Things to know about PRT
PRT stands for Personal Rapid Transit. PRT is not new - first approaches date back to the 1950s. In the 1970s it first became concrete with several prototypes in Germany, but these did not catch on.
Currently, there are several isolated applications that are in use at different locations worldwide. Most of them are not real PRTs, because the vehicle is shared with other people (GRT - Group Rapid Transit) or they are only simple point-to-point connections, but not a route network. Also, today`s solutions are usually too slow and not scalable, as they are tailored to a specific application (like UltraPRT at London Heathrow Airport).
FAQ - Public Rapid Transit
Personal Rapid Transit is still at the very beginning of its success story. The technology must first be matured to a point where it is ready for use, but PRT is not just a technological issue. Much depends on political will and public opinion. That is why RethinkRoads tries to reach as many people as possible who are committed to a traffic turnaround!
PRT will gradually establish itself, analogous to many other technologies. Where the traffic problems are greatest - in the inner city - PRT will be introduced first. Gradually, the networks will expand until a nationwide transport system has been developed. At that point at the latest, the demand for private vehicles will drop very sharply, so that roads can now be returned to the general population for walking, skating and cycling!
It is true that development will require high investments, which must be financed first. However, the construction and operation of Personal Rapid Transit will be significantly less expensive than the current means of transport.
A large network can use intelligent routing (similar to Internet packets) to ensure optimal system performance. Organizational measures (flextime at companies, different starting times in schools) as well as dynamic pricing can also relieve the system. A simulation of all traffic flows and stops ensures that the system is sufficiently efficient even at the planning stage. In addition, the network can be expanded at any time to include additional stops or traffic routes to which the traffic can be distributed.
