January 2023

From the President

Dear {First Name}, happy New Year! We are kicking it off with some new information on automated transit networks (ATN). The System Comparison page on the website has been updated to show 20 ATN systems that are either in public service or under active development. The same information (where available) is shown for each system, so comparisons are simplified.


We also took the opportunity to revise the page Concept Description. It now illustrates the old and the new, GRT and PRT.


As always, enjoy reading!


Best regards,


Peter Muller, ATRA President

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News

New ATRA system comparison page

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ZF and Beep to launch ‘several thousand’ autonomous shuttles in the US

Automotive supplier ZF is partnering with autonomous shuttle operator Beep to deliver “several thousand shuttles” to customers over the coming years, ZF said at CES in Las Vegas.


Beep, which describes itself as an autonomous mobility-as-a-service company, will implement ZF’s next-generation, Level 4 autonomous shuttle, which the company also launched at CES today. Level 4 autonomy means the vehicle can drive itself without requiring the human to take over in most situations, as long as it’s within the vehicle’s operational design domain. ZF’s new shuttle, which will be built in partnership with AV software company Oxbotica, is designed for urban environments and mixed traffic, ZF said.


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Approval soon? UP govt panel set to discuss pod taxi project

NOIDA: A meeting of the state government’s PPP bid evaluation committee to finalize pod taxi project, planned between the Noida International Airport and Film City in Jewar, will be held on December 26 in Lucknow.


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Episode 5: Jeral Poskey


The #CitiesFirst Podcast. Jeral Poskey is CEO and co-founder of Swyft Cities, a transportation solution that revolutionizes mobility and transforms real estate, enabling more vibrant and sustainable communities. 


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WHAT IF Envisionride Program for Urban Mobility

Promotional video about Urban Mobility


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Dynamic Personal Microtransit Project Industry Forum Presentation

The Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) is a public agency formed by Contra Costa voters in 1988 to manage the county's transportation sales tax program and oversee countywide transportation planning efforts.


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Students escorted off PRT tracks after technical issue

More than a dozen WVU students were escorted off the PRT on Wednesday afternoon following a technical issue, according to school officials.


At approximately 1:30 p.m., the group of students was escorted off the tracks at the Beechurst Station downtown, said Shauna Johnson, director of news communications for University Relations.


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Call for Papers

The Envisionride program invites professors, researchers, graduates and undergraduate students to submit their original unpublished work to be considered for publication at What If? Conference in Alcochete Portugal April 14-16.


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GSP Airport ponders $70M podcar system to shuttle passengers

GREER — Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport is working on a plan to move travelers and employees around its Upstate campus via automated vehicles, which would run on a track separate from the airport’s roads.


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Reliance Industries Subsidiary Increases Stake in US-Based SkyTran

Reliance Strategic Business Ventures Ltd (RSBVL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), said on October 28 that it had acquired an additional stake in SkyTran Inc, the company announced.


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New way to travel could be coming to DFW—Plano takes next step to consider possibilities

Imagine this: a self-driving vehicle that runs on a track suspended overhead. Riders choose when to board and where they want to go, and their personal vehicle, or pod, will transport them directly, with no stops along the way.


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Newsletter 2 Ready

EnvisionRide Newsletter Issue #2 October 2022.


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Jpods certification process

NCTCOG_2022-10-21


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Jpods claims that they are fixing the certification process for PRT but PRT has always been a subset of ASCE Automated People Mover Standards which have specified a certification process since 1996. The 2021 edition specifically defines Automated Transit Networks and allows them to meet requirements different than Automated People Movers in some cases. 


Jpods state that Morgantown has only suffered 5 minor injuries in 50 years but Morgantown has only been in public operation since 1975 (47 years) and we believe the injuries were due to outside forces (rocks rolling down a hill) and not caused by any defect in the system itself. In our opinion, Morgantown has caused zero injuries in 47 years or you can say all ATN systems have caused zero injuries in over 200 million passenger miles.


Nonetheless, Jpods is to be applauded for what they are doing - redundant certification processes should be a good thing.

The above links are to articles that appear relevant to advanced transit but no guarantee is made as to their accuracy and no verification of the integrity of the associated websites has been made.

Editorial comments are in italics.
| Advanced Transit Association| 303-800-1529 | www.advancedtransit.org
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