The Get On Board! PRT
NewsCenter

 The Independent News Source on Pod Transit and related technologies
PRT NewsCenter
Archive / Other
May 6, 2007

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):
photo

PRT guideway


PRT guideway

photo

Bob Johnson


Bob Johnson


Report: Minnesota, Swiss companies agree to joint fundraising

(12/28/2006) The JPods Personal Rapid Transit company has announced it has signed an agreement with a Swiss company to commercialize its automated transit concept in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

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

Recent Skycab items (posted June 10, 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



June 3, 2006
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:
system throughput
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.


Hofors company cures Sweden's oil dependence? 5-30-2006 Open/Close


Bergström supports Skycab 5-17-2006 Open/Close

"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

Dubai (Dec. 9, 2005): The configuration of the Dubai International Financial Centre PRT network will be a couple of loops, a relatively simple layout. Unofficially, construction of part of the DIFC is behind schedule. Tunnels for truck traffic are being built below basement levels, and those will not be complete for another 6 months. As a result, anything to be built above the tunnels (which is everything, including the PRT) is delayed. Due to this delay, further news about Dubai PRT may not be coming for another 6-12 months. Background: Truck tunnel construction only started end of November
• (Dec. 8, 2005): 2nd Dubai project mention? Sightseeing shuttle "capsules"
• (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)

Mid East (Oct. 2005):
:: Dubai- not a question of if or when, but which PRT system will be installed. :: Kuwait- Parsons Brinckerhoff reported to have PRT in its toolbox
 

Finland's TechVilla "APGM" PRT program
       :: Feasibility Study released

Chinese want to learn more about Skycab 6-17-2005 Open/Close

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.


The Alden staRRcar on Walter Cronkite's The 21st Century, 1966. Single-mode derivation became the Morgantown PRT.
Mastodon Bluesky Threads rss
   Mobile NewsCenter ©2014-24 K Network