This is GM’s Futurama exhibit at the 1939 World Fair in New York – a mind blowing projection into their future – defined as 1960!  Note the three segregated lanes for safety and the three different fixed speeds – the fastest being 100mph  for convenience.  That is very advanced. The pioneers who designed this practical arrangement were definitely on the right track (so to speak). However, their design did use up a tremendous amount of space because their technology did not permit the use of automatic, close coupled convoys. By comparison, TEV lanes are much more compact due to electronically controlled convoying of the vehicles: a basic, two lane TEV electric highway, as narrow as a country road, has more capacity than all of these Futurama lanes put together. Also, TEV vehicles are electrically powered. So perhaps we are making some progress…Watch archival coverage of the exhibit from 1939 here (Youtube)