Ken Avidor is hardly an unbiassed critic. His comments on PRT give new meaning to the phrase "going ballistic".
I share with him a dislike of the car-freeway-oil-bigbox culture. It's beyond me why we can't try a small demo installation somewhere, in Mpls preferably, to see if it works. If it fails, or if people just don't like it, that's the end of it. If it did work and was liked and so had stations no more than 3 blocks from anyone's home, it would put a big dent in car ownership, car driving, new freeway building, MNDOT, big boxes near the freeway ramps, TIF for mega-complexes based on mass car culture, gas and oil and concrete sold, third world wars for oil, big contracts for the building trades to build the most expensive forms of transportation, infrastructure hostage to peak oil (the end of cheap energy). These dents are not to the liking of the mega-powerful interests mentioned above; it's understandable they would launch the usual media wars they're so good at against PRT. PRT as I see it means many stations, small businesses by each one, no large parking lots needed, equal access for small businesses and coops as vs WalMarts, dependable service 24/7, no local pollution, low noise (as opposed to cars at 60 on freeways). Suppose ward 6 had the 60 or so stations Dean Z envisions, and served Lake St, Hennepin, downtown skyways, LRT stations, Minnehaha, the West Bank, and all the area inside that circumference. I think many people would MOVE to ward 6 to live that vastly changed and better greener life. Businesses would soon follow. Other wards would then demand the PRT system be expanded YESTERDAY so they would gain rather than lose residents and businesses. Ditto other cities. It would spread the same way single payer health care did in Canada - first in Saskatchewan, then as businesses flocked there the other provinces DEMANDED the same, to stop the loss of their businesses. The forces against PRT can see this possibility as well as I - that's why they don't want EVEN ONE WORKING EXAMPLE (of the Taxi2000 style) - the flood gates would open, and their monopoly power and profits would vanish. So expect these big interests to be their usual unethical underhanded nasty selves. Follow the money. --David Shove Roseville On Tue, 4 Jan 2005, Barbara Lickness wrote: > Robin is right, I did not write the article. Joshua > Frank did. I only passed it along. > > I discussed some of the comments made on the list with > Ken Avidor, a highly knowledgeable transit oriented > friend of mine. He said: > > Never argue with PRT fanatics...it's a waste of time. > You can't win because unlike real modes of transit, > PRT doesn't exist. They just make it up as they go and > move the goal posts when you win an argument. They > just love to argue and waste people's time. > > As far as technical reasons why PRT is bogus, there's > this link to the Greenway's transcript of their two > meetings on PRT: > > http://www.midtowngreenway.org/programs/transit/PRT_page.htm > > Jim Graham said: > > "A system that connected the Minneapolis downtown > along Nicollet Mall with the Dome, the University, and > Convention Center, would be a tourist plus;" > > Dean's plan doesn't go into downtown because of the > skyway's. > > Dean's plan is available here: (Don't confuse the > purple lines as PRT lines. That is the skyway system) > > http://www.cprt.org/Minneapolis/default.htm > > The problem of visual pollution of monorail structures > is explored on this website: > > http://www.WhatDoesItLookLike.com/ > > It's ridiculous to imagine that Zimmermann's $600 > million plan would be accepted by homeowners... > especially owners of historic buildings. > > Perhaps the SWJ or the Strib could do an article on > PRT for and put the facts out there from an unbiased > reporters standpoint. Get the opinion of Dennis G. > Morris, the Right of Way Engineer for the City of > Minneapolis about the expense and feasibility of > siting a PRT monorail structure along the city's right > of way. > > Barb Lickness > Whittier > > > > ===== > "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change > the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." -- Margaret Mead > REMINDERS: > 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL > PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. > 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. > > For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html > For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract > ________________________________ > > Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy > Post messages to: mailto:[email protected] > Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls > REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[email protected] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
