sign in sign up
<<
Home , Road transport, ULTra (rapid transit)

Advanced Systems Ltd

Unit B3 Ashville Park Short Way, Thornbury, BS35 3UU Tel +44 (0) 1454 414 700 Fax +44 (0) 1454 414 770 Email [email protected] www.atsltd.co.uk

To:

Christope J. Schneiter, Assistant Director/City Engineer Public Works Department City of Santa Cruz 809 Center Street, Room 201 Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Transmittal Letter

Dear Mr. Schneiter,

Please accept this submittal on behalf of Advanced Transport Systems (ATS) in response to your “Request for Qualifications for a Santa Cruz PRT System” dated October 7, 2008.

ATS will bring the world’s first PRT system into commercial operation in Q4 in 2009 – the ULTra PRT system for Heathrow . ATS is enthusiastic about the economic viability of PRT for Santa Cruz. A public private partnership (PPP) with real-estate value capture could be the economic engine to bring PRT to Santa Cruz. An expedited feasibility study, entitlement, and PPP procurement would in our view take five years.

For a Santa Cruz ULTra system, 75% or more of will be local to California.

Advanced Transport Systems Ltd

Unit B3 Ashville Park Short Way, Thornbury, Bristol BS35 3UU Tel +44 (0) 1454 414 700 Fax +44 (0) 1454 414 770 Email [email protected] www.atsltd.co.uk

Contact Information:

Steve Raney Phil Smith Principal Consultant Operations Director Advanced Transport Systems Inc. Advanced Transport Systems Limited 2340 Roosevelt Ave. Ashville Park Berkeley, CA 94703 Thornbury [email protected] Bristol BS35 3UU, Tel: 650 329 9200 [email protected] Tel: 01144 1454 414700

We trust this response is of interest to you and would be pleased to provide any further detail that you wish.

Best regards,

Steve Raney Principal Consultant

Advanced Transport Systems ULTra PRT for “Request for Qualifications for a Santa Cruz PRT System”

ULTra PRT Page 1

1. ULTra PRT Summary Description

ULTra (Urban Light Transport) is the world’s first commercially available Personal (PRT) system. ULTra PRT is a 100-mpg-equivalent, elevated transit system with many battery- powered . In comparison to the dominance of Northern California single occupancy driving, when ULTra vehicles run “full,” then “effective mpg per person” is 300 mpg. Each roomy vehicle accommodates five adults and their luggage. Two adults and four children may also be accommodated. First deployment is scheduled for London in late 2009, to serve Heathrow's new Terminal 5. Working as circulator transit for office parks, , universities, and other major activity centers, PRT is faster than a . In these applications, PRT makes carpooling, rail transit, and more effective, by solving the "last mile problem." PRT also enables longer bike commutes and shopping trips. A three-minute animation of the ULTra PRT system can be found at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7hgipbHBK8 . More detail about ULTra is provided in part 3 of this document.

Peer-reviewed market research for two San Francisco Bay Area commuter-rail-served major job centers, Palo Alto's Stanford Research Park (SRP) and Pleasanton's Hacienda Business Park, forecasts a PRT-induced commuting mode reduction from more than 80% single occupancy vehicle (SOV) down to 45% SOV. In these two studies, carpooling increased to more than 30% and conventional transit increased beyond 15%. [SRP market research: http://www.cities21.org/NewTechProdMtkng_TRB_111504.pdf ] Such commuting shift could free many surface parking spaces for higher use. A PRT system could accelerate real-estate development and increase sales within the PRT system area.

A PRT system should be part of the existing public transit system, with seamless box/fare gate integration. Substantial PRT circulator funding could come from an assessment on local landowners, who will directly benefit from the circulator system. To bring about such an assessment, a supermajority of landowners must agree that the system will be beneficial. U.C. Berkeley Professor Robert Cervero's study of San Francisco Bay Area transit-oriented- development land values found that high level-of-service transit combined with mixed use increased office land values by 100% and residential land values by 25%. (See: "Transit's Value- Added: Effects of Light and Services on Commercial Land Values", prepared for ULI, July 2001: http://www.rtd-denver.com/Projects/TOD/Rail_Transits_Added_Value.pdf .)

ULTra PRT Page 2

ULTra vehicles are battery-based electric vehicles (EVs). The ULTra system benefits from advances in EVs, robotics, and luxury car safety / cruise control systems. Because the system design provides opportunities for battery recharge after every trip, battery pack size required is low, under 10% of empty weight. This overcomes the principal drawback of conventional EVs, the excessive weight of the necessary battery pack. Further the system is connected to the grid for recharge, but because recharging only takes place at stations this saves 30% in cost and resource usage over conventional grid connected approaches. ULTra is by far the most practical and effective means for realizing EVs and grid connected systems

ULTra is significantly more software, sensor, and communications intensive than traditional transit. A system may have 500 computer-driven vehicles driving with a precision better than +/- one inch laterally and longitudinally, with 100 position updates per vehicle per second.

Some enthusiastic quotes about PRT from planning experts:

Peter Calthorpe, author: Next American Metropolis . We need better transit circulator technology: : • Urban Land Magazine, March 2008. Article: Riding on the Future : "We've concocted a system where local trips take an auto," explains Peter Calthorpe, principal at Berkeley, California–based Calthorpe Associates. "That's our biggest tragedy." Streetcars, such as those used in Portland's Pearl District, and elevated people movers, like those in downtown Miami, are moving people from rail stations to their final destinations. But a new concept, personal rapid transit (PRT), may help revolutionize urban transportation, providing a cost- effective way to get people from stations to where they need to go, notes Calthorpe. PRT involves individual on a track that connects light- and heavy-rail stations with dense commercial districts and office parks. Private, safe, and requiring little maintenance, PRT cuts transit time because there are no stops and no waiting. Users can push a button and the software-controlled system automatically moves cars to where they are needed. The system can fit on any existing right-of-way, produces little noise, requires no at- crossings, and costs one-tenth as much to build as —$10 million per mile ($6.2 million per km) versus $100 million per mile ($62 million per km), according to Calthorpe. A pilot of the ULTra PRT system, developed by U.K.- based Advanced Transport Systems Ltd. (ATS), is under construction at London Heathrow Airport. The $49 million project will provide travelers transportation from the business parking lot to Terminal 5 via 18 low- energy, battery-operated, driverless PRT vehicles." • "We've been developing TOD without the T for far too long. PRT is the T." • "In a six-page paper, http://www.calthorpe.com/clippings/UrbanNet1216.pdf , Calthorpe writes: "All the advantages of New Urbanism - its compact land saving density, its walkable mix of uses, and its integrated range of housing opportunities - would be supported and amplified by a circulation system that offers fundamentally different choices in mobility and access. Smart Growth and new Urbanism have begun the work of redefining America's twenty-first century development paradigms. Now it is time to redefine the circulation armature that supports them. It is short sighted to think that significant changes in land-use and regional structure can be realized without fundamentally reordering our circulation system."

ULTra PRT Page 3

• At the Congress for New Urbanism (CNU) 2005 conference in Pasadena, Calthorpe said, "One of my pet peeves is that we've been dealing with 19th Century transit technology. We can do better. We can have ultra light elevated transit systems (personal rapid transit) with lightweight vehicles. Because the vehicles are lighter, the system will use less energy. I used to be a PRT skeptic, but now the technology is there. It won't be easy to develop PRT technology and get all the kinks out, but it is doable. If you think about what you'd want from the ideal transit technology, it's PRT: a) stations right where you are, within walking distance, b) no waiting."

Sir Peter Hall, author: Cities of Tomorrow : "The social perception of public transportation depends on the quality of the transportation. I think we may be looking to technological advances in public transportation to create new kinds of personal rapid transit. We had a big breakthrough announced only a week ago that a British system called, literally, PRT, Personal Rapid Transit, is going to be adapted for Heathrow Airport progressively over the next ten years. And when you drive your car into Heathrow to one of the parking lots, you will get your own personal vehicle and program it to go to your terminal, or vice versa. And if this is as successful as I think it will be, this could be a big breakthrough in developing new kinds of totally personalized rapid transit, which could transform our cities in ways that we can't yet see." Dec 15, 2005, Natl Museum.

David Holdcroft, BAA ULTra Project Manager : “This innovative system forms part of BAA’s plan to transform Heathrow, improve the passenger experience and reduce the environmental impact of our operation through the development of cutting edge, green transport solutions. It offers a completely new form of – one that will deliver a fast, efficient service to passengers and bring considerable environmental benefits, saving more than half of the fuel used by existing forms of public or private transport.” ULTra vehicle running at Heathrow Airport

2. Santa Cruz PRT alignment, with Costing

As of January 2008, a US ULTra system was costed at about $15M per mile, based on very detailed Heathrow ULTra costs. More accurate Santa Cruz PRT costs can be accurately estimated at a point in the future. These costs will be influenced by inflation, current construction commodities markets, and system complexity. Compared to Heathrow, meeting Santa Cruz / California seismic requirements results in slightly more expensive guideway (as analyzed by ARUP San Francisco Principal John Eddy). However, movements in exchange rates have significantly reduced UK£ based costs reducing US$ costs, and recession-influenced steel and commodities costs are down significantly since January 2008.

Shown below is a rough layout partially following the “Google Maps” alignment provided in Addendum #1. Four “connected loops” are used. This alignment has 22 stations and 8.6 miles of one-way guideway for a “ballpark” cost estimate of $129M. The alignment image is rotated 45 degrees to better fit within this document.

ULTra PRT Page 4

ULTra PRT Page 5

The four loops each roughly account for 25% of the capital cost and the system could be phased in a number of different ways.

This rough alignment puts more guideway on Beach Street than is shown in the Google Maps alignment from Addendum #1. This ATS alignment is surely incorrect in many places, and was created for a) discussion purposes and b) to measure guideway length for rough costing. Opportunities for new development are highlighted at three PRT stations. Most of UCSC loop guideway would be less-expensive bi-directional guideway, as seen at Heathrow, but this alignment image separates bi-directional guideway into two separate one-way guideways for illustration purposes.

Light blue circles highlight 200 meter walking radius around stations.

2.1. Santa Cruz PRT Application Benefits • “Green” is important. PRT provides 100 mpg+. • Much less expensive than APMs • Higher level-of-service than an APM, because PRT waits for passengers, whereas APMs cause passengers to wait. • Scalable and flexible. Easy to add to the system. • Cutting edge transit • Fast construction: can erect 1 km guideway spans per week. • Construction staging is easy. Does not require much room for material lay down. • PRT “last mile” makes conventional transit more effective • PRT: faster planning, civil, & environmental studies results in faster overall project schedule .

3. ATS Business Model and Approach

ATS has the ability to supply ULTra technology as a complete system, combined with the development of the necessary capability to successfully undertake the initial capital project delivery and post-delivery PRT system maintenance and day to day operation.

The ATS offering will comprise the design, delivery, deployment, operation and maintenance of vehicles, control and communication systems and full infrastructure, including guideway and stations.

ATS will use sub-contractors to undertake assembly, construction and certain support activities, and will self perform system design, project management and core systems integration.

The target contracting model for ATS is Design Build Operate and Maintain (“DBOM”) for the deployment of complete ULTra systems, where contracts will be awarded on a prime contract basis.

4. ATS ULTra History

ATS began developing the ULTra PRT system in 1995 in association with the in England. The system emerged from thorough analysis of the optimum solution to urban transport problems, for both the travelers and the users of the ambient environment of the system.

ULTra PRT Page 6

ATS’s test track facility was established in , Wales, in June 2001, with funding from the United Kingdom Department for Environment, Transport and Regions, following ATS’ winning of the innovative transport competition. This facility contains all the features expected in a typical application, elevated sections, sections at-grade, various banked and unbanked curves, inclines and declines, merges and diverges and a station. The total length of the guideway is about 1km.

Cardiff Test Track : e levated section , a erial view

ATS completed the initial phases of vehicle prototype development and gained consent from the United Kingdom Rail Inspectorate to carry members of the public at the test track in Cardiff in 2003. Following this approval the ULTra system underwent a comprehensive series of successful passenger trials.

Starting in 2003, BAA (formerly British Airports Authority, the private sector company that owns Heathrow and owns or operates 12 international airports), undertook a comprehensive two-year study to plan for the long-term future transportation needs of London’s Heathrow Airport, the world’s third busiest airport. BAA’s objectives included: low emissions, high level-of-service, efficient use of space, and good value. In addition, BAA had the challenge of keeping the airport operating while pushing “low-value” land uses such as surface parking away from the passenger terminals. In head-to-head competition with bus and APM, PRT won, “PRT is the only practical solution, providing a 60% improvement in travel time and 40% operating cost savings.”

In 2005, following a formal PRT vendor competition under rules, ATS was selected by BAA as the supplier of a PRT system for Heathrow. Later in the year BAA purchased equity in ATS with the proceeds being used for commercialization of the system. The initial work is oriented towards the Phase 1 scheme joining Terminal 5 to its Long Term Business Parking Lot. The Heathrow Terminal 5 contract envisages that successful completion of this first phase will lead to a gradual roll out of the system over other parts of Heathrow.

ATS has completed construction of the Heathrow guideways. ULTra vehicles are now running there in test mode. The system is scheduled to commence public operation in Q4 2009.

ULTra vehicle running at Heathrow Airport

ULTra PRT Page 7

ATS now has more than 40 employees.

5. ULTra System Detailed Description

The ULTra System comprises five-person, light and energy efficient, self-guided, battery-powered vehicles, travelling on a dedicated guideway network. The vehicles are energy efficient because they provide transport only on demand, are free of emissions at the point of use and provide point- to-point non-stop travel.

ULTra vehicles are virtually silent and create little or no external vibration, allowing close proximity to work or residential areas without disturbance.

ULTra infrastructure is lightweight and capable of installation with minimum visual impact compared to traditional transit systems. ULTra provides convenient flexible travel without the difficulties of parking and route congestion. Further, ULTra systems may be built in phases and existing routes may be modified to better serve the evolution of local real-estate development.

With the world’s first contract for a commercial operating PRT system at Heathrow’s Terminal 5, ATS currently has commercial, operational and technological leadership.

ULTra vehicle running at Heathrow Airport

5.1. Vehicles

ULTra vehicles are four wheeled with rubber pneumatic . The vehicles are front steered and have conventional damped spring suspension. The vehicles comprise an aluminum ladder rack chassis on which the majority of the vehicle propulsion and guidance equipment is mounted. Sitting on top of the chassis is an aluminum honeycomb floor. The above floor level is constructed of a steel frame and an ABS panel body that can be fitted with single side or double side electric doors. The vehicle interior and exterior bodywork design can be made to suit individual client demands. The vehicles are air-conditioned, have internal destination and information screens, CCTV internal surveillance and audio controller contact. ULTra vehicle at Cardiff

Vehicles use a laser sensor system to guide the vehicles on the guideway and in the stations. Vehicles are currently lead acid battery powered to allow for rapid charging (up to 150amps) and to

ULTra PRT Page 8

achieve recyclability. The vehicles are designed to be adaptable for future battery developments and for other power sources such as hydrogen fuel cells, ultracapacitors, and Tesla Motors-style lithium ion battery systems. Batteries are charged via electrical contacts at station berths, or at waiting points. ULTra vehicles have a very low energy usage of 0.15Kw h/vehicle km at 25mph.

Each standard car has carrying capacity of five adults + luggage (Total 500kg); it has a turning radius of 5 meters and has a top speed of 25mph. The standard car has four contoured seats although other arrangements for example bench seating is available. The cars can be modified to carry freight.

Views of vehicle interior

5.1.a. Vehicle dimensions

Length 3.7m Width 1.47m Height 1.8m Empty weight 820kg Door opening > 1.5m x 0.9m (h x w) (ADA compliant) Flat floor area 1.44m x 1.2m Turning radius 5m Max climb angle > 20% Planned climb angle 10% Planned descent angle 6.25%

ULTra PRT Page 9

Vehicle dimensions for ADA access - in millimeters

5.1.b. Vehicle performance

Max speed 25 mph Emergency deceleration rate 3 m/s^2 Maximum range on a battery 25 miles charge Maximum payload 500 kg

5.1.c. Vehicle configuration and features

Powertrain, and Energy Systems • ‘7kW’ Synchronous AC Drive Motor (Typical average motive power use < 2kW) • Solid State Drive Controller / Inverter • 4 x 45Ah Starved Electrolyte Lead Acid Traction Batteries (rear mounted) 48V nominal • Automatic Charging Connection System • Fixed ratio transaxle assembly • Front Wheel Drive

ULTra PRT Page 10

Braking Systems • Drive motor regenerative braking • Fail Safe Electromagnetic ‘hold off’ Motor Brake (1) • Fail Safe Electromagnetic ‘hold off’ Rear Wheel Brakes (2) • Safety interlocks between brakes, motor and doors

Vehicle braking system Chassis, Suspension and Steering Systems • Fabricated Aluminum ‘Ladder Frame’ lower chassis with structural Aluminum Honeycomb floor and bulkhead Panels • Separate Front and Rear Aluminum fabricated subframes with mountings for suspension, steering, motor/ transmission and batteries • Bumper structure designed to progressively absorb impact energy and limit passenger deceleration • Welded Steel tubular upper frame to support exterior and interior bodywork, side doors and front / rear hatches • Double Wishbone suspension Front and Rear using predominantly aluminum machined wishbones, coil over damper units and standard automotive joints, bearings and bushes • Rack and Pinion steering gear operated by Automotive Electric Power Steering unit • 13” with automotive tubeless radial (135x70R13) tires

Vehicle Chassis and Frame

Exterior Body, Doors and Glazing

• Body panels constructed in self colored ABS with high gloss Acrylic capping • Vacuum formed exterior panels bonded to vehicle structure • Twin leaf plug and slide doors • Doors actuated by dc motors through reduction gearbox and locking linkage system • Microprocessor controlled door operation • Door leaves constructed of ABS panel, steel reinforcement and bonded laminated (tinted) glass • Flashing door header rail warning • Vacuum formed tinted Acrylic ‘Quarter Window’ glazing Vehicle body, doors and glazing • External vehicle operating lights (Front White and Am ber, Rear Red and Amber)

ULTra PRT Page 11

Interior and Passenger Controls Vehicle interior • Interior panels vacuum formed from grey, grained ABS • Seats facing front and rear providing flexible accommodation for 4 adults • Illuminating Door / Control switches • Illuminating Communication / Alarm switches at both ends of vehicle (diagonal pair front right and rear left) • Cabin speakers (one with each communication panel), ceiling mounted inductive loop and microphone for passenger communication • Internal and externally releasable emergency exit (locked while vehicle in motion) • Passenger information LCD screen • Internal lighting sufficient for reading Vehicle interior button s • Vehicle signs / symbols and information labels • Non-slip easy clean floor covering • Cabin heating, ventilation and air conditioning • Cabin smoke detector, emergency fire extinguisher and two internal CCTV monitoring cameras mounted in ceiling to monitor all of cabin • Weight sensors to monitor vehicle loading and prevent operation if overloaded • Wireless communication system for 2-way data, passenger comms and command exchange between vehicle and system central control

5.2. Control System

The vehicles are controlled by a central control system which determines availability of the route a vehicle will take on the guideway network, determines the start time of each vehicle on its chosen journey, monitors the positions of all operating vehicles in transit and manages empty vehicles. The nature of the control system is “synchronous” which means it ensures the vehicle does not start its journey until a clear path is available to the destination. This is similar to an air control system booking ‘slots’ along a track. Hub of the control system

The management of empty vehicles is a key function of the control system and governor of overall system performance as it ensures that empty vehicles are most efficiently positioned within the guideway network to cater for anticipated or emerging demand, with minimal passenger waiting times (ordinarily the vehicles wait for passengers at the berths and the target time from a passenger selecting a destination at the station to commencing the journey, is less than 30 seconds). As part of the overall control system there is an independent Automatic Vehicle Protection system (AVP) which ensures vehicles on the guideway are separated by a safe distance at all times.

ULTra PRT Page 12

5.3. Guideway

The guideway is a two-meter-wide trough, comprising a flat floor with a central cable tray and 18” high “kerbs.” The guideway is unpowered. It can be constructed of different materials to suit the particular application, examples include steel with pre-cast concrete plank, fiberglass grid floor or simple concrete base with either concrete or plastic kerbs at ground or floor level. The guideway is of lightweight construction due to the low overall loading (British Standard for a footpath is 5kN/m2, ULTra loading is 2.2kN/m2) This low overall loading also allows the vehicles to run on existing building floors without significant strengthening or modification.

Guideway: left: at Cardiff test track, middle: at Heathrow, right: architect’s cantilever concept

Guideway: 20% occluding at Cardiff (fiberglass grid running surface)

ATS’s rider research tested the visual impact of ULTra guideway: “No respondent felt that the vehicle appearance was poor, indeed the majority thought the vehicles would look excellent. The visual appearance of the elevated structure was regarded generally as good, with 40.4% rating it excellent. It is especially noteworthy that the response to the elevated track gave a notably positive response, with no definitely negative responses and only 2.6% feeling that it could be difficult.”

ULTra guideway is fabricated off-site. On site, a four-person crew can assemble two miles of guideway per month.

ULTra PRT Page 13

5.3.a. ULTra Guideway Dimensions

Elevated guideway width 2.1m Typical elevated guideway headroom 16 feet Typical column spacing 18m (36m or greater is possible)

Typical guideway cross section

5.4. Stations

A) Heathrow four -berth station, B) typical ‘open environment’ station in a temperate climate

Stations are dedicated vehicle stopping areas with between one and six berths, with each berth having full height, electric sliding platform screen doors which are synchronized to open with the vehicle doors.

5.5. Capacity

Typical PRT capacity calculations are provided below. 20% empty vehicles is assumed in the calculation to derive vph (vehicles per hour) and capacity at 4 ppv (passengers per vehicle). PRT headways will begin by being “large” (6 seconds) at Heathrow. It is expected that safety certification bodies will gradually allow reduction in headways over time, after many miles of

ULTra PRT Page 14

reliable operation at the previous . “Pax/hr” (passengers per hour) capacity is also calculated for a single station berth:

Capacity per PRT "loop" Headway (seconds) 4 3 2 1 vph (20% MT) 720 960 1440 2880 4 ppv 2880 3840 5760 11520

Capacity per station berth load/unload 30sec trips/hr 120 pax/hr 480 PRT Capacity per Hour

5.6. Benefits of the ULTra System

5.6.1. Passenger Benefits

From the passenger’s perspective, ULTra offers many benefits compared to other forms of public transport and dedicated guideway systems. Some key benefits are:

• Virtually immediate service • Non stop travel with no need to plan trips • Privacy of travel • Accessibility : The system is available to all, including the young, the old, and those with disabilities. • Short, predictable time to destination • Avoids congestion

The ULTra vehicles are spacious with seats for 5 adults and ample space for shopping, wheelchairs and luggage. The vehicles include heating and air conditioning for extreme climates.

The vehicle features a flat floor which aligns accurately with stations to allow safe easy access for wheelchairs, luggage and people. The vehicle meets ADA access requirements. Disability groups have tested the system and commented very favorably on the attractions of the system. ATS has been involved in discussion with the UK Government mobility groups since the start of the design to maximize accessibility by all groups of users.

Interior vehicle features

Controls, lighting and information systems are designed to the latest standards to aid usability.

ULTra provides a fully personal and secure service. Passengers have exclusive use of their vehicles and travel only with chosen companions. The system can readily be arranged to offer fully private vehicles and/or fully private stations not accessible to other users.

ULTra PRT Page 15

5.6.2. System Purchaser Benefits

Optional layouts, showing lightweight infrast ructure and minimum impact to the environment

The key benefits to the system purchaser (for example developer, local authority or airport) are: • Materially lower capital cost than current options such as light rail or APM, resulting from small scale of the vehicles and lightweight infrastructure. • The combination of the small vehicle turning radius, ability to function on steep (10%) slopes and lack of disturbance through noise or vibration of the surrounding environment, will allow ULTra to be retro-fitted into existing environments that could not accommodate other traditional mass transit solutions. • Installation flexibility and reduced installation time when compared to either or light rail systems • Major environmental gains both in energy requirements during construction and ongoing power consumption. Power is only used when it is needed and there are zero emissions at the point of use

5.6.3. Community Benefits

ULTra provides benefits to the community as a whole. ULTra is energy efficient, and should meet the 2050 Kyoto sustainability targets. In addition, ULTra reduces congestion as the automated control allows high utilization. The lightweight vehicles permit light infrastructure with less land acquisition and less visual intrusion. The infrastructure may be readily integrated into . ULTra is exceptionally quiet, measurements on the prototype vehicle running at 10m/s give 45dBA at 10 m, around 20 dB less than cars. Energy Consumption diagram

ULTra is complementary to existing public transport providing a systematic solution to distribution of travelling passengers over the last few miles of typical journeys without the use of roads.

Resource usage is also considerably reduced because of the small scale of the system. Each vehicle does the job of about forty automobiles in the city and therefore requires 1/40 th of the resources. Infrastructure costs, and resource use are down by a factor of between six and ten compared either to roads or freeways, or to conventional light rail / APM systems.

ULTra PRT Page 16

5.7 ULTra Safety Certification

Worldwide, there are 144 automated fixed guideway transit systems operating. These carry more than 4.6 million passengers per day (source: Planners Guide to Automated People Movers, 2006/7), operating with 100 times fewer accidents per passenger mile compared to both a) non- grade separated transit such as Commuter Rail and LRT and b) private automobile travel.

ULTra is compatible with federal and state PRT safety standards as well as national fire escape code. There will be approximately 361 different “safety cases” for a Santa Cruz PRT implementation, covering: earthquake, crashes into column, falling debris, fire, bad people, extreme weather, vehicle fails on guideway, slipping on stairs, etc.

Safety in all aspects of the design, construction and operation of PRT is ATS’s first priority. So far as practicable we have designed out risks so as to minimize human error. The wide range of experience held within the team at ATS, combined with the expertise of members of the independent Safety Verification Team, means that a culture of positive but direct challenge to the detail of the proposal is embedded within the project team.

The process by which UK ULTra safety approvals were obtained is similar to that employed within the US. A Preliminary Hazard Analysis (PHA) was undertaken and mitigating features identified. The residual risks were classified in terms of frequency with which an accident may occur and the worst case harm that could be caused by the accident. A frequency and severity score, agreed with the UK Rail Authority, was applied to each possible accident. A risk ranking score was then obtained by multiplying the frequency and severity scores. These risk ranking scores were then applied to a risk classification matrix that identifies a set of risk acceptability criteria, again agreed by the UK Rail Authority. The residual risks from the PHA were deemed by the Rail Authority to be acceptable.

In the U.S., Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 659 delegates fixed guideway (PRT, APM, , LRT, heavy rail, , and heritage trolley) public transit safety certification to the states, with a series of minimum requirements placed on each state’s regulatory agency. CFR 659 envisions mature transit systems and, accordingly, is less rigorous about “designing safety in” in comparison to the UK Rail Authority safety regime. There are 44 regulated fixed guideway systems in 27 states. In California, fixed guideway regulation is overseen by the California Public Utilities Commission.

There are four important CFR 659 definitions which ATS will employ: • Safety means freedom from harm resulting from unintentional acts or circumstances. • Security means freedom from harm resulting from intentional acts or circumstances. • System Safety Program Plan (or SSPP) means a document developed and adopted by the rail transit agency, describing its safety policies, objectives, responsibilities, and procedures. • System Security Plan (or SSP) means a document developed and adopted by the rail transit agency describing its security policies, objectives, responsibilities, and procedures.

The CFR 659 process follows the same generic steps for any state, with a few customizations within each state implementation:

A Rail Transit Agency (RTA) is formed to operate an ULTra system • The RTA informs the state fixed guideway safety regulator of intent to operate a fixed guideway system

ULTra PRT Page 17

• A competent, independent safety team is formed to certify the ULTra system. The state regulator is required to analyze the qualifications of the safety team and approve the team. • A Safety Certification Plan is written and reviewed at least 12 months before approval to operate is given. • The SSPP and SSP are written, following applicable standards. For PRT certification, the ASCE (American Society of Civil Engineers) APM Standards, Parts I-IV should be followed. • Once documentation is in order and commissioning has completed, a public hearing is held to grant safety certification, allowing the ULTra system to begin operation. • Once a system begins operation, the RTA is expected to conduct internal safety audits.

This CFR 659 process can be closely matched to existing Heathrow ULTra Safety Certification documentation, with implementation-specific modifications. Many of the 361 Heathrow “hazard cases” can be copied over directly. The current Heathrow ULTra documentation is closely matched to the ASCE APM Standards and an ASCE compliance matrix was developed for BAA at Heathrow.

BAA and ATS have had representation on the ASCE APM Committee for a number of years and are active in evolving the APM standard to better comprehend PRT. For early ULTra systems, the existing standards are acceptable.

ATS has found that engagement with the relevant safety authorities at an early stage provides the surest route to successful approval.

5.7.1 NFPA130 Evacuation

ULTra’s non-electrified passive guideway meets U.S. National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 130: Standard for Fixed Guideway Transit and Passenger Rail Systems. For NFPA evacuation requirements, ULTra passengers may exit the front of the vehicle and safely walk on the guideway. Safety rails are attached to the guideway, primarily for safety of maintenance personnel, but the rails also serve to ensure safety of evacuating passengers.

5.7.2 Safety References

• "FTA 49 CFR (Code of Federal Regulations) Part 659 Rail Fixed Guideway Systems; State Safety Oversight; Final Rule, " ( http://transit-safety.volpe.dot.gov/publications/sso/49CFRPart659_FinalRule/SSOFinalRule.pdf ). • “San Francisco International Airport AirTrain System Safety Program Plan, Revision 1,” August 25, 2005. 49 pages. http://www.ultraprt.com/AirTrain_SSPP_Rev_1_-_Final.doc • “On Site Safety Audit of San Francisco Airport Airtrain,” California Public Utilities Commission (PUC), 2004. http://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/word_pdf/AGENDA_RESOLUTION/41123.doc o Safety-critical employees are drug-tested. o The audit made 10 recommendations for improvements. o Bombardier designed, built, and operates AirTrain. Primus Industries supplies operating and maintenance personnel. o AirTrain holds annual emergency drills involving first responders (IE fire, police, and emergency medical.) o Formal Emergency Evacuation Procedures are in place. o An Operation and Maintenance Rulebook, easily readable by mildly skilled operations and maintenance personnel, should be created, with source control. When new operating rules are issued, each employee is required to sign a form acknowledging receipt. Instructions for calibration of tools and test equipment

ULTra PRT Page 18

should be provided. For vehicle, station, and guideway inspection, tolerances and other quantifiable metrics should be provided to determine if an item conforms. o A vehicle history preventative maintenance database must be kept. o Pages 11 thru 35 provide California PUC’s Audit Checklist. • ASCE Automated Standards Committee: http://www.apmstandards.org/ • “Safety Certification of MUNI’s Advanced Train Control System: A View from the Trenches,” http://www.tsd.org/papers/rv3018.pdf (San Francisco MUNI) • NFPA 130: http://www.nfpa.org/aboutthecodes/AboutTheCodes.asp?DocNum=130&cookie%5Ftest=1

5.8 Manufacturing

For a Santa Cruz ULTra system, 75% or more of manufacturing will be local to Santa Cruz.

5.9 Santa Cruz salt air conditions

The ATS Cardiff test track is located just a few meters from the ocean, hence precautions against salt air have already been proven out: • ULTra guideway steel and concrete are specified for robust lifetime performance in salt air • The ULTra guideway fiberglass grid floor is chemically stable, so is robust in salt air conditions • Marine-grade paint is specified • Electrical equipment boxes are give additional weather protection

5.10 Solar Power

ATS would be very enthusiastic about the integration of solar power generation into a Santa Cruz PRT system. Shown below (for purposes of illustration) is a simple, two-berth open-air ground-level station, suitable for the Bay Area climate. The roof is a PV panel array -- 24 m^2 per berth. Thus each berth will generate an average of 16 kWh per day at 15% efficiency -- 4 kWh more than is needed by average vehicle operations. During the winter, the solar power system should completely power the vehicles, and during the summer, it should produce an excess which could be sold back to the grid.

Solar Power option for further energy efficiency in station berth area

ULTra PRT Page 19

6. ATS Corporate

6.1. Key Principals & Credentials

The company has a high quality management team with clear achievements at ATS and other businesses over many years. The ATS team has met all milestones on its major contracts for BAA (formerly British Airports Authority, the private sector company that owns Heathrow and owns or operates 12 international airports), and the UK Government to time and cost.

CEO Graham Bradburn joined ATS in November 2007 from EMCOR Group (UK) plc. Graham joined EMCOR in 1999 as Group Commercial Director, during which time he achieved the successful start-up (including a private placement) of EMCOR's Middle East Facilities management group. He also sold their South African Business, having participated in the restructuring, which resulted in zero rated investment being realized for £2.7m in 18 months. He also led the expansion of the groups activities in the emerging PFI market in the UK and abroad, successfully leading a team to secure over £500m of projects in the UK, with a further £400m at preferred bidder status and a bid pipe-line of some £6bn including both contractor level and equity level participation.

Prior to joining EMCOR, Graham was Commercial Director at GEC Marconi, where he was responsible for the amalgamation of three separate divisions of the defense software business. Graham's role was pivotal in achieving a profit from a £22 million loss to a £16 million profit. From 1989 to 1993, Graham was Commercial Director at Hunslet Transportation Projects Limited. As one of the original directors of the company Graham had exposure to some of the world's largest industrial concerns and government controlled transport utilities whilst operating in a broad spectrum of environments across the world. Following this, Graham was a commercial consultant in the rail . Graham began his career with Westland Helicopters Limited in 1984, before moving to Metro Cammell Limited in 1986.

Founder and Deputy Chairman Martin Lowson invented the concept when he was Sir George White Professor at University of Bristol. Previously he was with Apollo Space Program, where he led a team of over 50 staff and Chief Scientist of Westland Helicopters, where he established and led the Westland Technology Demonstrator program. He is joint patent holder for the rotor system, currently holding the world absolute for helicopters. Also Director of Corporate Development, Westland plc. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in 1991. He is a Fellow of several UK and US professional institutions.

Operations Director Phil Smith leads the operation of the ULTra system at Heathrow. Phil was previously Managing Director of the private sector Manchester Metrolink LRT system. Metrolink LRT routes cover 37 km (22 mi) with 37 stations, providing 20 million passenger trips per year. Metrolink serves the 2.2 million population Greater Manchester metro area.

Projects Director Danny Lee has 28 years professional experience covering project management, engineering design, international contracting, plant operations and maintenance. Led the completion of the track, tunnels and buildings of St Pancras Station renovation in June 2006.

CFO Mark Hughes has over 20 years experience at Director level, including as Chief Financial Officer in a variety of businesses including large listed companies. Mark has been a chartered accountant for 26 years and brings skills such as business budgeting, forecasting and modeling as well as fund raising.

The majority of the key technical staff have higher degrees. They include:

ULTra PRT Page 20

Torquil Ross-Martin PhD in Automotive Control: Head of Research and Development Keith Edwards PhD in Electrical Engineering: Chief Systems Engineer Chris Featherstone PhD in Vehicle Dynamics: Vehicle Control Engineer Matthew Potts PhD in Aerospace Engineering: Vehicle Protection Engineer Nicolas Zurlinden MSc Engr and MSc Math: Vehicle Control Engineer

In 2002, the company has formed Advanced Transport Systems, Inc., based in Berkeley, to support activities in the US. San Francisco Bay Area-based Principal Consultant Steve Raney has masters in business, computer science, and transportation planning and is a published PRT researcher.

6.2. Partners

ATS has established long term relationships with the following companies, all of whom have been involved in completing the prototype trials site in Cardiff and the new system being constructed at Heathrow.

ARUP (9,000 employee engineering consultant) has been involved with the project since it started in 1995 and has made major contributions to infrastructure design, and more recently transport studies and civil/structural engineering design works for Heathrow. ARUP’s San Francisco office is one likely source of highly qualified California registered structural engineers for a Santa Cruz ULTra project. One of the lead designers of the ULTra Heathrow guideway was John Eddy, Principal at ARUP’s San Francisco office. Some highlights from Mr. Eddy’s resume: • Joined Arup 1998 • CE, States of CA, CO • SE, State of MA • MS, Civil Engineering, Syracuse University, • BS, Civil Engineering, Syracuse University, New York • Member, SEAONC (Structural Engineers Association of Northern California) • Member, AREMA (American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association) • Member, ASCE (ID: 208073 American Society of Civil Engineers) • Publication: San Francisco Transbay Terminal: Integrated Transportation and Urban, Session 395 - in Intermodal Facility Design, Transportation Resource Board 2002 Annual Meeting, Washington D.C. January 2002 • Publication: “Structural Assessment of Restoring Rail on the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge” AREMA 2000 Conference, Dallas, Texas, 2000 • Publication: “Seismic Analysis and Base Isolation Retrofit Design of a Steel Truss Vertical Lift Bridge”, Computers & Structures, No. 72, 1999 • Publication: "Seismic Retrofit of a San Francisco Double Deck Freeway," 9th International Bridge Conference, Pittsburgh, PA 1992 "Analyzing Ductility and Energy Dissipation in Concrete Bridges Subjected to Strong Ground Motion," 3rd NSF Workshop on Bridge Engineering Research in Progress, San Diego, California, 1992

ARRK Technical Services has been involved with the project since 2001 and has made a significant contribution to the overall design as well as being the manufacturer of the ULTra vehicle.

Altran (a €2B French consulting company) has been associated with ULTra via their UK subsidiary Praxis Critical Systems since 1999. This association was strengthened when ULTra won the Altran Foundation prize which provided the company with €1M of support.

ULTra PRT Page 21

BAA, as well as being the customer of the first ULTra PRT system at Heathrow airport, have also become an equity partner to ATS. Through collaboration on the specification and design of the Heathrow system, their expertise has supported the development of significant areas of the customer’s user requirements.

Heijmans are ATS’ business partner in a joint venture to market the ULTra system to mainland Europe and in particular the ‘Low Countries’. Heijmans are a major construction and property development company based in Holland but operating throughout mainland Europe.

Other Relationships - ATS has excellent relations with other potential large partners.

ATOS - Origin (previously Schlumberger Sema) - have a major ticketing capability. ATS has worked with the company to develop ideas on ticketing.

6.3. Customer Reference List

• David Holdcroft, BAA ULTra Project Manager, 2nd Floor - World Business Centre 2, Newall Road, Heathrow Airport, Hounslow, Middlesex, TW6 2RQ. • We have completed studies for a number of public and private sector clients in anticipation of orders in the USA, UK and Middle East. We would be happy to share details subject to mutually acceptable confidentiality arrangements.

7. Procurement Schedule & Studies

An aggressive Santa Cruz PRT system project schedule is provided below. There are multiple ways to procure a PRT system. In the schedule below, ATS suggests a procurement process following the model of the BAA Heathrow PRT procurement. Begin with a vendor-neutral feasibility study. Follow with a vendor competition. Once a vendor is selected, refine the system design / financial model and then negotiate a contract:

Unlike APMs, vendor-specific PRT characteristics differ sufficiently so that it is difficult to conduct an RFP for a specific PRT alignment. For a given PRT alignment concept, vendor solutions will differ on the following: • number and placement of stations • number of vehicles • alignment • station design • operating characteristics • control system.

Because of this complexity, ATS recommends holding the vendor competition early, and then proceeding on a sole source basis.

ULTra PRT Page 22

7.1 PRT System Project Schedule:

'2010 '2011 '2012 '2013 '2014 '2015 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Feasibility study Vendor competition & selection "One-third" design study "Open books" contract negotiation Full design study EIR: author EIR & public process Safety Certification Build & commission infrastructure

Details of some of the Schedule items, such as Feasibility Study, are provided below:

7.2 Feasibility Study Work Scope Workshops

Should a Feasibility Study be undertaken, Work Scope Workshops could be undertaken to facilitate the development of the Feasibility Study RFP.

Create a workable sized group of stakeholders, staff, PRT vendors and transportation consultants to help constrain the feasibility study work scope. Make some initial, rough assumptions for alignments and desired stations. The feasibility study can then analyze the assumptions and have the flexibility to development improvements.

Given a sketch alignment, Work Scope Workshop activities could include: • on-site inspection and discussion of PRT station placement • on-site inspection and discussion of guideway placement • Potential PRT road undercrossings should be examined. • Discuss real-estate development opportunities that may enhance financial performance • Obtain concept feedback from key stakeholders. Will ROW and air right be freely given?

7.3 Feasibility Study (expected cost $400,000-$600,000) • Undertake a funding feasibility analysis. Explore farebox revenue, sales tax revenue, real- estate increment financing, new parking pricing revenue, advertising revenue, etc. It appears that the new Presidential administration may make new infrastructure and “green tech” funding available. An interesting funding analysis starting point is the 2007 Sacramento Riverfront Streetcar Feasibility Study, Chapter 6: Financing: http://www.riversfrontstreetcar.com/images/financeorg_sec6.pdf . This chapter covers a) developer-related funding tools: Community Facilities District (CFD), Special Assessment District, Tax Increment Financing (TIF), and Development Impact Fees; b) city sources: sales tax and general fund; c) regional sources; and d) state/federal sources, including California’s Transportation Bond Package (Proposition 1B), State Proposition 1C for transit- oriented-development, and legislative earmarks. • Refine the PRT system sketch alignment • Conduct a “Community Impact Focus Group” to explore staff and stakeholder values related to implementation of PRT. Weigh the group’s trade-offs between level of service, convenience, visual impact, etc. Record these staff and stakeholder goals/objectives. • Form a committee of landowners and stakeholders to consider PRT and implications, and to contribute to the development of the system funding plan. Ensure that the views of key stakeholders are recorded and accommodated. • Form a “blue ribbon panel” and undertake visits to PRT customer and test track sites. • System travel demand forecast, using a 4-step model. • Develop a geotechnical / seismic “narrative” for column footings.

ULTra PRT Page 23

• Develop PRT O/D matrix. This O/D matrix will be used in the vendor competition for individual vendor simulation runs. • Develop pro-forma financial model with capital costs, annual revenue, and annual operations and maintenance costs. • Sketch PRT station treatments. • Outline the major risks and address mitigation measures • Permitting risk: Investigate which agencies will have jurisdiction and find out what their requirements will be. Undertake a preliminary analysis of any anticipated impacts/problems with permitting and develop a permitting strategy. • Undertake a walking/windshield survey of the alignment to determine what impacts PRT construction will have on existing facilities. Meet with staff and stakeholders to discuss preliminary construction impact mitigation measures. • Develop the PRT “benefits case,” including congestion, emissions, energy use, real-estate, social equity, natural disaster preparedness, and regional objectives. • Develop a procurement plan. • Compare alternative technologies versus PRT on the following metrics: cost, level-of- service, resultant ridership, station catchment size, construction disruption, required construction lay-down area, environmental benefits, scability, ability to modify the alignment after installation, complementary impact on conventional transit, and risk.

At the end of the feasibility study, a final presentation is made to then decide whether to proceed to the next project phase.

7.4 Vendor Competition & Selection

A number of PRT vendor competitive analyses have been undertaken. For Santa Cruz, one course of action would be to analyze previous studies and update these studies based on recent developments. In addition, current PRT customers could be contacted.

Some PRT competitive studies to date: • BAA’s Heathrow PRT vendor competition • PRT Consulting: PRT Vendor Comparison, May 2008 • Booz | Allen | Hamilton, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis study: Defining the Future of Personal Transportation. April 2007.

7.5 “One-third” Design Study by winning vendor • Validate 4-step model travel demand forecast with a second methodology, such as stated preference. • Working with the city, refine the financial model. Include: a) detailed column and footing design/costing for a small set of columns, b) preliminary station design. • Design the fare box / fare gate interface. • Calculate electric load.

ULTra PRT Page 24

7.6 Full design Study • This step includes a full civil design and refines costing further.

8. Contact Information:

Steve Raney Phil Smith Principal Consultant Operations Director Advanced Transport Systems Inc. Advanced Transport Systems Limited 2340 Roosevelt Ave. Ashville Park Berkeley, CA 94703 Thornbury [email protected] Bristol BS35 3UU, United Kingdom Tel: 650 329 9200 [email protected] Tel: 01144 1454 414700

ULTra PRT Page 25