The SkyTran system has many distinguishing advantages over all conventional forms of People Transportation and over all other PRT systems:

TRAVEL TIME

1. 100 MPH average speed.
2. Fast, yet comfortable acceleration and deceleration.
3. Non-stop to your destination.
4. No waiting for a scheduled vehicle, a vehicle is there waiting for you.

Travel Method	Average Speed	Time to Commute 10 Miles	Time to Commute 100 Miles
Bus (With Many Stops)	20 MPH	30 minutes	5 Hours
Auto (Congested Freeway)	35 MPH	17.1 minutes	2 Hours and 52 Minutes
Train (Light Rail With Stops)	45 MPH	13.3 minutes	2 Hours and 13 Minutes
Auto (Maximum Legal Speed on Most Urban Freeways)	55 MPH	10.9 minutes	1 Hour and 49 Minutes
SkyTran	100 MPH	6.0 minutes	60 Minutes

SAVES ENERGY

1. SkyTran generates no direct pollution.
2. SkyTran costs less energy than any other major form of transportation (400 MPG energy efficiency at 100 MPH). SkyTran requires 1/20^th of the energy of an automobile that is traveling at a slower 55 MPH.
3. No stopping, idling or waiting enroute.
4. Accelerating and decelerating is at an absolute minimum compared to the constant speed adjustments necessary in ordinary automobile traffic. Once on the main monorail freeway all SkyTran vehicles are always driving at the exact same speed under automatic computer control.
5 .There is no resulting expansion or compression of traffic.
6. A SkyTran vehicle traveling at 100 MPH produces 1/50^th to 1/100^th of the pollution of an automobile traveling at 60 MPH. (Pure electric vehicle produce zero pollution, but the power plants making the electricity make pollution which must be accounted for).

COMFORT

1. Reclined seats maximize the comfort of each passenger.
2. The ride is bump free, because SkyTran is suspended by electric powered magnetic levitation. There are no potholes, wavy asphalt or concrete to degrade ride quality.
3. Watch television, read, talk on the phone, work, or relax and dream while being chauffeured to your destination.

SAFETY

1. The number one cause of all automobile accidents today is human error. 75% of all accidents happen at two-dimensional intersections because at least one of the drivers is in a rush, not paying total attention, etc. (these are not "accidents" they are "stupids"! If YOU run a red light and your kid - whom you did NOT make wear his seat belt - gets killed because of an ensuing crash and roll over - it is NOT the manufacturer of the door latch that popped open's fault. But, no! Thanks to greedy lawyers it seems like our society has become totally idiotic!)
2. SkyTran vehicles are operating in a three-dimensional environment. There are no "intersections". Vehicles cross over or below each other, cannot crash into each other and there is no reason to even slow down.
3. Each SkyTran vehicle is independently computer controlled. Computer control systems are performing safety checks thousands of times each second and never daydream or get distracted.
4. SkyTran anti-collision radar and computer system eliminates the chance of an accident between SkyTran vehicles. Anti-collision radar will not fully protect you in two-dimensional automobile traffic because surprise cross traffic cannot be accounted for. SkyTran on the other hand, are trapped to their track and all operating in line with each other.
5. SkyTran vehicles are safely above and do not intersect with any other traffic. Thus, no collisions with automobiles, trucks, bicycles, children at play, pedestrians, stray animals or road debris are possible.
6. Unlike trains, the SkyTran vehicles are trapped to their track and are impossible to derail. Consider automobiles on wet or icy surface roads. Mix such weather conditions with drivers who are not careful or in too much of a rush and out-of-control slides and crashes often result, Such weather has absolutely no effect on SkyTran operations. (Weather is one important reason the SkyTran are suspended rather than riding on top of the roll formed track. No top groove means no dirt, debris and ice accumulation, nor any resulting continual cleaning expenses.)
7. Total computer control means no speeding or DUI tickets. It also means no accidents or deaths from intoxicated, incompetent or inattentive drivers.

DURABILITY

1. The Solid State MagLev SkyTran vehicle, its track and supports have no moving parts, no mechanical moving switches, and never make mechanical contact. This substantially reduces cost and the need for periodic maintenance to replace "worn out" parts.
2. Complete and thorough automatically computer controlled vehicle and system checks can be performed daily. This will eliminate the high cost of human vehicle inspections. Higher quality automatic inspections at much more frequent intervals can be accomplished for much lower total costs.
3. Regular paved roads degrade over the years from the continual pounding of cars and 80,000 pound trucks. This results in potholes, bumps at the joints and waviness. Since there is no physical contact between the SkyTran vehicle and its monorail track, this contact type degradation just won’t happen.

COST

1. With a Projected Cost to the User of only 10 cents per mile commuters will soon realize that, besides saving them precious time, using the SkyTran system for commuting will save them money! (If you drive an automobile that gets 15 Miles per Gallon and are paying $1.50 per gallon of gas - you are already spending 10 cents per mile.) Nowadays, most people understand that in addition to gasoline costs there are many other costs associated with owning an automobile. An automobile’s true total costs average about 34 cents per mile which includes the real expenses of maintenance, tires, depreciation, insurance, licenses, etc. The SkyTran grid system cost savings will become obvious once commuters see they are spending about what they used to be paying just for their weekly gasoline! SkyTran can also eliminate daily parking costs which in many congested cities can exceed $15 per day! AND let’s not forget that for just 10 cents per mile the commuter also gets to travel safely at 100 MPH - not just 35 MPH or less in busy traffic.
2. The SkyTran system can carry freight or packages to a destination with no human courier, reducing freight and package delivery costs substantially.
3. The SkyTran system installation cost per mile is so low that an extensive grid to serve all the people to all their possible destinations becomes possible. Most trains and/or major freeways are so expensive on a per mile basis that they only usefully serve nearby adjacent residents.
4. There are many other obvious cost savings that can be inferred from the nature of the SkyTran system that are too numerous to mention.

OTHER BENEFITS

1. For every person using the SkyTran system, there is one less person adding to the congestion on the roads below.
2. No parking fees ever again!
3. The SkyTran system travels above or below existing ground transportation systems, and therefore, does not interrupt the flow of other traffic.
4. The SkyTran system provides a quicker and safer route for emergency vehicles to get to/from their destinations.
5. The SkyTran system moves more people per lane than any paved road.

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Copyright©1999-2003, Douglas J. Malewicki, AeroVisions, Inc.