Creating Fully Sustainable Walkable Communities with PRT (Personal Rapid Transit)

Abstract

An emerging automated transit system, PRT can provide exactly the solution that has been sought to create fully walkable sustainable communities. This advanced technology allows for the full integration of walk-ability and the mix of other low tech solutions such as the bicycle. PRT (personal rapid transit) is currently either being implemented — such as at Heathrow airport or in the planning stages linking airport and surrounding transit village concepts such as at Sam Mineta airport in San Jose, California. PRT not only brings a greater level of service to the user due to its point to point movement pattern, but smaller driverless automated vehicles can provide linkages to sustainable energy sources and provide smaller more frequent stations for a fully compact walkable community. This paper shows how this critical balance between machine movement patterns, the built environment and the pedestrian can occur can occur with the application of PRT.