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81-408: Following the acquisition of vehicle manufacturer Automobiles René Bonnet , the company founded Matra Automobiles during the 1960s, which produced a limited range of racing and sports cars. Its car division worked closely with other vehicle manufacturers, most significantly Renault , prior to the decline and sale of Matra Automobiles during the early 2000s. In addition to road cars, Matra entered into

162-522: A conglomerate under the Matra brand. Throughout the 1970s, the company strengthened and grew its position within the aerospace sector, which had been viewed as a core business of Matra. One such company was the electrical equipment manufacturer Électronique Moderne de l’Oise, which became Matra Électronique following its acquisition during 1975. That same year, the National Centre for Space Studies (CNES) and

243-568: A personal rapid transit system, which it named " Aramis ". Matra also manufactured a range of electric bicycles and electric scooters . Matra i-step Runner, Tourer and Force as well as Matra i-flow in Romorantin . Matra developed and released a personal computer , the Alice . During 1988, Matra was privatised , at which point Lagardère acquired six per cent of the company's stock; by 1992, his stake in Matra had risen to 25 per cent. That same year,

324-611: A subsidiary of the Lagardère Group and in February 1999, Matra Hautes Technologies ( MHT ), which represented the conglomerate's aerospace, defence and telecommunications arm, was merged with the French aerospace corporation Aérospatiale to form Aérospatiale-Matra (now Airbus ). Several former assets of Matra continue to operate under the Lagardère name. Privatization, bleeding through

405-436: A "virtual train", but control software issues caused cars to bump unacceptably. The project ultimately failed. Between 1970 and 1978, Japan operated a project called "Computer-controlled Vehicle System" (CVS). In a full-scale test facility, 84 vehicles operated at speeds up to 60 kilometres per hour (37.3 mph) on a 4.8 km (3.0 mi) guideway; one-second headways were achieved during tests. Another version of CVS

486-529: A 1/12 operational scale model. This was further developed and became the Modutram system and a full-scale test track was built in Guadalajara , which was operational by 2014. In 2018 it was announced that a PRT system would be installed at the new Chengdu Tianfu International Airport . The system will include 6 miles of guideway, 4 stations, 22 pods and will connect airport parking to two terminal buildings. It

567-632: A 10-vehicle 2getthere system has operated at Masdar City , UAE, and since 2011 a 21-vehicle Ultra PRT system has run at London Heathrow Airport . A 40-vehicle Vectus system with in-line stations officially opened in Suncheon , South Korea, in April 2014. A PRT system connecting the terminals and parking has been built at the new Chengdu Tianfu International Airport , which opened in 2021. Most mass transit systems move people in groups over scheduled routes. This has inherent inefficiencies. For passengers, time

648-609: A 400 m (1,312 ft) test track in Uppsala , Sweden. This test system was presented at the 2007 PodCar City conference in Uppsala. A 40-vehicle, 2-station, 4.46 km (2.8 mi) system called "SkyCube" was opened in Suncheon , South Korea, in April 2014. In the 2010s the Mexican Western Institute of Technology and Higher Education began research into project LINT ("Lean Intelligent Network Transportation") and built

729-566: A PRT system could provide. Several other urban and transit planners also wrote on the topic and some early experimentation followed, but PRT remained relatively unknown. Around the same time, Edward Haltom was studying monorail systems. Haltom noticed that the time to start and stop a conventional large monorail train, like those of the Wuppertal Schwebebahn , meant that a single line could only support between 20 and 40 vehicles an hour. In order to get reasonable passenger movements on such

810-510: A city transportation planner, began research on PRT and alternative transportation methods. In 1964, Fichter published a book which proposed an automated public transit system for areas of medium to low population density. One of the key points made in the book was Fichter's belief that people would not leave their cars in favor of public transit unless the system offered flexibility and end-to-end transit times that were much better than existing systems – flexibility and performance he felt only

891-531: A citywide deployment with many lines and closely spaced stations, as envisioned by proponents, has yet to be constructed. Past projects have failed because of financing, cost overruns, regulatory conflicts, political issues, misapplied technology, and flaws in design, engineering or review. However, the theory remains active. For example, from 2002 to 2005, the EDICT project, sponsored by the European Union , conducted

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972-553: A failure. By the early 2000s, Matra was reportedly keen to end its involvement with the automotive industry. Following the discontinuation of the Avantime, on 27 February 2003, Matra Automobiles announced its intention to close its Romorantin vehicle factory just one month later. The dismantling of the division was necessitated by Matra Automobiles having been declared bankrupt . During September 2003, Pininfarina SpA acquired Matra Automobile's engineering, testing and prototype businesses;

1053-507: A group which advocates the use of technological solutions to transit problems, compiled a definition in 1988 that can be seen here. Currently, five advanced transit networks (ATN) systems are operational, and several more are in the planning stage. [REDACTED] Morgantown, West Virginia , US (1975) The following list summarizes several well-known automated transit networks (ATN) suppliers as of 2014, with subsequent amendments. Modern PRT concepts began around 1953 when Donn Fichter,

1134-431: A junction, for example. Several types of guideways have been proposed or implemented, including beams similar to monorails, bridge-like trusses supporting internal tracks, and cables embedded in a roadway. Most designs put the vehicle on top of the track, which reduces visual intrusion and cost, as well as easing ground-level installation. An overhead track is necessarily higher, but may also be narrower. Most designs use

1215-521: A network of specially built guideways on which ride small automated vehicles that carry few (generally less than 6) passengers per vehicle. PRT is a type of automated guideway transit (AGT), a class of system which also includes larger vehicles all the way to small subway systems. In terms of routing, it tends towards personal public transport systems. PRT vehicles are sized for individual or small group travel, typically carrying no more than three to six passengers per vehicle . Guideways are arranged in

1296-630: A network topology, with all stations located on sidings , and with frequent merge/diverge points. This allows for nonstop, point-to-point travel, bypassing all intermediate stations. The point-to-point service has been compared to a taxi or a horizontal lift (elevator). Numerous PRT systems have been proposed but most have not been implemented. As of November 2016 , only a handful of PRT systems are operational: Morgantown Personal Rapid Transit (the oldest and most extensive), in Morgantown, West Virginia , has been in continuous operation since 1975. Since 2010

1377-452: A pod immediately upon arriving at a station, and can – with a sufficiently extensive network of tracks – take relatively direct routes to their destination without stops. The low weight of PRT's small vehicles allows smaller guideways and support structures than mass transit systems like light rail. The smaller structures translate into lower construction costs, smaller easements , and less visually obtrusive infrastructure. As it stands,

1458-424: A point-to-point fashion, instead of running like an automated people mover from one end of the line to the other. During periods of low usage all cars make a full circuit stopping at every station in both directions. Morgantown PRT is still in continuous operation at West Virginia University in Morgantown, West Virginia , with about 15,000 riders per day (as of 2003 ). The steam-heated track has proven expensive and

1539-498: A scheme to use the PRT system to connect terminal 2 and terminal 3 to their respective business car parks. The proposal was not included in the final plan due to spending priority given to other capital projects and has been deferred. If a third runway is constructed at Heathrow will destroy the existing system, which will be built over, will be replaced by another PRT. In June 2006, a Korean/Swedish consortium, Vectus Ltd, started constructing

1620-462: A single passenger per vehicle is optimum. Other designs use a car for a model, and choose larger vehicles, making it possible to accommodate families with small children, riders with bicycles, disabled passengers with wheelchairs, or a pallet or two of freight. All current designs (except for the human-powered Shweeb ) are powered by electricity . In order to reduce vehicle weight, power is generally transmitted via lineside conductors although two of

1701-427: A small on-board battery to reach the next stop after a power failure. CabinTaxi uses a LIM and was able to demonstrate 0.5 second headways on its test track. The Vectus prototype system used continuous track mounted LIMs with the reaction plate on the vehicle, eliminating the active propulsion system (and power required) on the vehicle. ULTra and 2getthere use on-board batteries, recharged at stations. This increases

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1782-532: A special de-icing vehicle. Masdar's system has been limited because the exclusive right-of-way for the PRT was gained by running the vehicles in an undercroft at ground-level while building an elevated "street level" between all the buildings. This led to unrealistically expensive buildings and roads. Proposals usually have stations close together, and located on side tracks so that through traffic can bypass vehicles picking up or dropping off passengers. Each station might have multiple berths, with perhaps one-third of

1863-437: A study on the feasibility of PRT in four European cities. The study involved 12 research organizations, and concluded that PRT: The report also concluded that, despite these advantages, public authorities will not commit to building PRT because of the risks associated with being the first public implementation. The PRT acronym was introduced formally in 1978 by J. Edward Anderson . The Advanced Transit Association (ATRA),

1944-401: A system, the trains had to be large enough to carry hundreds of passengers (see headway for a general discussion). This, in turn, demanded large guideways that could support the weight of these large vehicles, driving up capital costs to the point where he considered them unattractive. Haltom turned his attention to developing a system that could operate with shorter timings, thereby allowing

2025-439: A track spiraling up to the summit of Big Spotters Hill. The track was approximately 600-metre (1,969 ft) long (one-way) and featured only two stations. The six-month operation was intended to research the public acceptance of PRT-like systems. In 2010 a 10-vehicle (four seats each), two station 2getthere system was opened to connect a parking lot to the main area at Masdar City , UAE. The systems runs in an undercroft beneath

2106-524: A wide range of businesses, eventually diversifying into media , weaponry, aeronautics, automobiles, and music distribution. Matra was at one point owned by the Floirat family. Throughout much of the company's existence, French businessman Jean-Luc Lagardère served as the CEO of Matra. In 1988, Matra was privatised ; Lagardère's stake in the company grew considerably over the following years. In 1994, Matra became

2187-459: Is lucky enough to find a seat. The bus will be caught up in street congestion and move slowly, and it will make many stops completely unrelated to his trip objective. The bus may then let him off at a terminal to a suburban train. Again he must wait, and, after boarding the train, again experience a number of stops on the way to the CBD, and possibly again he may have to stand in the aisle. He will get off at

2268-707: Is supplied by Ultra MTS. The airport is due to open in 2021. Among the handful of prototype systems (and the larger number that exist on paper) there is a substantial diversity of design approaches, some of which are controversial. Vehicle weight influences the size and cost of a system's guideways, which are in turn a major part of the capital cost of the system. Larger vehicles are more expensive to produce, require larger and more expensive guideways, and use more energy to start and stop. If vehicles are too large, point-to-point routing also becomes more expensive. Against this, smaller vehicles have more surface area per passenger (thus have higher total air resistance which dominates

2349-481: Is wasted by waiting for the next vehicle to arrive, indirect routes to their destination, stopping for passengers with other destinations, and often confusing or inconsistent schedules. Slowing and accelerating large weights can undermine public transport's benefit to the environment while slowing other traffic. Personal rapid transit systems attempt to eliminate these wastes by moving small groups nonstop in automated vehicles on fixed tracks. Passengers can ideally board

2430-567: The Airbus Group . Automobiles Ren%C3%A9 Bonnet Automobiles René Bonnet was a French automobile maker. The firm was the continuation of Deutsch et Bonnet (DB) by René Bonnet when Charles Deutsch , the "D" in DB, founded his own firm CD. The business was based at Champigny-sur-Marne to the south-east of central Paris . A principal cause of the breach had involved the determination of Deutsch to stay loyal to Panhard engines while Bonnet

2511-566: The European Space Agency (ESA) awarded a contract to Matra for the loading bay of the new Ariane expendable launch system . Over several decades, Matra diversified into media , weaponry, aeronautics, automobiles, music distribution, and various other state of the art technologies. During 1981, Matra ventured into media activities via the purchase of the Hachette publishing company. Matra invested in several fields of transportation during

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2592-538: The Le Mans 24 Hours race in 1962, 1963, and 1964. Management concentration on racing activity may nevertheless have come at the expense of commercial focus, and relatively few cars were sold during this period: by 1964 the cash was running out. In 1962 the René Bonnet company launched its Djet model , generally remembered in retrospect as a Matra, although 198 Bonnet Djets were sold between 1962 and 1964 (179 of these were to

2673-480: The Morgantown Personal Rapid Transit project was completed. It has five off-line stations that enable non-stop, individually programmed trips along an 8.7-mile (14.0 km) track serviced by a fleet of 71 cars. This is a crucial characteristic of PRT. However, it is not considered a PRT system because its vehicles are too heavy and carry too many people. When it carries many people, it operates in

2754-588: The University of Minnesota . Raytheon failed to install a contracted system in Rosemont, Illinois , near Chicago , when estimated costs escalated to US$ 50 million per mile, allegedly due to design changes that increased the weight and cost of the system relative to Anderson's original design. In 2000, rights to the technology reverted to the University of Minnesota, and were subsequently purchased by Taxi2000. In 1999

2835-620: The Urban Mass Transportation Act of 1964 into law, thereby forming the Urban Mass Transportation Administration . UMTA was set up to fund mass transit developments in the same fashion that the earlier Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 had helped create the Interstate Highways. That is, UMTA would help cover the capital costs of building out new infrastructure. However, planners who were aware of

2916-529: The 1980s and 1990s. It produced a fiberglass 14 ft sailing dinghy with an innovative double-bottom, self-bailing hull, called "Capricorne". Though several hundred were sold and a class association briefly existed, it was unable to gain much market share against the better established International 420 . During 1983, Matra launched an automatic (driverless) light rubber-tyred metro , the Véhicule Automatique Léger . It later attempted to produce

2997-621: The 2010s and there are plans to replace the vehicles. From 1969 to 1980, Mannesmann Demag and MBB cooperated to build the Cabinentaxi urban transportation system in Germany . Together the firms formed the Cabintaxi Joint Venture. They created an extensive PRT technology, including a test track, that was considered fully developed by the German government and its safety authorities. The system

3078-599: The 2getthere designed ParkShuttle system was opened in the Kralingen neighbourhood of eastern Rotterdam using 12-seater driverless buses. The system was extended in 2005 and new second-generation vehicles introduced to serve five stations over 1.8 kilometres (1.1 mi) with five grade crossings over ordinary roads. Operation is scheduled in peak periods and on demand at other times. In 2002, 2getthere operated twenty five 4-passenger "CyberCabs" at Holland's 2002 Floriade horticultural exhibition. These transported passengers along

3159-527: The Espace, Matra Automobiles went on to manufacture the next two generations as well; however, the fourth iteration was manufactured inhouse by Renault instead. The loss of the Espace business quickly proved detrimental to the firm's finances. During 2001, production of the Renault Avantime , which was co-designed and built by Matra Automobiles, commenced; this vehicle did not sell well and was widely regarded as

3240-545: The French and European championships. Matra competed as a constructor in Formula One from 1967 to 1972 and as an engine supplier between 1975 and 1982 , winning the drivers' and constructors' championships in 1969 . Matra also competed in sports car racing from 1966 to 1974 winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans outright in 1972 , 1973 and 1974 and the World Championship for Makes in 1973 and 1974 . However, at

3321-477: The Lagardère Group was radically restructured; acquiring more shares in Matra from Floirat, Daimler Benz and GEC, and Hachette from Floirat, Crédit Lyonnais and Aberly. Lagardère merged Matra and Hachette to form Matra Hachette, of which the Lagardère Group held 37.6 per cent. Following a share swap in 1994, Lagardère held 93.3 per cent of Matra Hachette's stock. During 1996, Matra Hachette was formally merged into

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3402-412: The Lagardère Group, sell-off of its profitable enterprises, and failure of its automotive division caught up and Matra went bankrupt in 2003. During 1945, Matra (Mécanique Aviation Traction) was established, immediately beginning development of an ambitious twin-engine aircraft intended to be the fastest propeller -driven plane in the world. In 1951, the sound barrier was broken in horizontal flight for

3483-415: The Lagardère Group. In February 1999, the firm's defence wing, Matra Hautes Technologies, was merged with French aerospace conglomerate Aérospatiale to form Aérospatiale-Matra . During 2003, following poor financial performances within the sector, Matra Automobiles became bankrupt and its assets were sold off once more. Instead, Matra decided to concentrate its resources on its remaining interests within

3564-601: The PRT concept were worried that building more systems based on existing technologies would not help the problem, as Fitcher had earlier noted. Proponents suggested that systems would have to offer the flexibility of a car: The reason for the sad state of public transit is a very basic one – the transit systems just do not offer a service which will attract people away from their automobiles . Consequently, their patronage comes very largely from those who cannot drive, either because they are too young, too old, or because they are too poor to own and operate an automobile. Look at it from

3645-523: The air, and in a manner that will contribute to sound city planning." The resulting report was published in 1968 and proposed the development of PRT, as well as other systems such as dial-a-bus and high-speed interurban links. In the late 1960s, the Aerospace Corporation , an independent non-profit corporation set up by the US Congress, spent substantial time and money on PRT, and performed much of

3726-451: The city and was supposed to be a pilot project for a much larger network, which would also have included transport of freight. Expansion of the system was cancelled just after the pilot scheme opened due to the cost of constructing the undercroft and since then other electric vehicles have been proposed. In January 2003, the prototype ULTra ("Urban Light Transport") system in Cardiff , Wales,

3807-489: The city cores, and people moved out of the downtown areas. Lacking pollution control systems, the rapid rise in car ownership and the longer trips to and from work were causing significant air quality problems. Additionally, movement to the suburbs led to a flight of capital from the downtown areas, one cause of the rapid urban decay seen in the US. Mass transit systems were one way to combat these problems. Yet during this period,

3888-708: The company had claimed this entity to have been the leading aerospace company in the European market at the time. Six years later, Matra Défense and British missile manufacturer BAe Dynamics merged to form Matra BAe Dynamics , a leading weapons manufacturer in Europe as well as the third largest in the world at the time. During February 1999, MHT merged with French aerospace conglomerate Aérospatiale to form Aérospatiale-Matra . On 10 July 2000, Aérospatiale-Matra merged with Spanish aircraft company CASA and German aerospace firm DASA to become part of EADS , which subsequently became

3969-530: The company was subsequently named Matra Automobile Engineering. On 13 January 2009, Pininfarina sold its share in Matra Automobile Engineering to Segula Technologies . Matra Hautes Technologies ( MHT ) was the defence arm of the firm. The division was involved in aerospace , defence and telecommunications . During 1990, Matra Espace and the aerospace division of British electronics specialist GEC Marconi merged, creating Matra Marconi Space ;

4050-509: The development of a short, one-half to one-second headway, high-capacity PRT (HCPRT) system will be initiated in fiscal year 1974." According to PRT supporter J. Edward Anderson , this was "because of heavy lobbying from interests fearful of becoming irrelevant if a genuine PRT program became visible." From that time forward people interested in HCPRT were unable to obtain UMTA research funding. In 1975,

4131-478: The early theoretical and systems analysis. However, this corporation is not allowed to sell to non-federal government customers. In 1969, members of the study team published the first widely publicized description of PRT in Scientific American . In 1978 the team also published a book. These publications sparked off a sort of "transit race" in the same sort of fashion as the space race , with countries around

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4212-412: The end of the 1974 season, Matra announced that it had decided to withdraw from all motorsport involvement. During the early 1970s, Matra sold its car division to American -owned car manufacturer Chrysler Europe . Matra Automobiles was subsequently sold by Chrysler Europe to French car company Peugeot ; during 1983, Lagardere arranged to buy the division back. Shortly thereafter, a strategic partnership

4293-525: The energy cost of keeping vehicles moving at speed), and larger motors are generally more efficient than smaller ones. The number of riders who will share a vehicle is a key unknown. In the U.S., the average car carries 1.16 persons, and most industrialized countries commonly average below two people; not having to share a vehicle with strangers is a key advantage of private transport . Based on these figures, some have suggested that two passengers per vehicle (such as with skyTran , EcoPRT and Glydways), or even

4374-490: The federal government was feeding the problems by funding the development of the Interstate Highway System , while at the same time funding for mass transit was being rapidly scaled back. Public transit ridership in most cities plummeted. In 1962, President John F. Kennedy charged Congress with the task of addressing these problems. These plans came to fruition in 1964, when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed

4455-532: The firm had a workforce of 1,450. During 1964, Matra became the owner of car manufacturer Automobiles René Bonnet . For a time, Matra was largely centred around its vehicle division, Matra Automobiles . However, within a decade, Matra had sold its road car division to American-owned car manufacturer Chrysler Europe , having shifted focus onto its other growing business activities. During the 1970s, Lagardère pursued an overall strategy of merging Matra with various other companies, or acquiring them outright, to build up

4536-409: The first time in Europe by an aircraft using a Matra-built engine. During 1961, Matra became involved in the early European space programme, having been appointed as the first prime contractor for satellites . During 1963, French businessman Jean-Luc Lagardère was appointed CEO of Matra; he would be a key figure at the company for the following three decades. At the time of Lagardère's appointment,

4617-431: The guideway to distribute power and data communications, including to the vehicles. The Morgantown PRT failed its cost targets because of the steam-heated track required to keep the large channel guideway free of frequent snow and ice. Heating uses up to four times as much as energy as that used to propel the vehicles. Most proposals plan to resist snow and ice in ways that should be less expensive. The Heathrow system has

4698-527: The individual cars to be smaller while preserving the same overall route capacity. Smaller cars would mean less weight at any given point, which meant smaller and less expensive guideways. To eliminate the backup at stations, the system used "offline" stations that allowed the mainline traffic to bypass the stopped vehicles. He designed the Monocab system using six-passenger cars suspended on wheels from an overhead guideway. Like most suspended systems, it suffered from

4779-434: The junctions) or conventional steering. Advocates say that vehicle-switching permits faster routing so vehicles can run closer together which increases capacity. It also simplifies the guideway, makes junctions less visually obtrusive and reduces the impact of malfunctions, because a failed switch on one vehicle is less likely to affect other vehicles. Track switching greatly increases headway distance. A vehicle must wait for

4860-495: The lowest powered "Djet I" specifications with 65 PS). A further 1,491 would be sold as Matra Djets between 1965 and 1968. The cars usually featured Renault's four-cylinder 1,108 cc engine, but some competition versions received a considerably more powerful smaller twin-cam, 996 cc unit. The earlier DB-based Missile and Le Mans were not brought back into production after the Matra takeover. The firm worked increasingly closely with its principal investor Matra . Matra

4941-712: The media and aerospace sectors. Matra had been involved in car manufacturing since the acquisition of Automobiles René Bonnet in 1963. The first road car to be sold under the Matra marque was the Renault -powered Matra Djet (pronounced "jet"), which was an update of the Bonnet Jet; the Djet was subsequently replaced with the Matra 530, Bagheera , the Murena and the Rancho , an early type of sport utility vehicle (SUV). At its peak, Matra Automobiles

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5022-415: The minimum distances between consecutive junctions. A mechanically switching vehicle, maneuvering between two adjacent junctions with different switch settings, cannot proceed from one junction to the next. The vehicle must adopt a new switch position, and then wait for the in-vehicle switch's locking mechanism to be verified. If the vehicle switching is faulty, that vehicle must be able to stop before reaching

5103-417: The next switch, and all vehicles approaching the failed vehicle would be affected. Conventional steering allows a simpler 'track' consisting only of a road surface with some form of reference for the vehicle's steering sensors. Switching would be accomplished by the vehicle following the appropriate reference line – maintaining a set distance from the left roadway edge would cause the vehicle to diverge left at

5184-434: The operating systems use on-board batteries. According to the designer of Skyweb/Taxi2000, J. Edward Anderson , the lightest system uses linear induction motor (LIM) on the vehicle for both propulsion and braking, which also makes manoeuvres consistent regardless of the weather, especially rain or snow. LIMs are used in a small number of rapid transit applications, but most designs use rotary motors . Most such systems retain

5265-473: The previous vehicle to clear the junction, for the track to switch and for the switch to be verified. Communication between the vehicle and wayside controllers adds both delays and more points of failure. If the track switching is faulty, vehicles must be able to stop before reaching the switch, and all vehicles approaching the failed junction would be affected. Mechanical vehicle switching minimizes inter-vehicle spacing or headway distance, but it also increases

5346-464: The problem of difficult switching arrangements. Since the car rode on a rail, switching from one path to another required the rail to be moved, a slow process that limited the possible headways. By the late 1950s the problems with urban sprawl were becoming evident in the United States. When cities improved roads and the transit times were lowered, suburbs developed at ever increasing distances from

5427-578: The safety, and reduces the complexity, cost and maintenance of the guideway. As a result, the ULTRa guideway resembles a sidewalk with curbs and is inexpensive to construct. ULTRa and 2getthere vehicles resembles small automated electric cars, and use similar components. (The ULTRa POD chassis and cabin have been used as the basis of a shared autonomous vehicle for running in mixed traffic. ) Almost all designs avoid track switching , instead advocating vehicle-mounted switches (which engage with special guiderails at

5508-437: The standpoint of a commuter who lives in a suburb and is trying to get to work in the central business district (CBD). If he is going to go by transit, a typical scenario might be the following: he must first walk to the closest bus stop, let us say a five or ten minute walk, and then he may have to wait up to another ten minutes, possibly in inclement weather, for the bus to arrive. When it arrives, he may have to stand unless he

5589-529: The station most convenient to his destination and possibly have to transfer again onto a distribution system. It is no wonder that in those cities where ample inexpensive parking is available, most of those who can drive do drive. In 1966, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development was asked to "undertake a project to study ... new systems of urban transportation that will carry people and goods ... speedily, safely, without polluting

5670-408: The system requires an operation and maintenance budget of $ 5 million annually. Although it successfully demonstrated automated control and it is still operating it was not sold to other sites. A 2010 report concluded replacing the system with buses on roads would provide unsatisfactory service and create congestion. Subsequently, the forty year old computer and vehicle control systems were replaced in

5751-422: The three station Duke University Medical Center Patient Rapid Transit system was commissioned. Uniquely, the cars could move sideways, as well as backwards and forwards and it was described as a "horizontal elevator". The system was closed in 2009 to allow for expansion of the hospital. In the 1990s, Raytheon invested heavily in a system called PRT 2000, based on technology developed by J. Edward Anderson at

5832-469: The vehicles in a system being stored at stations waiting for passengers. Stations are envisioned to be minimalistic, without facilities such as rest rooms. For elevated stations, an elevator may be required for accessibility. At least one system, Metrino, provides wheelchair and freight access by using a cogway in the track, so that the vehicle itself can go from a street-level stop to an overhead track. Some designs have included substantial extra expense for

5913-598: The world rushing to join what appeared to be a future market of immense size. The oil crisis of 1973 made vehicle fuels more expensive, which naturally interested people in alternative transportation. In 1967, aerospace giant Matra started the Aramis project in Paris . After spending about 500 million francs , the project was canceled when it failed its qualification trials in November 1987. The designers tried to make Aramis work like

5994-506: Was at the time an armaments manufacturer concentrating on missiles, but they were also enthusiastic about the future of the fibreglass technology in which Bonnet was a pioneer. An important role in bringing Bonnet's business and Matra together was also contributed by an energetic former fighter pilot and national politician called André Moynet whose involvement with the enterprise appears to have outlasted Bonnet's own. Matra's rapidly evolving partnership with René Bonnet's auto-making business

6075-676: Was certified to carry passengers by the UK Railway Inspectorate on a 1 km (0.6 mi) test track. ULTra was selected in October 2005 by BAA plc for London's Heathrow Airport . Since May 2011 a three-station system has been open to the public, transporting passengers from a remote parking lot to terminal 5. During the deployment of the system the owners of Heathrow became owners of the UltrPRT design. In May 2013 Heathrow Airport Limited included in its draft five-year (2014–2019) master plan

6156-512: Was formed between Matra and French vehicle company Renault , leading to the development of the Espace minivan . During 1984, the Matra-built Espace was launched onto the market; this car proved to be a commercial success over multiple decades. Due to this success, this single vehicle type became extremely impactful to the fortunes of Matra Automobiles. Following on from the first generation of

6237-582: Was in public operation for six months from 1975 to 1976. This system had 12 single-mode vehicles and four dual-mode vehicles on a 1.6 km (1.0 mi) track with five stations. This version carried over 800,000 passengers. CVS was cancelled when Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport declared it unsafe under existing rail safety regulations, specifically in respect of braking and headway distances. On March 23, 1973, U.S. Urban Mass Transportation Administration (UMTA) administrator Frank Herringer testified before Congress: "A DOT program leading to

6318-769: Was keen to switch to Renault power plants. The DB Le Mans , a 2+2 convertible, continued in production as the René Bonnet Le Mans, still on a front-wheel drive Panhard-based chassis albeit now equipped with Renault engines. Renault's 1,108 cc inline-four engine was also used for the Missile, a strict two-seater convertible based on the Le Mans but with a re-worked front end, and for the mid-engined Djet. The company produced light front-wheel drive and mid-engined sports cars with very aerodynamic fiberglass bodies mainly powered by enhanced Renault engines. Its cars participated in

6399-637: Was manufacturing 60,000 vehicles per year at its plant in Romorantin-Lanthenay . Lagardere, recognising the promotion value of the motorsport sector for garnering sales, decided that the company ought to be involved, leading to the creation of Equipe Matra Sports , which entered the French Formula 3 during 1965. Throughout the mid-1960s, Matra enjoyed considerable success in Formula 3 and Formula 2 racing with its MS5 monocoque -based car, winning both

6480-433: Was the beginning of the subsequently better known Matra Automobile division , formally inaugurated in October 1964. After this Bonnet himself appears to have had little further significant involvement in the business that for two and a half years had carried his name. Personal rapid transit Personal rapid transit ( PRT ), also referred to as podcars or guided/railed taxis , is a public transport mode featuring

6561-511: Was to have been installed in Hamburg , but budget cuts stopped the proposed project before the start of construction. With no other potential projects on the horizon, the joint venture disbanded, and the fully developed PRT technology was never installed. Cabintaxi Corporation, a US-based company, obtained the technology in 1985, and remains active in the private-sector market trying to sell the system but so far there have been no installations. In 1979

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