Passenger Trains > Can driverless pod cars help rail transit?

Would you use this for the last (and/or first) mile? :

http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/helloworld/27069/?p1=blogs



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/19/11 14:20 by ts1457.

The pod manufacturer ULTra PRT put together a proposal for such a system in Redwood City, CA a couple of years ago as described in the link provided. It would connect the large planned development at the Saltworks(currently Cargill salt evaporation ponds) with downtown Redwood City and Caltrain.
http://www.ultraprt.net/redwoodcityPRT.htm

shed47 Wrote:
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> The pod manufacturer ULTra PRT put together a
> proposal for such a system in Redwood City, CA a
> couple of years ago as described in the link
> provided. It would connect the large planned
> development at the Saltworks(currently Cargill
> salt evaporation ponds) with downtown Redwood City
> and Caltrain.
> http://www.ultraprt.net/redwoodcityPRT.htm

Thanks, very interesting. Ideas for PRT systems have been around for years, and I haven't kept up with what is available. Having the vehicles battery operated simplifies things a lot. Still it looks like it would cost around $15,000 per house in a large subdivision. Expensive? Maybe, or maybe not. Would any fares be charged, or would it be a subscription sort of thing?

A "demonstration" PRT system has been operating for more than 30 years in Morgantown, WV, connecting two campuses of the state university. It has been so expensive and unreliable that the state studied whether to demolish it.

I see a number of problems with PRT that this new proposal doesn't seem to have solved:

1) The cost of the vehicles
2) The cost of the guideway
3) The cost of maintenance
4) The low utilization of the vehicles

Solve those, and you might get somewhere.

shoretower Wrote:
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> A "demonstration" PRT system has been operating
> for more than 30 years in Morgantown, WV,
> connecting two campuses of the state university.
> It has been so expensive and unreliable that the
> state studied whether to demolish it.
>
> I see a number of problems with PRT that this new
> proposal doesn't seem to have solved:
>
> 1) The cost of the vehicles
> 2) The cost of the guideway
> 3) The cost of maintenance
> 4) The low utilization of the vehicles
>
> Solve those, and you might get somewhere.

Thanks, is the technology now basically the same as with the Morgantown, WV one from years ago? I guess Jacksonville FL also has a system downtown that has not amounted to much. Supporters say it fails because does not go enough places, so the solution is to build more. I'm basically sceptical about PRT's, but I try to keep an open mind.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/21/11 08:49 by ts1457.

I think the park and ride concept will always be better, even if less environmentally friendly. I drive a bus and I am a transit fan and find people still need to have the flexibility and control of their automobile at the endpoint if they are going to endure a two seat ride. The Personal Rapid Transit still has to have stations and although closer together still can't get to everybody without a lot of infrastructure that many will oppose.

Here are a few from Morgantown WV. The first one is a picture took by my dad.

Jim

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It is clear from this thread that there are mmany possible solutions to our transportation problems. We need to consider them all.

It is clear from this thread that there are mmany possible solutions to our transportation problems. We need to consider them all. BTW, spot checks and heavy fines on public transit seem to work very well in Europe.

tq-07fan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I think the park and ride concept will always be
> better, even if less environmentally friendly. I
> drive a bus and I am a transit fan and find people
> still need to have the flexibility and control of
> their automobile at the endpoint if they are going
> to endure a two seat ride. The Personal Rapid
> Transit still has to have stations and although
> closer together still can't get to everybody
> without a lot of infrastructure that many will
> oppose.
>
> Here are a few from Morgantown WV. The first one
> is a picture took by my dad.
>
> Jim

Hey, thanks for posting the pictures of Morgantown. It's a bit sad, but even if everything functions perfectly, the weathered concrete guideway gives a bad impression.