You'd think the University of Minnesota's Center for Transportation Studies would steer clear of PRT. But, the CTS invited the pod hucksters to table at yesterday's 2011 Transportation Career Expo at the Coffman Union.
Screenshot from the Citizens for Personal Rapid Transit (CPRT.org) website:
The CPRT's website announcement says they would talk to students about the "emerging PRT industry"... which of course there isn't much of what could be described as an "industry" and the flawed, absurd PRT concept has been "emerging" since there was a guy in the White House named Dwight Eisenhower... PRT is that old, I'm not kidding.
A student sent me photos of the CPRT table at the jobs expo. In this photo you can see what appears to be the same PRT promoter in this You Tube video I made of the CPRT guys at the 2008 Living Green Expo.
The University should also be concerned by what is clearly visible in the photo below - on the right corner of the table, a stack of maps created by disgraced former Minneapolis Councilman Dean Zimmermann:
This San Jose Podcar conference newsletter also has the PRT map created by Zimmermann.
Click on the screenshot to make it bigger:
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Apparently, Dean Zimmermann is still very much a part of the CPRT. Andrea "Drea" T. Walker, the newly elected chair of the CPRT lists Dean Zimmermann as one of four "Prominent Minnesota People in PRT". Not mentioned is the fact that Dean Zimmermann was convicted on 3 counts of bribery in 2006. The CPRT likely violated their non-profit status by electioneering for Zimmermann and other PRT-promoting candidates in the 2005 election. The CPRT used to meet at Dean Zimmermann's home, but now meet in restaurants and park buildings.
In addition to taking bribes, Dean Zimmermann tried to convince real estate developer and government witness Gary Carlson to invest $250,000 in PRT:
A while back, I videotaped Zimmermann protesting reality-based transit and promoting Personal Rapid Transit at a transportation forum. Zimmermann gave me a tortured explanation for accepting cash from FBI witness Gary Carlson and refused to sign a waiver for the FBI tapes shown at this trial:
Members of the Citizens for Personal Rapid Transit (CPRT) also spread the nonsensical conspiracy theory that Zimmermann was framed by the FBI:
Recent news about the ongoing, worldwide pod boondoggle:
Daventry citizens say "Pods Off" to PRT TWICE!
Duluth News Tribune article about Taxi 2000 trying to restart Duluth pod project - hilarious comments.
The Pawlenty administration wasted thousands of taxpayers' dollars promoting personal rapid transit .
PRT is so not happening at Heathrow.
Pod people invade Newport News ( the article quotes retired professor Vukan Vuchic)
Bizarre hearing for wacky Jpods proposal for Hull, Massachusetts. Video: Bill James Pitches Jpods Resolution to Hennepin County.
Taxi 2000 Corporation spent nearly $80K on lobbying in Minnesota in 5 years. Taxi 2000 lobbyist and Bachmann pal Ed Cain also lobbied for the phony U.S. Navy Veterans Association charity.
The Swedish/Korean PRT prototype malfunctioned in front of the media.
The Masdar PRT (actually computer-guided golf carts that follow magnets imbedded in the roadway) has been scaled way back, This setback got a mention in the NY Times and confirmed in this Bloomberg article. New post-mortem: "Masdar City Abandons Transportation System of the Future".
The so-called Morgantown PRT (it's a mundane people-mover) was the subject of a student newspaper editorial after a malfunction created a "fireball" and filled a vehicle with smoke. The cost of fixing the Morgantown boondoggle is $93 million. Twitter Reveals Morgantown WVU Personal Rapid Transit's Frequent Breakdowns.
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