p01 AZ Tribune 6-3-99

This concise article by Jerry Spellman of Mesa, Arizona appeared in the Arizona Tribune, June 3, 1999.

OPINION 2 THE TRIBUNE, THURSDAY. JUNE 3, 1999

Public transit:
How do we go from here?

Light rail
no match
for SkyTran
BY JERRY SPELLMAN
SPECIAL TO THE TRIBUNE

Can you picture a day when Valley commuters will be able to zip around town at 100 mph in streamlined, spaceage personal transit vehicles that don't pollute, don't waste energy and cost a fraction of what a light rail and expanded bus system will cost?
     The new, revolutionary transit system is called SkyTran.
     It's revolutionary because it takes the best features of state-of-the-art systems like magnetic levitation, automation, electronics and robotics and blends them together to provide a transit alternative that is not only super fast, but convenient, comfortable, safe and affordable, all at the same time.
     This is not science fiction, folks, this is science fact!
     SkyTran is a concept developed by a California scientist named Doug Malewicki who has invented numerous vehicles that integrate the latest transportation technologies and aerodynamic designs including the California Commuter (a single- passenger road vehicle that holds two Guinness World Records for energy efficiency) and the popular "Robosoarus" car-eating, fire-breathing dinosaur that appears regularly at monster truck shows to the delight of young and old, and car lovers and haters alike.

Brad T. Bowman/SkyTran

Another feature that makes the SkyTran personal/mass transportation system so special is that vehicles are available "on-demand," meaning there is no waiting, or schedule, or even driver for that matter. A passenger simply boards the first vehicle in a line of vehicles always ready at each transit stop, keys in a destination on the on-board computer, and is whisked off non-stop to it.

Some of the features that make SkyTran such an innovative and remarkable transit concept are its lightweight, tandem, two-passenger vehicles, its streamlined and minimalist guiderail support structures and. stations, and its ability to move passengers in three dimensions.
     The SkyTran vehicles hang suspended from overhead guiderails which allow the vehicles to travel either at ground level or above traffic and to turn or move from ground level to above traffic in a very brief time and short space.
     Another feature that makes the SkyTran personal/mass transportation system so special is that vehicles are available "on-demand," meaning there is no waiting, or schedule, or even driver for that matter. A passenger simply boards the first vehicle in a line of vehicles always ready at each transit stop, keys in a destination on the on-board computer, and is whisked off non-stop to it.
    SkyTran vehicles operate in their own safe environment, separate from pedestrian and surface vehicle traffic, and never have to stop for traffic lights, stop signs or railroad crossings because there are no

intersections where vehicles and/or pedestrians can collide.
     SkyTran employs a passive magnetic levitation merging system, similar to freeway cloverleaf interchanges, and fail safe electronic monitoring devices and sensors to keep system vehicles safe distances apart.
    The benefits of SkyTran are numerous, especially when compared to other transit modes like light rail and buses. One mile of SkyTran guiderail, including stations and stops, will cost $1 million to $2 million. (Light rail costs $25 million to $50 million per mile.) SkyTran vehicles will cost approximately $4,000 to $6,000 each (One new 36-passenger transit bus costs $300,000.)
     SkyTran labor, operating and maintenance costs are only a fraction of those required to support a light rail and expanded bus system since there are no drivers. SkyTran magnetically levitated vehicles run on electricity (equivalent to 200 miles-per-gallon energy utilization) and the maglev propulsion system has no moving parts that wear out (there is no friction).

Also, consider the savings not only in terms of the tax burden current transit systems put on the public but in other areas such as no land purchases or neighborhood destruction to provide rights-of-way. No air or noise pollution, no parking lots or garages needed, no traffic jams or accidents or road rage, and all the extra time and money you'll have from not having to work so hard to own and support two or three vehicles per, family.
Compare SkyTran to the proposed Valley Connections plan for light rail and expanded bus service, which would cost about $3 billion over 10 years to construct, operate and maintain. If we spent the same amount developing a SkyTran system, we could have 1,200 miles of guideway and 200,000 vehicles rather than 35 miles of light rail and 500 more buses on our crowded streets.
But don't just take my word for it. Do the math yourself and check out the SkyTran Web site (http://www.SkyTran.net). Then call the governor, your mayor, senator and congressperson and tell them to stop wasting your tax dollars on obsolete transit solutions.

Jerry Spellman has lived in the East Valley for 20 years.