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Traditional mass transit systems require
large tracts of land and can take years to build. During construction,
the area is ravaged by heavy machinery and construction noise. Traffic
is usually severely impacted as lanes or whole roads are closed.
All this work is very expensive. Light Rail can cost
$50 million or more per mile.
Despite SkyTran's obvious speed and convenience
advantages, capital costs are surprisingly 1/10th that of conventional
light rail. This has been confirmed by a technical audit conducted by
the independent engineering firm TecNova. The low cost of the SkyTran
system is a result of the following factors:
- An innovative integration of proven
"off-the-shelf" technologies
- Low-cost vehicles
(minimum weight means less energy and capital to produce and
operate)
- Low-cost
guideway
(lightweight vehicles can be safely supported with lighter
weight guideway)
- Low real estate right-of-way costs
(small, lightweight SkyTran can be erected on existing highway
medians, ordinary sidewalks or even attached directly to
existing bridges and buildings)
- Lower maintenance costs since there are no moving
parts to wear out
- Automated construction process
Overview Convenient
Fast Safe Attractive
Affordable Environment |
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