Next generation Emery-Go-Round Shuttle
The entire city of Emeryville becomes an extended "transit village."
8,000 cars per day will be removed. 28,000 trips per day will be served. Many SOV (single occupancy vehicle) commuters
will change mode to BART, carpool/vanpool, Amtrak, AC Transit bus, and bicycle. A self-funding elevated PRT system
will interface to existing travel modes, making them significantly more effective. PRT accommodates the complex
travel needs of Emeryville's technology workers, providing a higher level of service and convenience than auto
travel. Previously, non-SOV commuters had been stranded at work during the middle of the day. Now these same people
will reach retail sites and complete errands faster than via car, without the parking hassles.
Hourly workers will benefit from improved access to better jobs and from reduced commute time, increasing their
family time. PRT runs 24x7 with virtually no waiting, serving swing and graveyard shift jobs. Working in conjunction
with other transit modes, PRT enables a lifestyle with less auto dependency, reducing the high cost of buying,
maintaining, fueling, and insuring a car.
Retail sales will increase dramatically. Unused parking spaces may be reclaimed for more productive use. Citywide
particulate and green house gas emissions will be reduced by about 20%. Polluted run-off into wetlands/bay will
be reduced. Property values will increase. Corporations will enjoy a competitive advantage in attracting and retaining
workers, saving $11.5M per year for every 1% reduction in employee turnover costs. Emeryville will take a world
leadership role in defining the city of the future.
PRT consists of many lightweight, driverless, four-person electric vehicles traveling on a monorail 16' above the
ground. Transit stops are located by the front entrance of buildings. Frequent stops are situated along the route
to minimize walking once the trip ends. Transit stop tracks are separated from the main track - vehicles turn off
onto a siding to pick up and drop off passengers. Because of these turn-offs, vehicles travel non-stop to the destination
at 30 mph, bypassing intermediate stops and speeding at twice the average speed of autos on the congested roads
below. Vehicle weight minimization reduces the size of the elevated rail and supporting piers, dramatically reducing
construction cost and right of way acquisition. Vehicles flow through the rail almost like data packets on the
internet, anticipating demand so that wait time is eliminated.
Emeryville Links:
Emery-Go-Round Shuttle: http://www.transitinfo.org/EmeryGoRound/
City of Emeryville: http://www.ci.emeryville.ca.us/emeryvillehp.html
ABAG's Emeryville page: http://www.abag.ca.gov/abag/local_gov/city/1web/emery.html
Emeryville.net: http://emeryville.net/
League of Women Voters, Emeryville: http://home.pacbell.net/lwvbae/
Emeryville Census: http://www.census.gov/cgi-bin/gazetteer-tbl?city=Emeryville&state=CA