[sustran] PRT Industry Update: "Brilliant Fun," Saves Climate

Eric Britton eric.britton at ecoplan.org
Fri Mar 26 16:29:19 JST 2010


??? Comment invited.  Be brave. Eric Britton

 

 

From: steveraneyc21 [mailto:steve_raney at cities21.org] 
Sent: Friday, 26 March, 2010 04:13
To: NewMobilityCafe at yahoogroups.com
Subject: PRT Industry Update: "Brilliant Fun," Saves Climate

 

Q1 2010 Update: PRT (personal rapid transit) is an electric,
200-mpg-equivalent, elevated transit system with many four-person vehicles.
Working as NICHE circulator transit for office parks, airports,
universities, entertainment centers, and other major activity centers, PRT
is faster than a car. In these applications, PRT makes carpooling, iPooling,
light rail, commuter rail, bus, carsharing, and bike more effective, by
solving the "last mile problem."

Highlights:

*	BBC: World's first PRT passenger: "Something from a James Bond
movie. A serious bit of kit. It's so Star Trek. Incredibly quiet, smooth.
Not quite normal. Brilliant fun."
*	Minnesota: "We need to explore innovative strategies that are
efficient and cost-effective and can improve motorists' commutes. We owe it
to the citizens of our state to keep on the leading edge of technology and
present these options to them."
*	San Jose: "San Jose, as the Capital of Silicon Valley, is stepping
into a leadership role to help further the development of innovative transit
technologies that have the potential to reshape how we move in the future
and organize our cities in a more sustainable and livable way."
*	Times of London: "One of 20 proven ways to save the earth."
*	UK Sustainable Development Commission: "The ultimate in changing
travel behavior."
*	Architecture: PRT fosters invention and innovation. PRT's svelte,
elevated form enables low-impact threading through a 420-year-old city where
other modes cannot pass. SketchUp 3D PRT models available to anyone with
talent/creativity.
*	First youtube look at 2gethere PRT running at Masdar Ecocity
*	17 vehicles at London Heathrow ULTra PRT
*	Vectus PRT's Suncheon (S. Korea) MOU.
*	Harvard Biz School case study: "PRT creates huge value: reducing
automobile congestion, and getting passengers to their desired destinations
more quickly and more reliably."

 

DETAILS:

1. BBC's very popular Inside Out program covered the ULTra London Heathrow
system, with reporter Josie d'Arby serving as the first member of the public
to take a ride. "Something from a James Bond movie. A serious bit of kit.
It's so Star Trek. Incredibly quiet, smooth. Not quite normal. It's weird,
completely weird. Brilliant fun." Featured in the segment are ATS Founder
Martin Lowson, ATS CEO Phil Smith, BAA PRT Manager David Holdcroft ("Very
green. Really good passenger service. Fun."), and ATS Vehicle Manager Adam
Ruddle. Available are: BBC's news story and program transcript and stills.
BBC's video material is unfortunately not viewable within the US.
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8377030.stm>
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8377030.stm,
<http://www.ultraprt.net/cms/index.php?page=bbc-brilliant-fun>
http://www.ultraprt.net/cms/index.php?page=bbc-brilliant-fun

2. Minnesota's DOT launched a significant PRT effort. MN Transportation
Commissioner Tom Sorel: "PRT systems are being developed around the world.
We need to explore innovative strategies that are efficient and
cost-effective and can improve motorists' commutes. We owe it to the
citizens of our state to keep on the leading edge of technology and present
these options to them." Sorel said he's had many discussions about PRT with
Governor Tim Pawlenty, who he said supports exploring PRT. PRT system
concept sketches are provided for Edina, St. Paul, and Rochester.
<http://www.ultraprt.net/mn.htm> http://www.ultraprt.net/mn.htm

3. Not to be outdone, San Jose trumpeted US PRT leadership. Hans Larsen,
Acting Director, San Jose DOT on PRT: "San Jose, as the Capital of Silicon
Valley, is stepping into a leadership role to help further the development
of innovative transit technologies that have the potential to reshape how we
move in the future and organize our cities in a more sustainable and livable
way. Silicon Valley is the innovation center of the world and it would be a
natural fit for Silicon Valley to be the epicenter for developing new,
modern transit technology. Constructing a PRT system would advance a number
of the City's high-priority goals, including advancing San Jose's Green
Vision goals supporting technological innovation, and improving the
effectiveness of the City's existing transit network." 
 
<http://gas2.org/2009/12/09/san-jose-to-participate-in-sustainable-transport
ation-conference-in-sweden/>
http://gas2.org/2009/12/09/san-jose-to-participate-in-sustainable-transporta
tion-conference-in-sweden/

4. Times of London lists PRT as one of 20 climate-saving solutions in their
Sunday feature article entitled "20 proven ways to save the earth."
<http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article6931775.ece>
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article6931775.ece

5. The UK Sustainable Development Commission concluded that PRT is "the
ultimate in changing vehicle behavior," as published in the report entitled:
"Smarter Moves: How Information Communications Technology can promote
Sustainable Mobility."
<http://www.sd-commission.org.uk/publications.php?id=1050>
http://www.sd-commission.org.uk/publications.php?id=1050

6. Architectural Innovations. PRT has created a brand new architectural
arena of invention and innovation. ATS ULTra's recent Bath Design
Competition explored theoretical options for placing PRT within a
historically sensitive city founded in 1590. PRT's svelte, elevated form
enables low-impact threading where other modes cannot pass. PRT guideway can
be easily tailored to blend in with the most architecturally challenging
backdrops. As evidenced by the many submissions, architects enjoy working
with PRT. Many of the submissions presented first-of-its-kind concepts.
<http://www.ultraprt.net/cms/index.php?page=architecture-innovations>
http://www.ultraprt.net/cms/index.php?page=architecture-innovations

Google SketchUp 3D ULTra PRT models are available. Models for guideway,
stations, and vehicles are available for download with specifications,
design guidelines, and instructions. Sample customizations are suggested.
SketchUp was designed to be very easy to use.
<http://www.ultraprt.net/cms/index.php?page=sketchup-3d-models>
http://www.ultraprt.net/cms/index.php?page=sketchup-3d-models

7. First youtube look at 2gethere PRT running at Masdar Ecocity.
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDzq-lqe8_c>
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDzq-lqe8_c

8. Vectus PRT's Suncheon (South Korea) MOU for a first system. PDF:
<http://tinyurl.com/y959sux> http://tinyurl.com/y959sux

9. 17 vehicles at London Heathrow ULTra PRT. As of Feb 16, there were 17
vehicles at the London Heathrow ULTra site. A youtube video shows six
vehicles participating in a test traveling between the three Heathrow
stations. All system components (including automatic berth doors, vehicle
charging, and passenger destination selection kiosks) are fully operational.
"In 2010 we will progress through a comprehensive series of
confidence-building passenger trials, as we move towards the commencement of
public operations in the first half of the year" - Phil Smith, ATS ULTra
CEO.
<http://www.atsltd.co.uk/news/55/85/Multi-Vehicle-Testing-at-Heathrow/>
http://www.atsltd.co.uk/news/55/85/Multi-Vehicle-Testing-at-Heathrow/

New Heathrow pictures show Terminal 5 station details, Business Car Park
station details, destination selection kiosks, the vehicle
maintenance/storage depot, control room operation, and control room CCTV.
<http://www.ultraprt.net/cms/LHRimagesFeb10.htm>
http://www.ultraprt.net/cms/LHRimagesFeb10.htm

10. Harvard Business School Professor Benjamin Edelman recently published a
case study on PRT: "Business and communities small and large are
increasingly aware of PRT as a `green' solution to multiple transportation
problems from (in)convenience to price to congestion. I'm convinced that PRT
creates huge value-reducing automobile congestion, and getting passengers to
their desired destinations more quickly and more reliably. I'm particularly
struck by the use of PRT to increase the value of land that might otherwise
be viewed as undesirable. Consider a parcel that's a bit beyond walking
distance from the subway, restaurants, and the like. Right now, a developer
must accept a dramatically reduced price for that kind of land. But PRT
could connect outlying buildings directly to a subway platform and a
restaurant district."  <http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/6333.html>
http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/6333.html

Source: http://www.cities21.org/cms/index.php?page=feb2010

Regards, Steve Raney, Palo Alto

 



More information about the Sustran-discuss mailing list