A PRT system is technologically feasable. We can do it! The problems are
the old ones that have hit anything requiring large investments. The
mechanical, social, and political engineering required to get the thing
actually built and running is immense.
Another quirk of the American psyhie, is that we seem to be better able to
handle getting in the auto in a ramp (costing $185/mo), and spending a
half hour or more in traffic, than we are able to handle spending 10
minutes in line waiting for our PRT-car to show up. We LIKE the illusion
of moving forward all the time, rather than really-quickly in short and
efficient bursts. And then there is that stranger thing... a lot of
people feel somewhat uncomfortable around strangers.
In order to get the auto-driving public out of their cars and into
PRT-cars a few things need to happen. They don't all have to happen, but
it certainly helps.
One BIG thing that will help, is if the system were able to deliver a
PRT-car to your front door. Not two blocks away, not 'around the corner
and a bit,' but to your front door. Unless you can match the convienience
of /a car in your driveway/, PRT will have to elbow its way in on other
fronts:
Such as:
* Cost-to-operate, as perceived by the consumer (most folks don't know
that their car is costing them $125/month (or whatever) just to care and
feed the thing, and license it with the State, plus planned/unplanned
maintinence)
* Absense of visual blight ("A network of concrete pylons? That'll be like
a whole mess of over-passes to spray-paint! And won't it look
ugly?" Another attitude that'll need changing, unless PRT can be brought
down to the existing streets somehow)
* Absence of pollution, as perceived by the consumer (noise, odors, etc)
And that's just what I can think of right now.
PRT in the forms I have seen it proposed, is wrong-headed and attacking
the problem from the wrong direction.
Greg Riedesel
South St Paul
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