Personal Rapid Transit is new idea for public transit that is not mass transit. This concept has in the past seen development here in Minnesota, though the idea is now coming to fruition abroad, most notably with the ULTra project at Heathrow airport.
Uh, the launch of the glorified golf carts at Heathrow has been postponed more times than anyone cares to remember.
....The PRT concept originated in the 60s...
Wait, Ian you started off saying PRT was a "new idea". PRT is a really OLD idea.
....and by now technology has more than caught up, though many questions remain, especially about construction costs, politics, safety, research, etc.
Yeah, a lot of questions, like how the heck can you get approval to build two-story PRT monorail structures on streets with a clear view into people's bedroom.
I am not involved with any PRT technology, but I have found it interesting and have followed its progress, and it has several features that I think will make sense particularly to a technical audience. This presentation will describe PRT and compare it with traditional transit options. PRT has traditionally been the source of a controversy (even derision) in transit circles, and though I'll be presenting a largely pro-PRT viewpoint I will encourage the audience to challenge that viewpoint at any time. No, wait... this is BarCamp, there is no "audience"! I mean my fellow presenters who just happen to be sitting across from me.
Okay, presenters here's some recent news about the ongoing PRT fiasco, ask Ian about some of them:
Petulant PRT promoters acting up again.
Skytran in Detroit? Meet Skytran CEO,
Another Crackpot Personal Rapid Transit Proposal Bites the Dust (Almelo)
Strange Minnesota industry - 3 Proposed PRT Projects, 6 PRT Companies and 2 PRT Lobbyists.
Former Rep. Mark Olson Returns to Capitol as a lobbyist for would-be PRT vendor proposing $100 million pod project in Coon Rapids.
The CPRT table at U of M Jobs Fair. Convicted felon is spokesman for the CPRT.
Daventry citizens say "Pods Off" to PRT TWICE!
Duluth News Tribune article about Taxi 2000 trying to restart Duluth pod project - hilarious comments.
The Pawlenty administration wasted thousands of taxpayers' dollars promoting personal rapid transit .
PRT is so not happening at Heathrow.
Pod people invade Newport News ( the article quotes retired professor Vukan Vuchic)
Bizarre hearing for wacky Jpods proposal for Hull, Massachusetts. Video: Bill James Pitches Jpods Resolution to Hennepin County.
Taxi 2000 Corporation spent nearly $80K on lobbying in Minnesota in 5 years. Taxi 2000 lobbyist and Bachmann pal Ed Cain also lobbied for the phony U.S. Navy Veterans Association charity.
Federal Funding Nixed for Winona Personal Rapid Transit Project
The Swedish/Korean PRT prototype malfunctioned in front of the media.
The Masdar PRT (actually computer-guided golf carts that follow magnets imbedded in the roadway) has been scaled way back, This setback got a mention in the NY Times and confirmed in this Bloomberg article. New post-mortem: "Masdar City Abandons Transportation System of the Future".
The so-called Morgantown PRT (not a true PRT system) was the subject of a student newspaper editorial after a malfunction created a "fireball" and filled a vehicle with smoke. The cost of fixing the Morgantown boondoggle is $93 million. Twitter Reveals Morgantown WVU Personal Rapid Transit's Frequent Breakdowns.
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