University considers options for PRT expansion
Addition of small-vehicle 'feeder' system called more practical
The May seminar of the Advanced Transit Association (ATRA) at West Virginia University in Morgantown recently concluded. It was prompted in part by the university's desire to upgrade its first-generation Personal Rapid Transit system.
As campus-related activity and enrollment expands the PRT -- called a valuable system -- must expand with it. "Off-campus student-oriented neighborhoods," need to be connected.
Morgantown's new long-range transportation plan includes extending the PRT "line".
However, expansion using the PRT's original 1970s technology is likely impractical due to cost. As is well known in the PRT literature, this system's guideway is oversized -- necessitated by size and weight of the 20-person vehicles -- and therefore costly. Bob Hendershot of the WVU PRT program believes a 'feeder system' of smaller vehicles serving "mini-stations" is more practical.
This is an exciting development, for what Hendershot is describing is the current generation of PRT systems now under development in Europe and Minnesota.
ATRA Treasurer Larry Fabian was in Morgantown. He reports the seminar was "energetic and exploratory," with good local press coverage. Bob Johnson, a consultant working with WVU presented the 'lite PRT' ideas to feed the existing PRT stations. Peter Muller of Colorado presented a "modern PRT" concept to fulfill the network potential of the existing "corridor". Real estate developers with interests near the PRT Maintenance Facility want the PRT extended into their district.
Morgantown coverage:
• Rapid-transit expansion discussed at WVU seminar
• Expansion considered for WVU's unique rail system
Scenes from Morgantown (Larry Fabian photos):
PRT guideway
PRT guideway
Bob Johnson
Bob Johnson
Report: Minnesota, Swiss companies agree to joint fundraising
In a news release, JPods said it had signed a letter of intent on Dec. 27 with Festel Capital, a company based in Hünenberg, Switzerland.
Under the terms of the letter, the JPods and Festel agree to raise capital in order to form "Local Mobility Companies" (LMCs), described as private or public-private ventures that will implement JPods PRT in given areas. According to JPods, LMCs will work with elected officials, the media, neighborhood groups, local government, and private capital groups, to gain the necessary approvals to build and operate JPods networks.
JPods is a Minnesota company led by Bill James that has developed its own form of suspended PRT vehicle and guideway. Mr. James, of Burnsville, is an entrepeneur in the field of e-commerce software.
Festel Capital was founded in 2002 by Gunter Festel. It concentrates in the areas of energy, environment, health, and materials. Its approach is to support start-ups and spin-offs through equity participation. At this writing, Festel's website has an Under Construction message. (in German).
Singapore PRT concept paper MonicPRT (external) 8-14-2006
Sky's the limit (Skycab) Sweden Today, 2006 #2, p.41
Ed Anderson's new project 7-2-2006
Skycab targets oil dependence
Hofors company cures Sweden's oil dependence? Can
Skycab be a solution to Sweden's dependence on oil? So believes
the city of Hofors and industry groups behind the plan want
to make the oil commissions, directly tied to Prime Minister
Goran Persson, aware of that... more
Swedish MP is interested
Bergstrom supports Skycab. Skycab offers with its
tracktaxi a wholly new transport system suited for the urban
environment. Member of Parliament Sven Bergstrom (C) became
interested when on Monday he visited the construction in Hofors.
"We have long been working for such a solution," he said...
more
Polish PRT wins grant
Olgierd "Ollie" Mikosza, designer of M.I.S.T.E.R., reports that his company has been awarded a prestigious Warsaw University of Technology research grant, beating out 109 other candidates. Worth approximately US$70,000, the grant will fund a comprehensive research effort. According to Mikosza, areas to be addressed are:
energy consumption
regulatory issues
movement sensing
strength analysis
vehicle simulation
propulsion system analysis
technical feasibility and reliability
ergonomics
cold weather operation
economics
The city of Zakopane is specifically mentioned in connection with study of cold weather operation.
"Meet M.I.S.T.E.R. PRT, A proposal for a cost-effective Personal Rapid Transport system." (EV World) Author is designer of MISTER, a Polish PRT concept.
South Koreans planning "next generation of PRT systems" visit Morgantown
Skycab website revamp 3-2-2006
•
Skycab intermodal station employs organic architecture
"Rail Break" PRT, Cabintaxi article in Detroit alternative weekly
• (Mar. 29, 2007) Intermodal link: Dubai IFC will link PRT to Metro:
Middle East and India: Starting from scratch
...With massive financial investment and the can-do attitude that characterises so many projects in Dubai, in 2004 the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) was established. Occupying a 110-acre site in the centre of Dubai's
new financial district between the iconic Emirates Towers and the Burj Dubai, the DIFC will house 45,000 financial services workers in 40 towers on a shared podium including residential towers and hotels. The DIFC will have a kilometre-long air-conditioned retail spine and an internal Personal Rapid Transit System linked to the Dubai Metro. It will also have one of the world's largest underground car parks, with a capacity of 32,600 spaces...
South Korea PRT intel (Nov. 2005):
Five-year, $132 million "Next Generation Urban Transit System Development"
R&D program by Korea Railroad Research Institute under Republic of
Korea grant. PRT portion of the project is $57 million, apportioned as follows:
power & infrastructure construction, $15 million; network management &
vehicle control, $13 million; vehicle system, $8 million; system integration,
$21 million. Private sector funding match anticipated. Remaining
$75 million designated for "Next Generation Train System Development."
Alongside Rail project (Korean)
:: Dubai- not a question of if or when, but which PRT system will be installed.
• Diagram of Dubai International Financial Centre (no PRT shown)
Finland's TechVilla "APGM" PRT program
:: Feasibility Study released
Korean videos on PRT (Realvideo). Slooow download from prtkorea.com
• I- Raytheon video of PRT2000 in action on test track, Korean narration added
• II- Pt. I
continues; snippets of U.S. media coverage of Rosemont
• III- Congestion in Korea; footage of people using Cabintaxi system
• IV- Visual
simulations of PRT in urban settings
• V- Korean news reports on PRT2000 and PRTKorea plans, reprises clips from I-IV
A Korean PRT project (@ Postech). Project information
for the "PRT Korea" system. Photos, Powerpoint slideshow (in Korean, note wireless
network design in Slide 9) and a brief video clip. Physically similar to
Raytheon design, although propulsion is by LIM.
October 2003- Postech site has "Prototype II" information
Analysis of Phase II photos.
The top photo shows the guideway cover, though cut
away to enable view into interior. Row 1, left:
Top of the support post is a truss, like Skyweb
Express. Unlike Raytheon, there is no
massive pipe below guideway. Row 3:
Good view of LIM and beefy cabin springs. Row 4: A new switch has been designed, rather
than borrow from Raytheon PRT2000 (the
Taxi 2000-based pivoting switch arm). The switch is an L-shaped arm with a
wheel on the end. Row 2, left:
The switch-arm swivels down to engage a switch-rail. In this model the switch-arm
is only on one side, but there are switch-rails on both sides.
