SD6 - Personal Electric Rapid Transit System Technology (PERTS)


Executive Summary:
Senate Joint Resolution No. 80, passed by the 2002 Session of the Virginia General Assembly, requested the Secretary of Transportation to determine the desirability and feasibility of supporting the development of Personal Electric Rapid Transit System (PERTS) technology, currently housed at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. This resolution suggests that the PERTS technology might be useful in decreasing Virginia's highway traffic volumes on Interstate Route 81 through shifting travelers to a passenger rail or transit facility. This resolution expresses a concern that many of the Commonwealth's highways are experiencing a decrease in safety because of significant increases in traffic. Of apparent particular concern to this resolution are the current and projected levels of traffic on Interstate Route 81 (i-81). The objective of this study was to determine if the PERTS technology is a viable alternative to expanding the number of lanes on I-81.

Personal Electric Rapid Transit System (PERTS) is one of the two product groups formed under the Virtual Corporation at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. The Virtual Corporation is a student managed corporate enterprise whose purpose is to provide students with the opportunity to gain hands-on professional business experience within the campus environment. PERTS is a conceptual transportation system that would use electromagnetic levitation (MAGLEV) to move vehicles along a steel or concrete track. The envisioned PERTS system would allow individuals to drive their personal automobile onto a "pod" (pallet on demand). The vehicle would be secured to the pallet, then the pod would ride using magnetic levitation on an elevated guide way. At the appropriate exit, the vehicle would be driven off the pod and then to the final destination. In its current state of development, the Virtual Corporation students have demonstrated the Maglev technology with a 1/40 - scale prototype that operates on a 16-foot long track. PERTS is a technology that is still in the early conceptual research and development stage and one of many interesting new transportation technologies that are being studied at engineering colleges across the United States. Additional information regarding the PERTS project can be found on the project website at: http://www.perts.ece.vt.edu.

Regarding the applicability of PERTS as a transportation alternative in the Interstate 81 corridor, its consideration as an alternative mode would be premature. For a transportation system to be included as an optional mode in a transportation alternatives analysis, it must be a proven technology and not an experimental technology still in the research and development stage. Until a new system has undergone extensive operational testing, the performance, safety and reliability of the system as well as the actual cost to build and operate the system cannot be determined with any accuracy. It is not possible to include a transportation system among alternative systems being evaluated without an accurate estimate of the systems the performance and cost. For this reason, any study of transportation alternatives in a corridor will limit the transportation alternatives considered to proven technologies.

CONCLUSIONS

• The Personal Electric Rapid Transit System developed by the Virtual Corporation at Virginia Tech, appears to provide an excellent learning experience for students in a number of disciplines.

• While the Personal Electric Rapid Transit System is an interesting new concept in transportation technology, it is currently in the very early stages of research and development and therefore cannot appropriately be included in an alternatives analysis for improvements to the I-81 corridor.

• The Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation, in cooperation with the Virginia Department of Transportation, currently is evaluating rail passenger and freight improvements that can help solve the congestion problems on I-81. This evaluation will focus on the innovative application of proven technologies.

RECOMMENDATIONS

• The PERTS team should consider developing a business plan and seek out venture capital, from the private sector, to fund the development of a full-scale model and test track.

• The Virginia Transportation Research Council is developing a set of milestones that a new technology must pass in order to be considered a proven technology. The PERTS team should use these as a guide for the further development of their project.

• Transportation policy makers should use caution when considering investment in untested, high-risk new technologies. The appropriate role of the public sector and the risk to taxpayer dollars of supporting conceptual transportation technologies should be carefully examined - especially in difficult economic times.

On January 15, 2003 at the workshop meeting of the Commonwealth Transportation Board, the Department of Rail and Public Transportation will be conducting a presentation on public transportation technologies. This presentation will examine the functionality, state of development and appropriate applications for existing and new technologies in the public transportation industry. This meeting will be held in the Central VDOT Auditorium at 1401 East Broad Street in Richmond and is open to anyone who would like to learn more about the state of public transportation technology.