An electrically powered vehicle transportation system utilizes a guideway with parallel enclosed rails. Each enclosed rail has an electrical bus bar for supplying power to vehicles on the guideway. The guideway will accommodate dual-mode vehicles that are capable of usage on conventional streets as well as on the guideway. The guideway also accommodates conventional vehicles and ferries that operate only on the guideway. The dual-mode vehicle has a body with axles that are extensible. The axles move from a retracted position, with the wheels recessed within the wheel wells, to an extended position. In the extended position, the wheels locate within the enclosed rails. Conventional vehicles and freight are carried on ferries that move along the guideways.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a divisional application of Ser. No. 09/927,519, filed Aug. 10, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,435,100 issued Aug. 20, 2002 which was a divisional of Ser. No. 09/475,867, filed Dec. 30, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,401,625, issued Jun. 11, 2002, which was a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 08/921,180, filed Aug. 29, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,039,135, issued Mar. 21, 2000, which claimed priority to provisional application No. 60/025,451, filed Sep. 5, 1996.
