February 2019
From the President
Greetings! ATRA board member, Gene Nishinaga, began his career working for Boeing on the Morgantown PRT control system. Inspired by Morgantown's offline stations he later, as manager of R&D at BART, spearheaded an investigation into the pros and cons of the PRT model. The landmark findings of this work have only now been made public. Read about the study here and learn more about the business case for ATN (personal and group rapid transit).
As always, enjoy reading!

Best regards,
Peter Muller, ATRA President
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ATRA News
IS THERE A CASE FOR HIGH SPEED, HIGH CAPACITY ATN/PRT SYSTEMS?
Since its initial introduction in the U.S. in Morgantown West Virginia in 1975, the concept of Automated Transit Networks (ATN; also called Personal Rapid Transit, PRT, or Group Rapid Transit, GRT) has struggled to achieve widespread acceptance as an approach for public transit. Despite the initial enthusiasm for the Morgantown project, other cities have not embraced the ATN concept as an attractive mode of public transit, while cities around the world continue to spend large sums of money to deploy conventional metro rail systems.

In the analysis presented here, ample and fundamentally-sound reasons have been identified for the ATN/PRT concept to be promoted as more than a first/last mile mode of transport. Adoption and deployment of this concept would require the industry to embrace the automated, driverless vehicle control concepts that have now been pioneered by Transit Control Solutions, Inc. 
History of the Advanced Transit Association (ATRA) Year by Year (23)
by J. Edward Anderson, first ATRA President.

1998 – The Twenty-Third Year.

Other News
Loren Pahlke: The city of Boulder needs personal rapid transit
Getting around in Boulder grows ever more frustrating. We have tried one-way and right-sized streets, back-in parking, eco-passes, on-demand pedestrian crossings, and bike-to-work days. Nothing seems to diminish the conflicts that stem from the relentless growth in traffic. I don't think conflicts are inevitable, but to address them we first need to place the interests of transportation users on a par with the interests of transportation planners.

Soon, you can go around Dubai on 'Sky pods'
The annual World Government Summit (WGS) is a platform for presenting new ideas and game-changing technologies, including the future of transportation. 

Two years ago, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) unveiled its vision for flying taxis and this year on display at WGS 2019 are two models of Dubai Sky pods.

Pod taxis as metro feeders? Karnataka govt revives controversial project
The pod taxi proposal was shelved by the Karnataka government earlier this year after facing severe opposition from activists and experts, who called it a meaningless extravaganza.


This refers to the Bangalore PRT project.
(PRT) Personal Rapid Transit Station
This image has appeared on the website of AI-A, a design and service-oriented architectural and planning firm located in Tel-Aviv.: One assumes it is depicting the Skytran system. I find it strange the way the guideway disappears behind the building, yet the tiny vehicles are parked in front of the platform.

The future of smart urban mobility is here
Middle East Smart Mobility is a strategic high-level conference and collocated exhibition covering major industry trends from intelligent transport systems, autonomous travel, urban planning, sustainable mobility, payments and ticketing, big data and analytics, connected transport and much more. Bringing together over 200 speakers and 7500 attendees from across the region, this event will cover the entire smart transport ecosystem.

Potential of light rail schemes hailed for future urban travel
Call for evidence launched to seek views on the potential for new light rail and other rapid transit solutions in English towns and cities.

Minister Jesse Norman launches call for evidence to seek views on the potential for new light rail and other rapid transit solutions in English towns and cities

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport Master Plan
PRT Consulting participated in the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport Master Plan. The Draft Report is now available. Here is an image of the Terminal Area Plan showing PRT deployments landside and airside.

Axing of Glasgow Airport rail link plans heavily criticised by business bosses
Glasgow Chamber of Commerce and Renfrewshire Chamber of Commerce chiefs say decision to look instead at 'previously discounted' PRT option 'extremely disappointing'

Glasgow Airport rail link plan axed again
PLANS for a rail link from Glasgow city centre to the airport has been ditched – for the second time.

Ten years after the original Glasgow Airport Rail Link was scrapped, plans to replace the current tram-train proposal with a rapid transit system between the airport and Paisley have been unveiled instead.

Glasgow Airport rail link to be ditched for rapid shuttle pod to Paisley
THE rail link to Glasgow Airport is likely to be ditched in favour of a shuttle system to Paisley.

A Personal Rapid Transit shuttle pod between Glasgow Airport and Paisley Gilmour Street has emerged as the likely alternative to a full tram-train rail link.

Development-oriented transit – Now there’s an idea!
In the past on the Air Quality Matters blog and elsewhere I have talked quite a bit about transit-oriented development or TOD. But, I’ve yet to discuss – here or elsewhere – development-oriented transit or DOT. That stops right here, right now.

Ultra PRT Ltd.
Ultra PRT Ltd is a new UK-based company that is marketing the Ultra PRT system all around the globe. They have an extensive pipeline of large PRT projects including ones in India and the UAE that have been mentioned here.

The above links are to articles that appear relevant to advanced transit but no guarantee is made as to their accuracy and no verification of the integrity of the associated websites has been made.

Editorial comments are in italics.
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