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Personal Rapid Transit

This document provides an overview of personal rapid transit (PRT) systems. It discusses PRT vehicle design, guideway infrastructure design, station layouts, capacity, energy usage, costs, user acceptance, and potential applications. Based on the Morgantown PRT system, PRT can run at high speeds with short headways, reducing energy usage and costs compared to other transit modes. Surveys also indicate high user preference and potential for generating revenue. The document recommends further research, demonstrations, and education to consider PRT as a sustainable transportation alternative.

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Pankaj Kumar
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123 views26 pages

Personal Rapid Transit

This document provides an overview of personal rapid transit (PRT) systems. It discusses PRT vehicle design, guideway infrastructure design, station layouts, capacity, energy usage, costs, user acceptance, and potential applications. Based on the Morgantown PRT system, PRT can run at high speeds with short headways, reducing energy usage and costs compared to other transit modes. Surveys also indicate high user preference and potential for generating revenue. The document recommends further research, demonstrations, and education to consider PRT as a sustainable transportation alternative.

Uploaded by

Pankaj Kumar
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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By :

Dr. Joerg Schweizer (Bologna, Italy) &


Lawrence J. Fabian (Boston,USA)
• To have an overview of PRT system
• PRT technology
• To draw various recommendations for implementation of PRT
1. Vehicle design
2. Guideway
Infrastructure Design
3. Stations
10. Communication means must be accommodated.

11. Expansion
Design so that the system can be expanded indefinitely.
A typical PRT off-line station layout

Off-Line Station Bays


Saw‐tooth off‐line station bays.

Building station
Parking garage stations
and guideways

Airport concourse
station
Urban elevated guideway station
Based on three decades of operating experience at Morgagntown PRT in West
Virginia having 20 passenger vehicle and five off-line stations. The illustrated
comparison is as :

Vehicle Speed : Prototype systems tested at line speeds of 40km/hr . It has


been found that average speed is close to the maximum speed.

Capacity :
Can run at 2 sec headway (i.e. 1800 vehicles or 7200 passengers per hour ).

Capacity can be increased by introducing a denser grid network.


.
Energy usage :
Comparisons indicates an energy reduction of more than 60%.

Costs:
Capital costs have been estimated as $6-8 million/km (5.0-6.5 million €/km)
and is about one third of LRT costs.
For a given investment in LRT, one therefore will get 3-4 times more coverage
and even more stations with PRT.

PRT operation and maintenance costs have recently been estimated to be


less than for bus lines, which are currently considered the cheapest form of
conventional public transport.

User acceptance:
Customer interviews and reactions of test riders show that the vast majority
believe PRT will deliver an attractive service.

Preference for PRT as a transportation mode is significantly higher than for


conventional public transport.

The higher usage of PRT will improve revenues for the operator.

Case studies show that revenues can be sufficient to operate a PRT network
at a profit.
 Networks linking parking garage and rail stations to airport terminals

 Suburban networks designed to enlarge the catchment areas of rail

stations

 Networks for major shopping and office centers providing links to parking

garages, hotels and transit stations

 Networks designed to replace bus service in small towns.


Seating
Capacity Suspended/
System Location Active? Status Guideway Propulsion
(per Supported
vehicle)
Morgantown 8 seated plus
West Virginia Yes In Service concrete supported rotary motors
PRT (Boeing) 12 standing
In testing for supported,
ULTra (ATS Ltd) UK Yes final 4 concrete rubber rotary motors
commissioning wheeled
supported,
Critical Move Portugal Yes In on-site testing 4 seated concrete rubber rotary motors
wheeled
supported,
10 vehicles
rubber
2getthere PRT Netherlands Yes produced for 6 concrete rotary motors
wheeled
Masdar City
(dual-mode)
Vectus PRT
South Korea Yes Full Prototype 4 steel supported linear motors
(POSCO)

Completed
system: 1980's
both, solid
approval for
Cabinentaxi Germany yes 3,12,18 steel rubber linear motors
federal transit
wheels
programs in
Germany and US
Infrastructure investments last for many decades, even centuries. It will be
advantageous to make decisions on PRT based on similarly long perspectives.
To assure sound decision-making, the following are recommended:

1. Consider PRT as an alternative to BRT, LRT, or other rail solutions and


include it in planning studies as a conventional mode.

2. Provide funds to research the potential environmental and economic


benefits of PRT.

3. Provide funds to implement demonstrations of PRT in urban settings.

4. Prepare and circulate literature describing the characteristics of PRT to


architects, city and regional planners, urban transportation officials, and
elected leaders.

5. Organize conferences, workshops and seminars to convey this body of


knowledge to interested officials and professionals.
With its narrow guideways and short curve radii, a PRT network can be
readily integrated into existing city districts, with stations close to the user.

Stations inside buildings are a promising option, especially in hot or cold


weather areas.

PRT can provide substantial transportation service while requiring a tiny


fraction of urban land, leading to the potential for highly livable, higher density,
more sustainable urban areas.

In short, this mode of transportation can be used as sustainable transport


system ,since it causes no pollution issues, less or no traffic congestions
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_rapid_transit#Vehicle_design
2. http://faculty.washington.edu/jbs/itrans/simu.htm
3. http://transportation.wvu.edu/prt
4. http://ec.europa.eu/research/environment/newsanddoc/article_2650_en.htm
5. http://www.edmontonprt.com/WHAT%20IS%20PRT.htm
6. http://www.edmontonprt.com/PRT%20SYSTEMS.htm
7. http://advancedtransit.org
8. Dr. Joerg Schweizer (Bologna Italy), Lawrence J. Fabian (Boston USA) ,“The Case
for Personal Rapid Transit (PRT)”

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