Personal Rapid Transit in New Zealand - Future Transit Now

This paper compares the middle two options among the spectrum listed above. Alternative #3 will be referred to hereinafter as "Single Mode" or SM. Alternative #4 is called "Dual Mode" or DM. DM has the advantage over SM for auto drivers that the same vehicle may be taken for any trip, just as occurs now with one's own automobile. In many respects, DM is much like the system envisioned by advocates of alternative #5, an Intelligent Vehicle Highway System, except that special narrower guideways could be used for the automated guideway portion of the trip.

The paper reviews the evolution of the PRT concept from its modern beginning in 1953.  The early inventors, the projects, and the response of government are discussed.  PRT activity diminished to almost nothing by 1980, but then revived strongly as a result of activity by the Northeastern Illinois Regional Transportation Authority.  Their interest ignited enthusiastic activity on a growing front to the point that today one can truly say that the concept is coming of age

In this paper, Dr Ed Anderson gives a complete and concise view of the rationale of PRT, its history, current status, and potential. This is a robust technical explanation complete with the data and arguments needed to help planners and engineers get a full understanding.

The Intelligent Transportation Network System (ITNS) is a totally new form of public transportation designed to provide a high level of service safely and reliably over an urban area of any extent in all reasonable weather conditions without the need for a driver’s license, and in a way that minimizes cost, energy use, material use, land use, and noise. Being electrically operated it does not emit carbon dioxide or any other air pollutant.

This remarkable set of attributes is achieved by operating vehicles automatically on a network of minimum weight, minimum size exclusive guideways, by stopping only at off-line stations, and by using light-weight, sub-compact-auto-sized vehicles.

With these physical characteristics and in-vehicle switching ITNS is much more closely comparable to an expressway on which automated automobiles would operate than to conventional buses or trains with their on-line stopping and large vehicles.  We now call this new system ITNS rather than High-Capacity Personal Rapid Transit, which is a designation coined over 35 years ago.

A table of contents of papers by Dr JE Anderson on PRTNZ.com