Traffic and GHG reduction simulation using Personal Rapid Transit

Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) is an electric-powered autonomous transportation system that closely follows the car architecture and avoids the pitfalls of bus and rail mass transit without requiring fuel cells or advanced battery technology. Lightweight 2-4 passenger vehicles run along an elevated guideway that can be built over existing roads with traffic managed by a control system similar to packet routing (with non-destructive arbitration) over the internet. The plan is to build two simulators (traffic and energy), each with a dual purpose: the first simulator will model traffic patterns in order to validate network design and estimate congestion; and also be used to validate control algorithms generated by this project and external PRT developers. The energy simulator with be used to both estimate energy reductions from PRT as well as potential CO2 emission reductions. By maintaining strict parameterization and coherent code bases, the two simulators can be used to determine network control interactions with energy requirements. Local governments can use these tools to evaluate potential PRT designs; as well as assisting in benchmarking the goals mandated by AB32. With these two simulators used to demonstrate system viability, it is hoped that a full center can be established to bring PRT to California as the next generation transportation system.