Check in here for PRT news and events

Christer Lindstrom Talks Podcars

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0700

Christer Lindström, Alternate Deputy Mayor of Stockholm, Sweden talked about the state of the Podcar industry to a large group at Macalster College in Saint Paul, Minnesota. His wide-ranging report brought everyone up to date about Personal Rapid Transit systems operating in London's Heathrow Airport, Masdar City, UAE, and the exciting progress in Sweden, South Korea, India & Mexico. He addressed the wide variety of applications and usage modes that PRT is able to serve in different settings. One of the highlights of his talk was the innovative research being done in Sweden. That country is investigating novel usage modes that handle heavy traffic surges with modest numbers of vehicles. Sweden is also actively investigating systems that could be powered by solar energy--not something one might expect for a country as far north as Sweden. As many will remember, Sweden’s test system was the first in the world to prove that PRT can operate even in heavy blizzard conditions.

Dream Jobs 2011: Abu Dhabi’s Prince of Podcars

Mon, 28 Feb 2011 03:59:46 -0700

PRT made a splash in IEEE Spectrum’s February 2011 Dream Jobs issue. Jaap Duiser, an engineer with Dutch company 2GetThere, has been in The United Arab Emirates overseeing the buildout of Masdar City’s PRT system. Masdar City is designed from the ground up to be carbon neutral. The initial system went into service in late November. We’ve heard that in a matter of weeks it has provided over 10,000 rides. As the global economy improves, it is hoped that the system will be greatly expanded.

Read the whole story on the IEEE Spectrum Site

MnDOT PRT Workshop August 18

Wed, 18 Aug 2010 08:45:11 -0600

On August 18 the Minnesota Department of Transportation held an all-day PRT workshop on at the Radisson University of Minnesota. Over 80 people attended, including local citizens, vendors, state & local officials. There was lively and productive discussion about PRT and the role it can play in Minnesota’s transportation system. The delegation from Winona revealed their vision for a Minnesota-based PRT research laboratory. Minnesota state senators, representatives and transportation professionals discussed both the opportunities and challenges of integrating PRT into state and metro transportation infrastructure. There was considerable interest in the prospect that PRT might be the first major form of public transit to actually to break even or make a profit. Citizens for PRT recommended that MnDOT collaborate with other states and municipalities researching PRT to share findings and help define requirements for our region and climate. There was broad agreement that MNDOT deserves a great deal of credit their leadership in organizing this event.

Ed Anderson Speaks at U of M Crookston

Tue, 20 Apr 2010 10:57:57 -0600

Concluding Earth Week activities on April 29th, the University of Minnesota, Crookston hosted PRT pioneer Ed Anderson. Dr. Anderson, who spoke on The Role of Science, Technology, and Perception in the New Age of Resource Scarcity.

Many know Dr. Anderson as an international lecturer and expert in personal rapid transit (PRT). Dan Svedarsky, director of the U of M, Crookston Center for Sustainability noted, "Dr. Anderson developed and taught a course dealing with society, technology, and energy over 30 years ago which was very futuristic and was actually a holistic course in sustainability. He is truly a renaissance thinker and sees the world not as it is but how it could be."

Event details
Thursday, April 29, 2010 at 12:15 p.m
Bede Ballroom, Sargeant Student Center, University of Minneosta, Crookston, MN

Minnesota DOT PRT Symposium

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:51:18 -0700

On November 17th the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MNDOT) hosted a Personal Rapid Transit symposium. Two panel discussions highlighted new ideas from transportation planners and PRT industry experts.

Tom Sorel, Commissioner of MNDOT, spoke about the need for a “paradigm shift” in transportation. Ferrol Robinson, Research Fellow at the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey Institute, discussed PRT’s ability to complement and extend the reach of LRT, buses, etc. and be highly competitive with the automobile (with better speed, in fact.)

Tim Henkel of MNDOT explained that the department hopes to be in a leadership position in terms of transportation innovation and that PRT shows “great potential” as a component of the transportation “Toolbox”. Arlene McCarthy, a Transit Planner and Operator for the Metropolitan Council, expressed the importance of integrating PRT systems with existing transit options, appropriate fares, transfer options and full handicap access.

Jerry Miller, Mayor of Winona expressed his city’s interest in being both a home to the industry and a PRT test site.

Masdar City in Technology Review

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 20:07:00 -0700

PRT is covered in articles on rethinking energy in the February issue of MIT’s Technology Review. The bold new Masdar City Project in the United Arab Emirates proposes to build a city of 50,000 using exclusively zero-emission transportation. PRT plays a major role in this plan. The Masdar project uses a hybrid light-rail and PRT system to serve the city. According to the article, “individual pods ... stop at a station while others pods continue to travel at top speed along the main track. As a result, it can be faster than buses, which have to stop frequently.” Read the full articles at:

A Zero-Emissions City in the Desert
and
Personal Rapid Transit Startup

Ithaca Takes a Hard Look at Pod Cars

Sat, 20 Sep 2008 06:36:47 -0600

The New York Times reports that Ithaca, New York has taken a new interest in Personal Rapid Transit. A group of urban planners, engineers and energy experts held a conference at Cornell University in September to explore PRT and it’s applications.

The article notes that “Industry experts say pod car systems are cheaper to build than light rail and subway systems; they also reduce the need for parking spaces, have fewer accidents and release no emissions. And the car gives users more security and privacy than a subway car or bus.” Jacob Roberts, President of Connect Ithaca, a community group that works issues of urban sprawl and traffic congestion, flew to Sweden last year to persuade industry leaders to consider Ithaca for future PRT development in the United States. Connect Ithaca is applying for a $75,000 grant from the State Energy Research and Development Authority to study how a pod car system could reduce the number of vehicle miles traveled in Ithaca.

“I do think it would make a big difference,” says Cornell senior Jake Lewis, who helps drivers navigate the campus. “Parking on the central campus, where most of the academic buildings are, is next to impossible.”

Public transit pressures could hurt riders

Tue, 9 Sep 2008 03:51:10 -0600

USA Today reports that while public transit ridership is up 5.2% from last year, most agencies surveyed are planning to cut services, increase fares or both. According to USA Today:

“Of the 115 agencies that responded, 61% are considering fare hikes to make up for budget shortfalls, while 35% say they may cut services. Only about one-third of costs are covered by fares, APTA says, so transit agencies rely in part on public funding. Funds tied to the health of the economy, such as sales taxes, have been drying up, Millar says. Gasoline prices also are hurting providers.”

Ironically, after years of encouraging people to use public transit, the cost structure of traditional mass transit puts service increasingly at risk when it’s needed most.

Read the full USA Today article.

Seeding the future with 'podcars'

Mon, 8 Sep 2008 04:12:32 -0600

Catherine. Burke, associate professor at USC's School of Policy, Planning and Development, has written an insightful opinion piece the Los Angeles Times.

Burke observes that “Current public transit can only serve those who live near stations or bus lines and who want to travel where and when the system operates. That's why most people prefer a car that's available 24/7, if we can drive and can afford the gas.” She goes on to note that “ There have been no significant service innovations in public transit in more than 100 years. ... Podcars offer a new kind of service, providing the convenience of an auto without the negatives for the individual -- costly to purchase plus high costs for gasoline, insurance, maintenance and parking. For society, podcars would reduce the use of petroleum as well as pollution, congestion, accidents, injuries and deaths.”

Read the full LA Times article.

Read Burke’s book on PRT and public policy available in chapters or as a full-book PDF file at the ATRA web site.

PRT in Popular science

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 09:04:12 -0600

The cover story of the July Issue of Popular Science, Eco-tropolis, features PRT as part of the “eco-savvy blueprint for tomorrow’s megacity. The PRT product discussed is Unimodal’s SkyTran system. This version of PRT is based on magnetic levitation technology and anticipates speeds up to 100 miles per hour. Unimodal’s design shares the key PRT elements of on-demand, non-stop transportation to your destination. However, the Skytran system proposes much higher speed of travel then most alternate systems.

For more information, pick up the July Popular Science, on newstands through mid July or visit Popular Science and Unimodal web sites:

http://www.popsci.com/futurecity/
http://www.unimodal.com/