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Fayetteville, GA to consider pod transit system with all-private funding 2-13-2013
      • Mayor outlines goals, public process and safeguards
      • "JPods don't get off the ground with F'ville Council." At council retreat, members oppose use of public land for JPods demo. 2-26-2013
Link

Energy plan for non-petroleum alternatives, including podcar networks, approved by Israel cabinet 1-13-2013

City of San Jose releases the full 'ATN' feasibility study for Mineta Airport performed by ARUP and Aerospace Corporation. 420 pages. 11-2-2012. There is much in the document to encourage further development of PRT/pod transit. What is also evident is how far the PRT 'industry' has not come in proving itself on conceptual, technical, financial, and operational criteria.

WVU PRT's 80,000,000th rider is Ted Matthews of Latrobe, Pa. 10-17-2012

The Original to get upgrade: WVU okays $15m for new PRT computers & propulsion 9-29-2012

Moscow Agglomeration Competition Unveils Sustainable Master Plans for the City of the Future, Metro and pods in the mix. Inhabitat report with slideshow. 9-12-2012

Editor's Blog: Cameron Emptor. 8-10-2012

UK Tram, a British rail industry group, has issued How To guidances on developing PRT projects 7-20-2012

Bloomington, MN: 6.3 Out of 10 Favorable Vote for PRT in connection with interview of Metro Council's transportation chair Steve Elkins. 7-16-2012
Despite a sample size of only n=20 on the PRT question, this is a good example of PRT advocates directly engaging citizens interested in constructive problem solving.

It's P.A.T. -- Beyond the Car Team's "People And Things" cube-pod at Toronto 'Move' exhibition until Oct. 26 6-28-2012

Mailbag (6-6-2012): Received a totally out of the blue email today from transit planner and serious pod hater Michael D. Setty, linking to an announcement that he has removed almost all the PRT links on his 'publictransit.us' site. He also says we can all go "f---" ourselves:
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See you in the funnypapers

• Laffable Luddite Chronicles (2010): Setty backed anti-tax, 'property rights' candidate.

Editor's Blog: Mixed outcome of San Jose pod study 5-2-2012

Mountain View CA discusses commuting answers - Silicon Valley city weighs parking fees, housing; excited by PRT. 3-20-2012
• Governing magazine: Silicon Valley considers PRT system to ease congestion. Journal columnist (and California mayor) picks up story of the March 20 Mountain View meeting. 4-30-2012
• Google expresses support for PRT. 4-9-2014
Mountain View Councilman Inks: PRT not dead yet; Google manager: "We need to have an eye towards PRT systems and self-driving cars that are coming closer to fruition in the U.S. every day." 'Pod car mayor' Kasperzak steers discussion toward existing systems; opponent says airport system like Ultra may not be aesthetically suitable.

Mountain View CA commissions AGT [PRT] study 1-10-2017
City staff requested 1-2 year delay in planned Automated Guideway Transit study. 2-23-2020
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Study route

Mountain View hits the brakes on Automated Guideway Transit 4-28-2021
City Council members voted April 27 to defer the item indefinitely. Main council supporter John McAlister term limited-out. No funding could be found for the $70M/mile price tag. While AGT was supported by Google (city's largest employer) critics attacked scale and expense.

Link

CyberTran (Group Rapid Transit concept) joins State of California business incubator 2-17-2012
Oakland Post article 2-26-2012

Mexico: Modutram test track running. 1-29-2012
• PRT Consulting: 4-wheeled pod with independent dual electric-ICE propulsion; passenger loading and unloading while moving. Both aspects strike NewsCenter as seriously crazy, but it's university-designed and government-funded.
• Milenio: Urban transit for Guadalajara, and a zoo tram that causes less impact on the animals.

Founder of 'Swift PRT' decides it's not economically viable 12-4-2011
Aaron Patzer of Mint.com had wanted to create Swift, a maglev/linear synchronous motor concept, which he has now closed. Believes the future is self-driving cars

Poland's MISTER proposing US$144M project in Teresino, Brazil; pod mockup to be displayed. Lots of sloppy research about PRT history went into this article in O Dia. 11-2-2011

CyberTran GRT system: Small start-up has big dreams (Richmond, CA) 10-31-2011
For former BART R&D manager Eugene Nishinaga, "ultralight rail is nothing short of a spiritual awakening."

Vietnam: Vietnam IT corporation FPT exploring pod transit "Spider" means web/network. 10-12-2011

Delhi study done 10-10-2011
Begun in April, study by Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System & Capita Symonds for urban podcar system is completed, "project is likely to get the government nod soon" (transport dept.)

Mexico: Development team for ITESO's 'LINT' (PRT) now includes Mastretta design firm. 9-5-2011

ULTra, SkyTran, Vectus: "Many vendors may get on board" 8-25-2011

Editor's Blog: JPods to sue MnDOT - "Adds to the unwelcome and nonsensical partisan politicization of PRT." 8-8-2011

Vasant Kunj residential colony, Dehli, possible PRT site 8-8-2011

Following news of the start of long-awaited upgrades to the university PRT system, Morgantown, WV got a visit from a company that wants to upgrade the whole thing. JPods claims to be about to commence construction in China -- with what appears to be a $400 million construction contract. 7-25/27-2011

(Update) A NewsCenter source who reads Chinese says JPods' Kunming letter of agreement includes the points

1) Kunming government has agreed with Jpods to build the transit system;
2) JPods to open a factory in Kunming;
3) JPods to open a local office in Kunming

It makes no mention of money or any financials. It is unclear how 'solid' the agreement is.

The Kunming government webpage sets the contract value as 400 million yuan renminbi, or $62.3 million. The source of the funds is not identified.

"The 1970s thrill surrounding Personal Rapid Transit (PRT)" (@tbd, WJLA-TV) 7-6-2011

"America's One and Only Personal Rapid Transit System" (Governing) 7-1-2011

(Video) Central Issaquah Plan - Task Force discussion of transportation vision (.wmv). 5-6-2011 Earlier
•public transit "modules" to help achieve a community with less cars.
•"30 year plan"
•"we are not talking about Metro buses"
•"Intelligent transportation systems that may not need a driver"
•"Little pods... that can be more fast in serving the public"
•"These technologies exist, why can't Issaquah be in the forefront of putting those things into use, right here, and do it in a way that is smart, green, and beneficial to traffic reduction"

Background (2010): Transit "ribs & spine" map - PRT spine with bus feeders

AP: Upgrades to 35-year old Morgantown PRT have begun. The WVU press release: original analog computers are being replaced, and a new propulsion controller is to be tested over the summer. 5-23-2011

"Will you commute via 'personal rapid transit'?" CNN. 3-31-2011

'Transporte Sustentable en una Red Inteligente' (LINT) project at the Western Institute of Technology & Higher Education (ITESO), Guadaljara
ITESO project page
Companies and universities are committed to lightweight transport 1-26-2011
Video of scale model track and 2 pod designs 1-26-2011
Mexican development of sustainable urban transport 1-27-2011

Eastside advisory group recommends PRT Task force working on Central Issaquah Plan (20-50 year horizon) 10-13-2010
...thinks PRT could be "extensive local transit system" linking to future light rail running in Interstate 90 corridor. Article: "Science fiction to some - the real future to many" (Issaquah Reporter)
CIP web page
Transit "ribs & spine" - PRT spine with bus feeders

"Hull selectmen want nuts & bolts of Jpods proposal before throwing their support behind it" Hull Sun 1-5-2011. Earlier proposal scaled back; appears to lack sufficient data/assurances that would allow officials to commit to the project.
Hull, MA - town of 11-12,000 people
• "Move over George Jetson - Hull might get one cool ride in the sky" 3-10-2010
• "Will Hull commuters be "flying" to work in amusement-like ride?" 3-18-2010. Helpful Minnesotan noted; his information unpersuasive, given town's continued interest

Princeton NJ: PRT International vies with BRT, streetcar as replacement for 'Dinky' commuter rail spur. 9-27-2010


New on YouTube by MISTER PRT

MISTER presents to Auckland, falls "on deaf ears" 8-9-2010

Airport planners look to a futuristic transit solution: pod cars (San Jose) 5-24-2010

Move autonomous car, by the Critical Group of Coimbra (12th Century capital of Portugal, home of Coimbra University).

Could investors fund city's transit future? Unimodal claims it has private financing for first public system. 4-1-2010

The first PRT to get bigger upgrade -- WVU announces FTA grant; Bombardier designing new propulsion system

PRT rumblings: sources say Federal Transit Administration, senior Democratic congressman are interested in podcars. 1-4-2009

San Jose: Sources say the city has picked The Aerospace Corporation to help it select a technology for its initial PRT network 1-4-2010

2getthere podcar appears in CNN report by Mohammed Jamjoom (:02:05) 12-14-2009

Beamways has designed "fully operational" demo 12-9-2009

Meet the Mod Pods 12-2-2009

Radio Sweden, Oct 28, 2009: "Will pod cars be the answer to future traffic chaos?"
Pod cars featured on The Discovery Channel

The PODCARS Series Part 6, (Examiner.com, with links to Parts 1-5)

Invasion of the pod car 10-4-2009, Boston Globe (The first article on PRT by a writer and published by a major American newspaper in more than a decade.)

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