People often debate the identity of the Triangle, but our sprawl is very much a part of that identity, and an attractive attribute for many. Mass transit should wait until we have a critical mass of people in this area who are interested in living an urban lifestyle.

The central question to me is; will building these rail lines attract the critical mass that is not currently present? My opinion is no, but that is just my opinion.

You’re correct that there will be significant expenses for studies, engineering, etc.

Stations can largely be integrated into existing buildings, using their elevators and stairs. All that’s needed is a platform, ticketing, safety doors, etc.

I’m not aware of any PRT designs that use track switches. Switching is all done from the vehicle. It’s not that expensive.

Vehicles do not need to go 50-60 mph to be competitive with cars. With off-line stations and non-stop travel, speeds of 30 mph would be faster than the typical trip time with automobiles. With stoplights, congestion, parking, etc., the average trip speed for automobile traffic is in the 20 mph range. With frequent stops, LRT is not much faster.

Control systems exist that have been used for other applications that have all the underpinnings required for PRT. This is not as big an issue as you may think.

Depending on system capacity, a PRT system could be built for around $15-20 million per one-way mile. If there are significant land acquisition costs, then it would cost more; however, if there’s room for a streetlamp, there’s probably room for PRT.

PRT a black hole with no hope of return whatsoever? Really? That’s like saying man will never fly. What state did the first motorized flight take place in? Hmmm.

The mind boggles. I think commuter rail Raleigh-Durham, with a RTP station in the middle (and shuttle buses therefrom to the rest of RTP) is clearly the way to start. If it starts really filling up and clogging the rails needed for high speed traffic, a parallel light rail spine would then make sense.

The CORE (Center Of the Region Enterprise) is a joint committee with representatives from all the entities that build and plan infrastructure in the heart of the Triangle. These entities include Durham County, Durham City, Wake County, Raleigh, Cary, Morrisville, NCDOT, RDU Airport, RTP, and Triangle Transit. They have studied several possibilities for transit connectors and circulators to link the moderate-density activity centers in the RTP region: (1)(2)(3). Options range from a simple APM connector between the airport terminal and a rail station, to a fancy transit loop at least 10 miles long. Technologies they have considered include people mover, guided bus, dedicated bus roadways, etc.

Given the enormous investment obviously under consideration here, the distances between the activity centers, the level of activity at each of them, and the technologies already under consideration, I don’t think it would be a stretch to say PRT might find a real niche here. But regardless of the technology, this is not going to be a replacement for a higher-speed, higher capacity line that carries large numbers of peole from downtown Raleigh to downtown Durham

My question is, regardless of the technology, would such a plan be worth the additional cost over a shuttle bus system like what is already in place? Obviously some whizbang PRT or APM or guided bus would have a better public image, and probably be easier to use, but we’re talking lots of money here.

But I think it can also work in the TOD model, with local PRT circulators extending the reach of existing trains to neighborhoods further from the line. I also see the possibility that PRT could lead to TOD in transit-sparse areas where cars dominate, by creating an easy-to-use transit system which can draw people out of cars. Once the stranglehold of the automobile is broken, other transit might be more viable. PRT’s ability to draw people from their cars would be central to this approach.