the i-ROAD.
Interested? I know I am. If you are lucky enough to be in Japan you can test drive the Toyota i-ROAD in the Next-Generation Urban Traffic System demonstration going on in Toyota City, Japan.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Toyota. The opinions and text are all mine.
