A gadgetbahn is a derogatory term used by transit planners and engineers for a highly publicized, futuristic transportation concept that solves problems already addressed by conventional transit. These projects typically feature proprietary technology like monorails, pods, or magnetic levitation. Professionals criticize them because they are usually vastly more expensive, harder to maintain, and carry fewer passengers than standard light rail or bus rapid transit.
Heard on the job
The mayor wants a network of autonomous pods suspended from cables, but the planning committee dismissed it as just another gadgetbahn.