# Personal Rapid Transit: The future or not?



## Cunning Linguist (Apr 27, 2006)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_rapid_transit

Do you think PRT is the future for urban travel? I think so. In fact, I came up with this idea independently and really wanted to put it into action - however I discovered about a month ago that it's been around as an idea for like 50 years.

I would replace all cars with PRT which would free up the streets for bicycles/walking. There would also be a conventional mass transit system for hub to hub travel.

A differential pricing scheme at peak times/how early you book will help ease congestion at peak hours and encourage demand at periods of low utilization.


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## 2co2co (Apr 8, 2008)

Can't really imagine this in central NY, Tokyo or HK - just not enough capacity....

Maybe in medium~small cities.


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## Cunning Linguist (Apr 27, 2006)

Cars are just as space inefficient yet we make full use of them.


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## davsot (Dec 27, 2008)

no, definitely not the future. Mass transit allows people to be more social, and you're going to trade it all for this?


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## Cunning Linguist (Apr 27, 2006)

davsot said:


> no, definitely not the future. Mass transit allows people to be more social, and you're going to trade it all for this?


Are you joking? Mass transit? Social?

It's the opposite.

When was the last time you struck up a conversation with someone on your underground system.

Mass transit is there to move a **** load of people fast and efficiently around the place without taking up too much room.

The three major weaknesses however are that

1. You can't get to specifically where you want to go - there will always be walks getting there, getting on, getting off, and getting to where you need to go, not to mention changing lines at interchanges if the line you're on doesn't go where you're going.

2. Trains stop and start - it would be much quicker and efficient if trains didn't have to stop and pick up passengers all the time.

3. Trains are inefficient if passenger numbers are low - you can never have a 2am-6am service as they're too big to justify the available demand (without sacrificing waiting times). A PRT could be customized to have exactly the right number of shuttles available to match demand - this is made even more efficient if people book in advance.


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## urbanfan89 (May 30, 2007)

We already have Personal Rapid Transit.

It's called the "Automobile".

There are many special guideways called "expressways", and the PRT vehicles run on a liquid petroleum-derived fuel.

Unfortunately many urban areas have relied too much on PRT for their transportation needs, causing problems such as congestion, pollution, and a loss of vitality.


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## ChrisZwolle (May 7, 2006)

urbanfan89 said:


> We already have Personal Rapid Transit.
> 
> It's called the "Bicycle".


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## davsot (Dec 27, 2008)

Cunning Linguist said:


> Are you joking? Mass transit? Social?
> 
> It's the opposite.
> 
> ...


yea ok. I think the bike is better. :tongue2:


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## davsot (Dec 27, 2008)

Cunning Linguist said:


> 1. You can't get to specifically where you want to go - there will always be walks getting there, getting on, getting off, and getting to where you need to go, not to mention changing lines at interchanges if the line you're on doesn't go where you're going.


If I'm not mistaken, rapid trasnit will also be on tracks so it won't be able to go everywhere either.... That's the reason I made the comparison to mass transit.




Cunning Linguist said:


> 2. Trains stop and start - it would be much quicker and efficient if trains didn't have to stop and pick up passengers all the time.


Agree. This one is for you my friend. 





Have you seen this video before? Isn't it something you always wanted to move out of the concept stage?


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## Ro-E (Dec 29, 2008)

Cunning Linguist said:


> Are you joking? Mass transit? Social?
> 
> When was the last time you struck up a conversation with someone on your underground system.


I met 3 of my past girlfriends on the train.
Plus multiple casual talks to strangers.
Plus one job offering.
Even the occasional train breakdown can be considered a good thing, because the minute the driver announces it, people have something to rant about *together*. :lol:

But maybe i'm just on the right train. :dunno:

Still, i'm all in for replacing cars with PRT in major cities because:
1. PRT units move in perfect sync, safely allowing higher speeds. For instance if one unit has to make a sudden emergency stop, all the units behind will stop also- they are networked and not humanly flawed.
2. PRT are much more flexible than a car. They serve many daily routes of different people.
3. They are a public means of transport, that is acceptable to people that can afford a car.
4. They don't need huge, ugly, space consuming parking lots. period. 

Yet PRT is no good in countryside situations... way too much infrastructure for a remote village\small town.
I think the bigger the city, the better it is for PRT, of course not as a replacement of mass transit.


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## siamu maharaj (Jun 19, 2006)

ChrisZwolle said:


>


I don't think it'd be my vehicle of choice when I'm wearing a suit to a meeting 20 kms away in 40C heat.


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## davsot (Dec 27, 2008)

then don't bike to your destination. The ideal thing would be to bike to your nearest mass transit stop or to live close to work so you can walk there, but we still have to get around to doing many of these things.


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## GENIUS LOCI (Nov 18, 2004)

I think PRT system can fit 'internal' transit of 'distict/complex' as exibition center, airports or University

In Milan it is forecasted a PRT in a Universitarian district

Anyway in Perugia, a city of 100k in central Italy, they built something like that for rapid transit, even if it is not exactly a PRT. 

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=470790


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## Ro-E (Dec 29, 2008)

GENIUS LOCI said:


> I think PRT system can fit 'internal' transit of 'distict/complex' as exibition center, airports or University
> 
> In Milan it is forecasted a PRT in a Universitarian district
> 
> ...


If it's to become just an internal transit for universities, you might as well use a shuttle. and by shuttle i mean van. :rofl:

as for airports, I've heard of the heathrow PRT project, but it only proves that PRT can serve masses. heathrow basically needs a system to transfer as many people that might come in waves, to the remote parking. this isn't PRT in all its glory.

PRT is flexible. i think it should be connected between inner city hubs, along main commercial streets. its also very quiet, another quality that is not important in an airport, and very important in the city.

if it can carry masses, it can do so in a flexible and SMART manner. sounds right to me. i can't wait to hear more about masdar city PRT. :banana:


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## GENIUS LOCI (Nov 18, 2004)




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## thecarlost (Nov 6, 2005)

I'd think it is mostly suited for fair complexes, industrial sites, amusement parks. Can't really imagine it serving a certain flow passengers/time.


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## Ro-E (Dec 29, 2008)

thecarlost said:


> I'd think it is mostly suited for fair complexes, industrial sites, amusement parks. Can't really imagine it serving a certain flow passengers/time.


i guess that is the billion dollar (much more actually) question!
what is the PPH(Person Per Hour capacity)? 
though we assume it will be carrying 1.2 people per "pod", it doesn't get stuck in traffic. 
the only weakness point is how long it takes people to get on and off + how many "parking" spaces the busy stations have. as long as the stations have enough "parking" space, it will be fine, since as long as its not stuck in queue for a station, the ways wont jam.
meaning: there are no traffic lights since traffic is perfectly timed. hence no jams caused by junctions.


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## davsot (Dec 27, 2008)

interesting video


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## GENIUS LOCI (Nov 18, 2004)




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## davsot (Dec 27, 2008)

^^^^^^^^ lool

I could imagine the perfect city with HSR for regional transit ULTRA for intercity transit and bike paths for recreational transit and aviation for intercontinental transit. 

I just think ULTRA looks and sounds expensive. I'm sorry for my skepticism but after seeing the video I'm less skeptical. I hope its launch in Heathrow makes it more viable for everyone else.


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## Ro-E (Dec 29, 2008)

davsot said:


> I just think ULTRA looks and sounds expensive. I'm sorry for my skepticism but after seeing the video I'm less skeptical. I hope its launch in Heathrow makes it more viable for everyone else.


It is expensive. but so is anything that works. 
Iv'e seen a guy here from ALS, claiming its more cost-effective than LRT, even in terms of Person-Per-Hour-Per-Dollar.
lets all take a second to doubt that. but maybe he's right.

Point is, Heathrow won't show the PRT's true value, since it will only prove what we already know- PRT is comfortable, and preferable to taking the bus. 

I bet heathrow won't charge anything, since inner airport transit is usually free of charge. this will only establish PRT as a utopian transit. 

Unfortunately, griding an existing city with PRT is somewhat of a leap of faith. :badnews:


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## davsot (Dec 27, 2008)

let's consider it a good first step. I'm sure everyone else is going to use their design as an example for future PRT projects.


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## Ro-E (Dec 29, 2008)

yup


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## Ocean Railroader (Jun 18, 2011)

There was something like this in the 1900's around 1909 and it was a mini streetcar that rode around on streetcar tracks in the City of Richmond the mini streetcar sat about eight to 15 people and it was very tiny compared to a full sized one. And oddly it's at a local museum it looks like the 1900's version of these in how it's smaller and more personal than a full sized streetcar or subway car.


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