Forget the space race of the 50s; we are now in the second
leg of the race for urban space!
While building space stations and traveling to the moon was
battlefield earth during the cold war, our current focus has
shifted to a more invasive potential threat – global
warming. Like the space race, this has lead to many innovative
strategies and technologies - some of which could enable our
societies to to grow and expand in a more sustainable fashion.
Taxi into the future
Take, for example, the research and development of J. Edward
Anderson, designer of SkyWeb Express and CEO of Taxi 2000 Corp.
in Deluth, Minnesota, or the work or Professor Martin Lowson,
leader of a graduate-team at Bristol University’s Advance
Transport Group in the UK. Both have been inspired by the challenge
of urban transportation and congestion, and both have come
up with a seemingly viable solution – Personal Rapid
Transit (PRT). The question is, which country will be the first
to implement it.
Lets start in Duluth 
Anderson, a rocket scientist, has spent over 20 years developing
an automated magnetic monorail system that uses small,
lightweight cars to transport up to four passengers at
a time. Designed to travel on a series of elevated track,
travelers can arrive at a station, hop in the first available “taxi”,
swipe a prepaid fair card, punch in the destination code,
and then buzz off at a speed of 30 mph to arrive uninterrupted
a short while later at their predetermined stop. It may
sound a little sci-fi, but it PRT technology is gaining
enough attention from government agencies, City Councils
and urban planners worldwide to soon become a common reality.
So far, Taxi 2000 Corp. has the support of four American
cities whose councils are looking at doing feasibility studies
and building test tracks. Based near Duluth, the company’s
biggest fans are, not surprisingly, in Duluth – where
the technology’s proponents see PRT technology as an
opportunity for the city to be a leader in the manufacturing
and maintenance of SkyWeb Express track, stations and vehicles,
as well as host the university to train its engineers and
operators.
Recently, Minneapolis City Council Member Dean Zimmerman
has been lobbying to develop six miles of SkyWeb Express
in Minneapolis and sees it as “the most significant
innovation for cities since the introduction of the automobile”.
According to one news report, Zimmerman – a geographer
and ex-truck driver - has drawn a detailed map proposing
a 42-station system meandering 30 miles between a Minneapolis
suburb, its downtown and the University of Minnesota. Other
interest comes from Cincinnati, OH, Long Branch, NJ, and
even Hong Kong.
 Hailing the next cab with optimism
Despite all this interest, however, no city has actually got
the system operational do date, but the Taxi 2000 Corp is
optimistic that city budget considerations will help enable
its implementation. Zimmerman supports this optimism in a
statement to the Southwest Journal citing PRT as cheaper
to operate than buses or light rail - 38 cents per passenger
mile, versus 50 cents and $1.42 respectively. It is also
cheaper, he claims, to develop than light rail and its costs
relating to pollution are also less.
Taxi 2000 Corp. also feels that there will be enough commuter “buy
in” to create a successful business model. Benefits to
riders, such as being able to arrive nonstop at their destination,
almost never having to wait for vehicles, and the ability to
ride privately, they claim, will be alluring enough to pull
people out of their cars and onto the rail. Thus, this low-cost
system will not only pay for itself, but earn a profit as well.
In addition to the financial benefits, Anderson feels it is
the system’s flexibility that will be it’s greatest
asset. “There are several features that give SkyWeb its
incredible flexibility” he says. “First, its vehicles
are guided by an automated control system. Second, its stations
are offline, which means they don’t interfere with the
flow of its vehicles. And third, the privacy of rides ensures
that riders never have to stop to let strangers get on or off.”
So, while we are still waiting for that future taxi to arrive,
what is happening in Europe and the UK? We will journey there
to find out in part two of this series.
Photos and illustrationss courtesy of SkyWeb
Express.
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