About ATNs
The innovative transportation technology that CALII has become familiar with, and which it advocates a responsible consideration of, is termed an Automated Transit Network (or “ATN”, and sometimes “PRT”). ATN is a network of automated, driverless vehicles (or “podcars”) sized efficiently for one person or a small group of individuals. Its vehicles are available “on demand” on a 24/7 basis (no fixed timetable) and travel via a web of dedicated guideways (either elevated, at or below grade) in order to avoid conflict with conventional vehicle and/or pedestrian traffic. All ATN stations are located “offline” (unlike conventional transit) so that the system’s vehicles will skip (or bypass) the intermediate stations (without other passengers aboard there’s no need for vehicles to stop and load/unload at each station) and travel “direct-to-destination” until each individual car reaches its journey’s end. In addition to moving people, an ATN system is theoretically capable of also transporting cargo.
In general, ATN systems offer the prospect of combining the flexibility and convenience of personal vehicles with the energy savings, emission reductions and other efficiencies of mass transit. The low weight of ATN's small vehicles will mean smaller guideways and support structures than those of existing mass transit systems such as light rail. These smaller structures translate into lower construction costs, smaller easements and less visually obtrusive infrastructure (or none visible at all should routes be run underground).
The animated video below describes a hypothetical application of an ATN system for a business campus and explains with via visual examples many of those characteristics that we briefly discussed above:
The general concept of an ATN system is not new. The first ATN system was designed and built as a government-funded experiment connecting the campus of West Virginia University with the nearby City of Morgantown in 1975. It has been in continuous operation since then, and has travelled more than 22 million miles; is currently used by 15,000 people daily during the school year (more than 83 million since its opening); has provided over 98% reliability; and has experienced no deaths or major injuries. The Morgantown application is a form of ATN often termed Group Rapid Transit (or “GRT”) with each car seating 8 passengers and carrying a total of up to 20 passengers who are transported to their designated destinations.
In addition to Morgantown there are several other operational ATN systems. One is a 10-vehicle system at Masdar City in the United Arab Emerites installed by 2getthere. At London’s Heathrow Airport there is a 21-vehicle system by Ultra PRT that has operated since 2011. Lastly, a 40-vehicle system with “in-line” stations was built in Suncheon, South Korea by Vectus and was officially opened, in April 2014 following a year of testing. More information about these vendors and their systems follows.
THE NETHERLAND’s 2GETTHERE
In 2010 the Dutch company 2getthere opened its first permanent Personal Rapid Transit (“PRT”) system to the public at Masdar City in the United Arab Emirates. The city was designed from scratch as a friendly home for commercial and manufacturing facilities that specialise in environmentally friendly products. The City’s design envisioned a perimeter wall allowing narrow and shaded streets and without cars to help cool the city. 2getthere has also developed it Group Rapid Transit (“GRT”) system. Earlier this year Dubai committed to a GRT system to link its new waterfront living destination of Bluewaters with the city’s network of metro stations. This matched that city’s objective of having 25% of its trips completed by automated systems by 2035.
ULTRA at HEATHROW AIRPORT
Ultra (for Urban Light Transit) is an ATN (or PRT) system developed by Ultra Global PRT of Great Britain. After running on a Cardiff test track the first public system was opened at London's Heathrow Airport in 2011. It was made up of 21 autonomous vehicles running on a 2½ mile track. To reduce its construction costs Ultra made use of many standard products such as rubber tires that run on top of an open guideway to achieve what it believes and economic solution. The system has carried over 700,000 passengers and in May 2013 celebrated reaching its 1 millionth autonomously driven mile.
South Korea’s Vectus
Vectus is a South Korean owned company which built a full scale ATN test track in Sweden to demonstrate its product would meet the elements for commercial application in 2007. The track was fully certified and approved by the Swedish Rail Agency and since over 2,000 visitors have ridden the system. A 40-vehicle Vectus system with in-line stations officially opened to the public in Suncheon, South Korea, in April 2014 after a year of testing.
Of Greek Mythology and Our Unsolvable Transit Problems
For some time it has been known that our current urban transportation modes do not meet the needs of many and are unable to economically cover an entire metropolitan area. Buses are expensive to operate; rail systems are expensive to build and operate; and both are losing ridership in less dense suburban areas. Although the automobile provides good access for those who can afford a car it increasingly causes our society high costs in congestion, harmful emissions, economic inefficiencies, injury accidents, legal actions, and land use (for roads and parking). It is also a source of significant expense for our families, including the purchase price, fuel, insurance and maintenance.
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While the ATN concept has been around for decades, and there has been interest in its potential, the technology has not progressed satisfactorily. The uncertainties and risks associated with an unproven new technology have caused delay in its development. While many want to be second, none want to be first. CALII, reflecting back on Ancient Greek history to the time of Alexander the Great, has labeled this problem as being a form of “Gordian Knot” (hey, after all, we do have academics on our Board). The four corners of the Gordian Knot are made up of:
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Regulatory Agencies – Our PUC cannot create a set of standards for an undeveloped concept;
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Local Government – Municipalities & agencies are reluctant to adopt new technology with performance/value unproven;
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Federal Government – Won’t finance R&D to demonstrate value because of perceived lack of interest by Local Government; and
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Industry – Won’t invest in development of ATN without evidence of there being a market.
A graphic representation of the ATN Gordian Knot:
Developing a complex integrated system to serve a wide urban area appears to be beyond the capabilities of individual vendors. They can develop elements of the technology, but the development of an integrated system (including human factors, regulatory requirements and building a market) requires significant funds and a development process that includes a number of component manufacturers, regulatory participation and a broader view than simply to get a single technology which could become a technical, social, economic or political dead end. Small businesses that have pursued this in the U.S. are inadequately funded to develop systems that can be purchased using conventional purchasing methods at reasonable risk.
Despite the foregoing, we believe there’s a path to break the impasse (or, cut the Knot!). This would involve bringing together a group of authorities (government, military, transit, port, airport, etc.) with business having an interest in addressing the problems. An ATN system could then be funded, built and deployed as a Demonstration (or “Pilot”) Project at an appropriate military base or corporate campus setting. This application could then become a national focal point for the development, specification and certification of systems with a reasonable level of risk - such that ATN could then be procured through conventional processes and systems by public and private entities around the country.
Inglewood California
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San Diego California
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