Does Ann Arbor need a monorail? Learning from Morgantown, WV
A Nov. 29 letter to the editor of the Michigan Daily by engineering junior Jeremy Drager suggests that the University of Michigan should consider a monorail system for increasing transportation services across its campuses.
"About 16,000 people per day ride the monorail in Morgantown, W.Va. — home of West Virginia University. Imagine a monorail system in Ann Arbor: It may not be pretty, but I think it would work efficiently," Drager writes.
The Morgantown Personal Rapid Transit system was built between 1975 and 1979 by a set of companies that included Boeing Aerospace. It runs on 8.5 miles of guideway and carries an average of about 16,000 riders per day. To use it, you stop at one of the 5 stations, swipe your Mountaineer ID card, and wait for one of the 73 electrically powered vehicles (built on Dodge truck chassis) to arrive.
I hadn't heard of this system before, but it looks interesting; it's certainly one to take a look at for what might be fresh ideas from the 1970s on systems design for shared personal transportation.
Edward Vielmetti rides the bus for AnnArbor.com, though he would take a monorail if one were there to take. Reach him at 734-330-2465.
Comments
Captain Magnificent
Wed, Dec 16, 2009 : 3:53 p.m.
I think this would be fantastic- they could link it with the monorail that the LCSD is considering installing: http://www.annarbor.com/community/news/opinion/monorail_considered_an_option_for_relieving_lincoln_trasnsportation_woes/ Just think how awesome it would be if we had a bunch of regional monorails that were linked together!! I bet they'd call it the AAYRMA- the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Regional Monorail Authority or the WUMA - the Washtenaw Unified Monorail Authority. I like WUMA better because it's easier to pronounce than AAYRMA.
Peter Muller
Wed, Dec 16, 2009 : 9:35 a.m.
Learn about modern PRT - pictures, videos and infromation - at www.prtconsulting.com
GolfBlogger
Tue, Dec 15, 2009 : 9:05 p.m.
I'm a WVU graduate and can attest that the PRT is fast, efficient and reliable. The neatest thing is that it takes you directly to the station you select... unlike subway systems, it does not stop at way stations.