Wednesday, July 05, 2006

Personal Rapid Transit Follies: One More Ride on the Merry-Go-Round?

David Gow, the silly PRTista who has a blog about me that spells my name with asterisks has a breathless announcement on his Seattle PRT site that Ed Anderson wants to give the PRT flim-flam one more try:

Some more information has been received over the e-transom about Dr. J. Edward Anderson 's new company, PRT International.

The original February news release announcing formation of the company imparted that it would perform "forward planning, design and development" of PRT systems. Tantalizing hints, but what are the details?

The answer is that Anderson intends to create a new PRT design, another entry in the suddenly growing PRT sector that already includes ULTra, Vectus, Taxi 2000/Skyweb, Skycab and MicroRail, among others.


"Growing PRT sector"?!?! What a joke!!! Here comes some more techno-mumbo-jumbo:

Anderson described his test track as a 409 x 632-foot oval with 2100 feet of elevated guideway, one large curve, two small curves, and a siding with station/maintenance building. Vehicles will test at speeds up to 35 mph in the large curve and deceleration to 20 mph in the small curves. Six acres will be required although Anderson writes that land not needed for PRT infrastructure can be used "for other purposes."

To do the work he intends to contract a number of engineering firms to develop the final plans and specifications for the vehicles and test track. Each firm will specialize, working separately on the guideway, chassis, cabin, station facility and control system.

He believes he can do it because he has already done it once, designing Skyweb Express and supervising the prototype's construction.

"I can get the whole job done for under $10 million," Anderson wrote. In addition to his Skyweb experience he cited availability of adequate design software as reasons for his confidence.


Yeah, sure... we've heard it all before, Ed.

There isn't even a web site for Ed Anderson's PRT International... just a domain name.

3 comments:

A Transportation Enthusiast said...

Shame on Anderson! How dare he continue to innovate even after Avidor has taken great pains to discredit him and his work! He should bow before the God of Light Rail and cease his PRT heresy!

And how about this report? Is it true you're anti-footbridge, Ken?

Avidor said...

SuperMale? I don't see it listed on Jerrry Schneider's gadgetbahn site. Must be new.

Is Jarry a member of the Advanced Transit Society?

A Transportation Enthusiast said...

Shame on Jerry Schneider! How dare he maintain an informative web site about new transportation research and technologies! He should know that the Internet is not about spreading knowledge and information! These are the weapons of the gadgetbahners!

No, quite the contrary, the true purpose of the web is political attacks and propaganda! Schneider should get himself a copy of Photoshop and fill his website with some real content.

There should be laws against what Schneider is doing.