Personal Rapid Transit (Prt)
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ATRA 1989 PRT Report digital format PERSONAL RAPID TRANSIT (PRT) ANOTHER OPTION FOR URBAN TRANSIT? A Report by the Technical Committee on Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) of the Advanced Transit Association, Inc. 1200 18th Street NW, Suite 610 Washington, D.C. 20036 March 1989 ATRA 1989 PRT Report digital format PERSONAL RAPID TRANSIT (PRT) ANOTHER OPTION FOR URBAN TRANSIT? A Report by the Technical Comittee on Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) of the Advanced Transit Association, Inc. 1200 18th Street NW, Suite 610 Washington, D.C. 20036 March 1989 ATRA 1989 PRT Report digital format Officers of the Advanced Transit Association Edward S. Neumann, President George Raikalis, Vice President Jarold A. Kieffer, Treasurer Board Officers Thomas H. Floyd Jr., Chairman Byron Johnson, Chairman, 1986-1989 Jarold A. Kieffer, Secretary The Advanced Transit Association exists to focus attention on unmet urban transportation needs and the ways in which advanced transit concepts can help satisfy them. One of these unmet needs results from the gap between the poor quality of transit service in medium and low-density locations within urban areas and the availability of transit technology that can furnish high quality service at affordable costs. ATRA’s objectives, with particular respect to this report, are to: § Focus public attention on the medium and low density transit problem and the ways in which advanced transit concepts can help solve it; § Seek wider agreement on the main features that advanced transit should possess to cope with this problem, including such features as cost, service, environmental impact, and ability to respond to passenger and goods movement demand; § Draw attention to transit systems, or well-developed concepts for such systems, that incorporate the desired features of advanced transit capable of functioning cost- effectively in medium and low density areas while offering high quality service; § Help define the test and evaluation capabilities that must become available for the demonstration and safety certification of advanced systems and technologies offered by manufacturers. § Identify solutions to problems that inhibit conceptualization, development, demonstration, and deployment of advanced transit systems and technologies. This report represents the conclusions and opinions solely of the Technical Committee on PRT, a special committee appointed by the Board of Directors of ATRA to report to the Board on this subject. ATRA 1989 PRT Report digital format THE TECHNICAL COMMITTEE ON PRT Mr. William B. Rourke, Chairman Professor, Aerospace Science, Metropolitan State College, Denver, CO; and Chairman (retired), Board of Directors, Regional Transportation District, Denver. Mr. Mark Angelini, M.S. Mr. George Haikalis Materials Engineer Transportation Consultant, New Director of Institutional York NY Relations, Illinois Institute Mr. Clark Henderson, P.E. of Technology, Chicago, IL Consultant; former Staff Dr. Martin J. Bernard, Ph.D. Scientist, SRI International, Energy Systems Engineer and San Francisco CA former Director of Center for Dr. Jarold A. Kieffer, Ph.D. Transportation Research, Policy & Management Energy & Environmental Consultant, Fairfax VA Services Division, Argonne Dr. Edward S. Neumann, Ph.D. National Laboratory, Argonne, IL Director, H.Q. Staggers Mr. George E. Billman, National Transportation M.S. Senior Project Manager, Center, West Virginia Stone & Webster Engineering Corp., University, Morgantown, WV Tampa FL Mr. William A. Wilde Senior Transportation Engineer Mr. Thomas H. Floyd Jr. CRS Sirrine, Inc., Denver CO International Business Consultant, Transportation Technology Transfer, Mr. Robert L. Williams Arlington, VA Aerospace Engineer; Vice President, Modern Transit Society, Dr. Richard P. Guenthner, San Jose CA Ph.D., P.E. Mr. Richard Wolsfeld, P.E. Assistant Professor, Marquette Principal, BRW Inc., University, Milwaukee WI Minneapolis MN The Advanced Transit Association is grateful to these committee members who, while busy at regular jobs, contributed so much of their personal time and skills to the preparation of this report. Committee members are professionals of high competence and strong opinions. Not every opinion or recommendation expressed in this report, consequently, represents the view of each committee member, but each subscribes to the overall thrust of the report and its conclusions and recommendations. Organizational affiliations, when present, are shown only for identification purposes. ATRA 1989 PRT Report digital format Contents Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) ....................................................................... 2 1.2 Technical Committee Objectives .................................................................... 3 1.3 Evaluation Criteria......................................................................................... 4 1.4 System Presentations.................................................................................... 5 Chapter 2 URBAN TRANSIT CHALLENGE AND RESPONSES 8 2.1 Rail Transit (HRT and LRT) ...................................................................... 9 2.2 Buses - The Urban Workhorse.................................................................12 2.3 Automated People Movers (APM) ............................................................13 2.4 Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) .................................................................19 2.4.1 Elements of PRT...............................................................................20 2.4.2 Cabintaxi..........................................................................................22 2.4.3 TAXI 2000 ........................................................................................23 2.4.4 Visualizing PRT in Urban Application..................................................25 Chapter 3 FEASIBILITY OF PRT 30 3.1 Technical Feasibility of PRT.............................................................31 3.1.1 Technical Weaknesses of Earlier PRT Concepts ..............................31 3.1.2 Possible Technical Deficiencies of PRT............................................33 3.1.3 Recent Technology Advances of Significance for PRT.......................35 3.1.4 TAXI 2000 Technical Feasibility .......................................................36 3.1.5 Conclusions As To The Technical Feasibility Of PRT.........................39 3.2 Economic Feasibility of PRT............................................................40 3.2.1 Methods for Comparing PRT with Alternative Transit Systems...........41 3.2.2 Evaluation of Cost Claims Made for Taxi 2CXEJ ..............................43 3.2.2.1 Guideway Cost...................................................................45 3.2.2.2 Station Cost .......................................................................47 3.2.2.3 Vehicle Cost ......................................................................48 3.2.2.4 Right-of-way, Utility Relocation and Other Costs...................53 3.2.3 Conclusions as to the Economic Feasibility Of PRT...........................53 3.3 Public Acceptance Feasibility ....................................................................53 3.3.1 Environmental Impacts ....................................................................55 3.3.2 System Safety and Passenger Security ............................................61 3.3.2.1 Evaluation of TAXI 2000 Passenger Security ...................... 61 3.3.2.2 Evaluation of TAXI 2000 Passenger Safety ..........................64 3.3.2.3 Conclusions As To The Public Acceptance of PRT...............67 i ATRA 1989 PRT Report digital format Chapter 4. RECOMMENDATIONS 69 Appendix A SOURCES OF INFCRMATION ABOUT CABINTAXI 75 Appendix B SOURCES OF INFORMATION ABOUT TAXI 2000 76 Appendix C LOON MOUNTAIN COSTS: TAXI 2000 77 Appendix D PERFORMANCE & COST PARAMETERS: TAXI 2000 79 Appendix E PERFORMANCE & ECONOMICS: TAXI 2000 NETWORK 80 Appendix F CORRESPONDENCE ABOUT TAXI 2000 81 ii ATRA 1989 PRT Report digital format Figures Figure 2.1: New Heavy Rail System in Washington D.C. Metro Area............................................... 10 Figure 2.2: New Light Rail Car in Transit Mall, Buffalo, New York............................................... 11 Figure 2.3: "Metromover" APM on Aboveground Track, 2nd Story Level, Miami, Florida.............................. 14 Figure 2.4: Heavy Rail, Bus and APM at a Transfer Point in Miami, Florida............................................ 16 Figure 2.5: APM Construction, Fall 1987........................ 18 Figure 2.6: Hypothetical PRT Grids in Initial and Complex Networks........................................... 26 Figure 3.1: TAXI 2000 Loon Mountain Rendering.................. 44 Figure 3.2: TAXI 2000 Vehicle.................................. 49 Figure 3.3: Representative Sizes of Transit Vehicles........... 50 Figure 3.4: PRT Guideway Compared to Non-PRT and Rail Transit Guideways.......................................... 56 Figure 3.5: Hypothetical PRT Networks for Primary or Supplemental Services........................................... 59 iii ATRA 1989 PRT Report digital format Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION The Advanced Transit Association (ATRA) convened a Technical Committee on Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) in late winter 1987. Its assignment was to revisit PRT and update public knowledge about it by: - Assessing the feasibility and developmental status of the transportation technology called Personal Rapid Transit (PRT); and - Presenting findings and conclusions