Jack Slade's Sky Trax Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) Video

Jack Slade is a PRT inventor with a dream... and an attitude:

Some people on the list probably think that I am one of the most out-spoken SOB's they have ever heard of.

He sure is... here's the out-spoken SOB inventor's rant about passengers shooting terrorists with bullets "dipped in pig blood":

Terrorism and Transportation Choice
Thu, 2010/02/04 - 12:00am

Dennis, we went through the whole buildup of aviation mostly in the years 1945 to 2000 without having to restrict firearms on aircraft.

During thise years, can you name me one problem that ever occurred, or one persin that was ever injured? If you can, it certainly did not ever get published in the aircraft accident and incident reports that I was reading constantly during that period.

Lesser of 2 evils....which would you prefer,(1) a trained, armed, passenger or (2) a terrorist who has total freedom to kill everybody on board? If you really want to put the fear of Allah into these terrorists, you should make it be known that ALL your bullets have been dipped in pig blood. All the Military bullets, too.

Jack Slade

Here's Jack Slade's video of his Skytrax PRT model:




Jack Slade got himself onto the list of would -be PRT vendors on the City of San Jose website:

Co-founder of Winona Tea Party Patriots Opposes Pods

Winona Daily News:

Chasco, the co-founder of the Winona Tea Party Patriots, called for the city to reduce its dependence on state and federal aid, with a goal of eventually being self-sufficient. In his opening statement, he talked about how he wanted to "lessen our dependency on aid that requires us to lose our freedoms." He also spoke critically of two other large projects city leaders have promoted - high-speed rail and Personal Rapid Transit, which uses small, pod-like vehicles on guideways to shuttle passengers to their destinations.

Alameda Dumps SunCal Project That Promised Personal Rapid Transit

San Francisco Chronicle July 21, 2010 report:

Alameda scrapped its contract with a developer early today to bring thousands of homes and offices to the former Navy base, sending the sprawling project back to the drawing board 14 years after the military left.

The City Council voted 4-0, with one abstention, to sever its four-year relationship with SunCal Cos. of Irvine (Orange County), which had planned to build 4,800 homes, a 60-acre sports complex, offices, parks, schools and a ferry terminal at the former Alameda Naval Air Station, which covers one-third of the island city.

Money quote:

"No matter what kind of Disneyland magic transit they talk about, I don't see how they're going to get all that traffic through two lanes of the (Posey) Tube," Johnson said. "I don't want people to come up to me in the grocery store and say, 'You're the person who ruined Alameda.' "

Suncal pitched its development with PRT to the Alameda City Council on September 10, 2008:

Traffic jams and empty storefronts were two of the main concerns of the City Council and the community at Wednesday's special meeting focused primarily on developer SunCal's latest concept for the former Navy base.

SunCal's 6,200-plus residential unit proposal included self-described "visionary" features: a possible "solar farm" to generate energy and heat; a Bus Rapid Transit system to encourage public transit use and ease traffic; and a Jetson-like Personal Rapid Transit system, which would shuttle people in small computerized electrical vehicles on an elevated roadway to transit hubs.

When pressed by Councilmember Doug DeHaan, the SunCal consultant conceded that the overhead roadway with the computerized vehicles may not be viable, but should it work out, it would be extended throughout the island. Developers in years past had extolled the virtues of a ski-lift-like gondola that would transport people back and forth across the estuary, and another proposal called for a BART system to do the same task underwater. Neither idea made it past the dream stage.

Here's Suncal's presentation at the Alameda City Council September 10, 2008:







This latest setback for the pod people is just one more I'll add to the list of recent pod flops and fiascos:

Taxi 2000 lobbyist and Bachmann pal Ed Cain also lobbied for the phony U.S. Navy Veterans Association charity.

ULTra PRT Heathrow Debut Postponed a Fourth Time.

No $25 million earmark for PRT pork project in Winona, Minnesota.

The Swedish/Korean PRT prototype malfunctioned recently 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.

The much-hyped PRT project in Daventry ended in fiasco.

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.

MnDOT's Personal Rapid Transit Workshop

Register HERE.

The "tentative draft agenda"

PERSONAL RAPID TRANSIT WORKSHOP
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2010
RADISSON METRODOME
MINNEAPOLIS, MN

TENTATIVE DRAFT AGENDA

Updated Purpose: The purpose of this workshop is to share responses to Mn/DOT’s request for PRT information and to allow participants to understand PRT benefits and barriers to its implementation. Workshop participants will also discuss next steps in exploring the viability of PRT in Minnesota, including principles to guide PRT service implementation, financing options, and organizational and governance approaches.

8:00 a.m. Registration and Continental Breakfast

8:30 a.m. Welcome and Opening Comments
• Tom Sorel, Commissioner, Mn/DOT
• Tim Henkel, Division Director, Mn/DOT
• Derrell Turner, Division Administrator, FHWA
• Jeff Hamiel, Executive Director, Metropolitan Airports Commission
• Met Council Representative

9:15 a.m. Workshop Goals and Context & Summary of RFI Responses
• Mukhtar Thakur, Mn/DOT

10:00 a.m. RFI Responders Comments & Reactions from Attendees

11:00 a.m. Break

11:15 a.m. Policy Issues Panel Discussion
Moderator: Tim Henkel, Mn/DOT

Panelists
• Representative Frank Hornstein, State Legislator
• Barb Thoman, Transit for Livable Communities
• Steve Elkins, Bloomington City Council
• Dennis Sweet, Citizens for PRT

12:30 p.m. Lunch & Keynote Presentation
• Curt Johnson, Citistates Group

1:30 p.m. Facilitated Group Discussions
• Ferrol Robinson, HHH Institute

(Informal breaks)

3:30 p.m. Summary Comments and Next Steps
• Ferrol Robinson
• Mukhtar Thakur

4:00 p.m. Adjourn

Pod Lobbyist Ed Cain Also Lobbyist for Shady Navy Vets Charity

Read about it at Dump Bachmann.



This in addition to other news about pod flops and fiascos:

ULTra PRT Heathrow Debut Postponed a Fourth Time.

No $25 million earmark for PRT pork project in Winona, Minnesota.

The Swedish/Korean PRT prototype malfunctioned recently 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.

The much-hyped PRT project in Daventry ended in fiasco.

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.

ULTra PRT Heathrow Debut Postponed a Fourth Time

It was supposed to totally, definately launch in June (click on screenshot to make it bigger)



Well it's June and we get this info, not from the two ULTra websites, but a tweet from the PRT Guru that links to his website where we find this statement:

June 2010: It appears ULTra will not meet its previously-announced June opening date at London’s Heathrow Airport. BAA has issued the following statement: "The Heathrow pod is innovative technology and we have always said that the system will be launched when it is ready to do so. The system, as well as being a world first, is bespoke [customized] to fit into existing airport infrastructure and the process of completing this is informing our decision about the launch date. Testing is continuing and we anticipate that the system will officially launch in the near future."

The statement as it now appears on the ULTra PRT website:

Latest Schedule

"The Heathrow pod is innovative technology and we have always said that the system will be launched when it is ready to do so. The system, as well as being a world first, is bespoke (custom-made) to fit into existing airport infrastructure and the process of completing this is informing our decision about the launch date. Testing is continuing and we anticipate that the system will officially launch in the near future." - BAA's schedule statement, June 2010.

This is the 4th or 5th postponement for the glorified golf carts of Heathrow.

How may chances do the PRT guys get?



Review of recent, dreary pod news:

No $25 million earmark for PRT pork project in Winona, Minnesota.

The Swedish/Korean PRT prototype malfunctioned recently 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.

The much-hyped PRT project in Daventry ended in fiasco.

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.

MnDOT Wastes Federal and State Money Promoting Personal Rapid Transit (PRT)

The MN GOP always says it's for reining in spending, but the Republicans have no problem spending thousands of dollars on a notorious transportation boondoggle - Personal Rapid Transit (PRT).

MnDOT has given me the following statement regarding MnDOT expenditures for PRT:

Currently, we have an Office of Multi-Modal Innovation, under which PRT falls. The annual budget for that office is about $130,000. PRT is one of a number of issues that this office manages. Also, we spent approximately $25,000 on the Rochester PRT event and anticipate spending about $20,000 on a similar event later this summer. Both federal and state dollars fund all of these efforts.

I mentioned the fact that the Legislature does not approve of MnDOT wasting money on PRT. MnDOT responded with this statement:

As to your statement regarding Legislative guidance on PRT, studying innovation and conducting research on all modes of transportation is an important part of what we do as we prepare for future transportation needs and how those needs may affect the highway system. The Legislature understands that. It has never given us specific direction to not study PRT.

That is apparently not true. Here are some quotes stating the contrary:

Both Hornstein and Sen. Scott Dibble, who head the transit subcommittees in each chamber, said the Winona proposal has no chance of state funding. "They're not going to get nickel one of public money while I'm around," Dibble said.

Said Hornstein: "If people in the private sector want to pursue it, fine. But even a penny spent on it in these tough budget times is problematic."

Reporters need to ask MN GOP candidates running for office this year whether they approve of MnDOT wasting taxpayers money on PRT. Michele Bachmann and Tom Emmer have both supported PRT in the MN Legislature. Tim Pawlenty has also said he approves of public funding for PRT. Republicans candidates in Winona are divided.

One DFL candidate, Yvonne Prettner-Solon supported PRT in 2004. Reporters need to ask Senator Prettner-Solon whether she still supports public funding for PRT.