Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
architecture, and ascertain the policies and coalition support mechanisms
that would enable the vision to become reality. A proposed new national
network uses single and dual mode vehicles to provide mobility for freight,
private cars, and mass transit vehicles. In single mode, the vehicles will be
captive to an electric guideway from which they draw propulsion energy in
real time as the vehicle moves at high speed under automated computer
control. Single mode applications could include fully automated (driverless)
terminal-to-terminal freight transport and PRT. In dual mode operation,
driver-controlled vehicles will be able to travel the first and last miles off-
guideway using onboard energy storage as one mode and then enter the
guideway in a second mode for high speed automated travel.
Their report goes on to outline the need to engage the private sector, leverage
political support and give a positive cost/benefit analysis to then develop design
and operations standards to ensure interconnection between inter-city systems
justified by freight and intra-city systems justified by transit that promotes adoption
of dual mode private vehicle access.
The authors in Reference 20 address the issue of congestion and highway network
cost by making a comparison of average vehicle-per-hour (VPH) capacity per $1,000
of highway infrastructure investment. In Table 12.3 [20] the dual mode vehicle is
compared to conventional vehicle and highway and also to conventional vehicle and
highway but with vehicles equipped with cooperative adaptive cruise control (CACC).
Table 12.3 System cost of dual mode with convention vehicle and highway
System
Speed
(mph)
Capacity
(VPH)
Cost
($1M/lane-mile)
Capacity/$invest
(VPH/$1,000)
Average dual mode
158
13,349
10.3
2,360
Conventional highway
70
2,174
5
435
Conventional highway
with 100% CACC
70
4,550
6
758
Table 12.3 clearly shows that dual mode has a capacity factor (VPH/$1,000
infrastructure) of 2,360 versus only 435 for today's vehicles and highways. By
adopting CACC the conventional highway and vehicle metric increases a good 74%,
but is still a long way from the dual mode metric. This analysis demonstrates that
moving to an AET infrastructure makes economic sense, far more so than adding
more lanes to our existing highway network. Starting AET off with freight move-
ment will therefore cut the cost of goods delivery, the ton-mile metric noted earlier.
In closing, a list of dual mode and related PRT, AHS and AET activities
worldwide, as compiled by Mr Jerry Schneider,
1
University of Washington, USA,
at jbs@peakDOT.org, is provided as a quick reference in Table 12.4 for those
interested in learning more.
1
Visit URL: http://faculty.washington.edu/jbs/itrans/ for an exhaustive listing of PRT, AHS and dual
mode systems.
