Odd Things Found on Public Transit

Sometimes the press hands you an article that just seems tailor-made to point out the differences between traditional, large-vehicle transit systems and personal rapid transit. A recent article from Deseretnews.com titled "TRAX facility's abuzz at night" is just perfect. (If that link no longer works, we have thoughtfully mirrored the article HERE

• Maintenance scheduling and facilities size
  The TRAX facility has to turn around 33 vehicles in just six hours - an impressive logistical feat. And there is a nice photo of the impressive facility required to maintain multiple 100 foot long, 40-ton vehicles simultaneously while moving them through the system.

  But a PRT system doesn't have just the evening to process vehicles. Each vehicle represents a small fraction of the system capacity, and the fully automated system can direct vehicles to the maintenance facility as needed. This allows cleaning to carry-on throughout the day with only a few vehicle out of service at any given time - so the cleaning facilities can be smaller. 25 PRT vehicles, about one-percent of the projected fleet for a starter PRT system in Austin, would require only about 250 linear feet of space. That's about the length of a single, typical, light rail train and the vehicles are narrower than LRT to boot.

• "Lingering" Customers
  TRAX occasionally finds drunken passengers who have ridden the vehicles all the way to the maintenance depot. One wonders how much time may pass if the person had a (more) serious medical problem, before they are found by maintenance personnel.

  No transit system can really prevent intoxicated people from using the system, and we really wouldn't want to since many would end up driving instead. But PRT can at least make sure they get off by having each user press a button in the vehicle to open the door when arriving at their destination. If the door is not opened in thirty seconds (for example) after arrival, the system operators can be notified of a potential problem and contact the vehicle via intercom system, observe it with the station's closed-circuit security cameras, and summon medical or law-enforcement personnel if needed.

• Drug Paraphernalia
  Again, it is almost impossible to keep people from bringing stuff aboard a public transit system. The personal rapid transit difference is that others are not forced to share the vehicle with the person that discarded these items.

• Two Years Spent Repairing Car 1016
  Three simple words: Full Grade Separation.

  With a fleet of 33, over 3% of TRAX's capacity has been sitting unused for the two years required to repair it. With light rail cars costing upwards of two million dollars apiece, how many tax dollars are being sucked up in interest expense for this before factoring in the repair costs?