What is Personal Rapid Transit?
True PRT systems typically differ from other APM systems by having to meet the conditions set forth in guidelines 3 through 7. Based upon these guidelines, there is no PRT system currently in operation anywhere in the world. The Morgantown system, connecting the University of West Virginia with the Morgantown Central Business District (CBD), probably comes closest to satisfying the above requirements with the exception of the capability to provide exclusive individual/group use.
PRT vehicles could easily accommodate handicapped riders.
A PRT system offers many potential advantages over existing modes of transit. Some of these advantages include the following:
- Customer-oriented approach which provides on-demand non-stop service anywhere in the network and which allows the individual the privacy to travel alone or in a small group.
- Automated vehicle control and station fare collection which reduces labor operating costs.
- Higher seat-utilization than other forms of mass transit which yields increased operational revenues.
- Minimal stop-and-go travel, thereby reducing travel time and increasing customer appeal.
- Reduced guideway size and right-of-way requirements due to smaller vehicles and dynamic loading effects; this acts to reduce guideway costs and visual impact.
- Reduced station size resulting from smaller vehicles, high station areal densities, high station vehicle throughput and real-time system allocation of vehicles; this again acts to reduce station costs and visual impact.
- Technically feasible with off-the-shelf technology, due in part to advances in linear induction motor propulsion, lightweight materials, solid state electronics, automated fare collection and passenger handling, and computational tools for component and network design.
- Ability to be implemented in an incremental manner; beginning as a single loop, the network could evolve into a comprehensive system as demand warrants.
Ticket purchases could be performed using ATM style technology.
More PRT Background...
Some Frequently Asked Questions concerning PRT...
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