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Twin Town High (vol. 8) |
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PRT: An Idea Whose Time
Wednesday 12 May @ 13:34:14 |
 RE: The Road Less Traveled: The Pros and Cons of Personal Rapid Transit
(Pulse 4/28/04)
Many years ago the City of Minneapolis proposed building the Downtown Skyway system. There was no lack of criticism regarding this proposal. However, city leaders evaluated the facts, ignored the nay-sayers, and moved ahead. Today the Minneapolis Skyway is an integral part of downtown culture.
Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) shares a similar scenario. It is easy to be negative about a system that has not been built, and many people are taking full advantage of the opportunity to make fanciful arguments about PRTs supposed failings.
Minneapolis City Council-member Dean Zimmerman is proposing a PRT system for the downtown area that would connect the Hiawatha light rail line, the U of M West Bank and the downtown parking ramps with the greater downtown area. It could be a great thing.
A person riding the system could travel nonstop from one end of downtown to the other in less than 10 minutes. Many of the stations could allow the rider direct access to the Skyway. The computer control system will take care of driving your PRT car non- stop to your destination. It would be available on-demand 24 hours a day.
PRT runs on electricity and generates no “onsite” pollution (the electrical plants do pollute, however) making it attractive to downtown areas of poor air quality.
PRT can be built over existing streets and sidewalks without shutting down current auto and pedestrian traffic. It can even use existing bridges where necessary to cross a river. A pole is placed every 90 feet to support the 3x3-foot guideway that the cars ride upon. The system is sound enough to continue functioning uninterrupted even if a pole is damaged or removed! PRT can grow too. New track sections and stations can be built and easily connected to the existing sections.
Both the installation and operating costs for a PRT system are inexpensive compared to conventional mass transit systems.
PRT could become a major business for Minnesota. The U of M continues to hold many patents on this homegrown technology, and would receive royalties on any developed system. PRT vehicles, guide ways, software and technical expertise created here could be sold around the world and be a boon to the local economy.
The design for PRT has been thoroughly thought out. Decades of engineering work have been performed, and worst-case scenarios have been analyzed. Solutions to problems such as motor failure, loss of electrical power, severe weather, vandalism, loss of supporting poles, computer failure, petty vandalism, etc have been devised and are incorporated into the current system.
 [Right]Minneapolis Council Member Dean Zimmerman’s proposed PRT network.
It is unfortunate that some people ignore reasoned arguments and contrive the most ridiculous scenarios to criticize PRT.
A rebuttal of all possible concerns is not possible here, but the websites — skywebexpress.com and cprt.org — both contain many articles dealing with the concerns that people have expressed about PRT.
The City of Minneapolis has a decision to make. A careful look at the facts and data regarding PRT makes a compelling case for implementing it downtown. PRT could revolutionize our city the same way our current skyway system has.
PRT is an idea whose time has come.
Kurt W. Allen
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