In the future, we may have the moving highway system in the United States which I list as one of my choices for a future wonder of the world.  It will stretch from New Jersey and along the East Coast to the West Coast.  It will allow people to travel at airliner speed close to the ground. 

Let’s say I wanted to travel to Los Angeles by car.  I live in Peekskill, New York.  I could get up in the morning, eat breakfast, pack the car, and head off down the Palisades Parkway to New Jersey and where the moving highway can be accessed. 

I would drive to the destination control booth, insert my money card, and punch in the information like my destination, which lane I want to travel on, and where I might want to go elsewhere on the system.  I would be given a control unit to be used on the levitation platform I will drive my vehicle onto.  The money will then be transferred out of my card.  

I will drive onto a platform that will be levitated about two or three centimeters above the glideway and plug in the control unit.  An aerodynamic nose and tail piece will be slid into place over my vehicle to reduce air resistance.  

The slow lane would allow me to travel at 150 mph.  The medium speed lane will allow me to travel at 275 mph.   The fast lane will allow me to travel at 400 mph.  I will choose to travel the fast lane.  The platform will glide onto it and accelerate to 400 mph.  Since it requires more energy to travel at such a high speed than if I were to travel at lower speeds, I will pay extra; maybe 25% more.  But I will be able to glide to the West Coast in less than eight hours.  

Much of the highway will be above ground.  But there will be portions that will be underground like through congested areas like cities.  The moving highway will be computerized so that it will be totally safe and free from accidents.  At 400 mph with a semi on your tail, you don’t want to have to stop suddenly and have the rig roll over you.  

If I chose to pull off of the highway, I would use the platform control to register my choice and at the next station along the way, I would be able to glide in and do what I want to do.  I might stop somewhere in Ohio to use the toilet and in Missouri to eat lunch.  I could take an afternoon nap through Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Arizona.  I might wake up minutes east of Los Angeles and glide into the city with plenty of sunlight left in the day to enjoy the beach.  

Such a system would be great for Russia.  With a nation that stretches for thousands of miles, a moving highway system would allow someone living near the Bering Sea to travel to Moscow in a day or two, depending on which lane they chose.  The railway system completed decades ago that linked the East with the West will be superceded by the moving highway system.  

The moving highways would supply fresher produce to markets since semi rigs will use them too.  With energy costs reduced since vehicles won’t need to buy fuel, only electricity, it may be much cheaper to use the highways for vacations than conventional highways since people won’t need to stop to stay a night or more on the road.  

I could recline in my seat in my car and enjoy the trip since I won’t be driving.  I’ll miss the small town and cities that many tourists like to stop at and see.  But for people who want to be somewhere in a hurry and keep driving their private vehicle, the moving highway systems would be perfect for them.