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Personal Rapid Transit
Connect Sunnyhills to the BART/LRT/transit center
with a city-wide PRT system (10 miles and 20 stations)
The Problem: The Sunnyhills neighborhood of Milpitas is 3.5 miles from the nearest BART station, so most folks will need to drive their cars to the station.
The Solution: Sunnyhills Neighborhood Association (SNA) supports a Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) feeder between Sunnyhills and the BART/LRT/transit center that serves the entire community.
Background: The distance between the Montague and Warm Springs BART stations, nearly three times the average, constitutes a transportation inequity for Sunnyhills residents and others living near the County line. Although another BART station has been proposed for Midtown, SNA supports a PRT feeder between the Montague/Capitol BART/LRT station and Dixon Road to mitigate this transportation inequity. We call upon the City of Milpitas, VTA, and BART to study the costs and benefits of an PRT feeder in comparison to another BART station. We call upon the City of Milpitas to study the costs and benefits of a PRT feeder in comparison to current transportation solutions (e.g. parking garages and extra overpass lanes).
Some of the facts that brought us to this position:
- 7 miles between Montague and Warm Springs BART stations - triple the average distance between stations!
- The planned Montague BART station will be a regional hub connecting with LRT and buses.
- City of Milpitas is requesting a 2nd BART station in the Midtown Area, only 1.5 miles North of the Montague station.
- Cost of 2nd BART station = $180M - $200M; cost of PRT feeder = $100M
- A PRT feeder system would site stations within 1/2 mile of an estimated 70% of Milpitas residents, and provide needed transportation options to several transit-dependent communities.
Potential savings of a $100M PRT feeder linking Sunnyhills and the Montague BART station:
- $10M - eliminate the need for 250-car parking structure at new library
- $40M - eliminate the need for expanding the Calaveras crossing of the railroad tracks
- $40M - eliminate the need for the Montague/Great Mall urban interchange
- $30M - reduce the amount of VTA bus service in the area (for 5 years) (3% of $200M/yr)
- $xM - reduce the amount of VTA Outreach service in the area (for 5 years)
- $xM - reduce the amount of parking required in the Midtown Area
- $xM - property tax revenue from extra density in the Midtown Area due to fewer cars
- $xM - rental for telecommunications line space within guideways
- $1M - reduction in street maintenance of 10% ($200K/year for 5 years) (137 miles of street)
- $1M - increase in tourism dollars due to PRT "attraction" ($200K/year for 5 years)
- $3M - eliminate the cost of a bike/ped crossing of the railroad tracks at Yosemite/Curtis
Total cost to Milpitas = $10M; Total of expected savings: $125+M
[If a minimal system with small stations and few cabs is built, the overall cost would only be $60M.]
To start the discussion of routing and stops for an PRT feeder loop in Milpitas, we offer these suggestions:
Routing
- from the Montague BART station, go north along the BART right-of-way to Yosemite Drive
- east along Yosemite to S. Park Victoria Drive
- north along Park Victoria Drive to Jacklin Road
- east along Jacklin Road to Escuela Parkway
- north along Escuela Parkway and near the Hetch-Hetchy right-of-way to Dixon Landing Road
- west along Dixon to California Circle
- south along California Circle and Penitencia Creek to Weller and Main
- south along Main to the Great Mall LRT Station
- southeast along Great Mall Parkway/Capital Avenue to the Montague BART station
- inner loop connector running south from Jacklin Road along Escuela Parkway and Milpitas Boulevard to Calaveras Boulevard, and then west to Park Victoria
- bi-directional connector on Calaveras Boulevard between Main Street and Milpitas Boulevard
Station Locations
- Montague BART station
- Yosemite/Curtis overcrossing of the railroad/BART tracks
- Yosemite Drive and S. Park Victoria Drive
- Sports Center, Cardoza Park, Calaveras Hills High School
- Jacklin Road and N. Park Victoria Drive
- Pomeroy School/Russel School/MHS
- corner of Conway Street and Dixon Landing Road
- corner of Dixon Landing Road and Milpitas Boulevard
- corner of Dixon Landing Road and Milmont Drive
- Hall Memorial Park (to serve Curtner School and the creekside trail users)
- Weller and Main (to serve the new Library, transit center, Main Street development)
- two Midtown Area stations to support development that's less auto-centric
- City Hall/Community Center/Senior Center
- Escuela Parkway and Tramway Drive
- and 5 other stations (total = 20 stations and 10 miles of guideway)
When making choices, it's wise to balance three or more values rather than focus on a single value (e.g. money).
For example, we could consider Economics, Environment, and Service:
Economics Environment Service PRO:
PRT construction costs = $20M/mile
LRT construction costs = $50M/mile
BART construction costs = $200M/mile
PRT operating subsidy = 0%
BART operating subsidy = 40%
LRT operating subsidy = 85%
PRO:
PRT requires less energy per passenger mile than cars, buses, LRT and BART.
PRT disrupts less land and requires fewer resources to construct than LRT and BART.
PRT vehicles cause less noise than other transportation vehicles.
As the only technology claiming to reduce the amount of SOV driving, PRT offers the best hope for cleaner air and less congestion.PRO:
PRT = automated transit available 24 hours per day, 7 days a week
BART = 19 hours per day
LRT = availability depends upon funding
PRT = non-stop, private transit elevated above roadways
LRT = many stops en route and subject to delays due to traffic accidents
BART = stops en route along exclusive right-of-way
Average speeds: PRT = 25-70mph, BART = 43mph, LRT = 16mph
CON:
As a new technology unsupported by current funding sources, we may have to seek new channels to fund construction costs.CON:
PRT requires more reliance upon advanced technologies like computers, chips, telecomm, reliable power, etc.CON:
Being a private space, PRT cabs may attract riders interested in sleeping, making love, using drugs, meditating, staying dry, etc.
