Potential impacts of “Automated People Mover Systems” to future transportation systems
Yolibeth Mejias de Pernia Graduate Assistant Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering University of South Florida 4202 E. Fowler Avenue ENG 3303 Tampa, FL 33620-5350 Tel: (813) 974-3172 Email: mejiasde@mail.usf.edu
Submission Date: 07/12/2012 Word Count: Body Text = 6919 Abstract = 274 Total = 7193
2 Mejias de Pernia, Yolibeth ABSTRACT For 125 years the automotive industry has been a force for innovation and economic growth. Now, in the last two decades, transportation innovation is speeding up and the industry is on the verge of a new technological revolution: Automated people mover “APM”. Automated people mover (APM) systems consist of automated, with high levels of electricpowered intelligence, driverless vehicles operated singly or in multi-car trains on steel or concrete guideways without the need for attendants. APM systems have been around since the 1960s and provide a high quality of service and are capable of moving between 2,000 to 25,000 passengers per hour per direction in almost 130 installations around the world (1), APM technology has been extensively used for circulation service in airports (2), recreational parks (Disney Parks), central business districts (CBD as one in Masdar City in Abu Dhabi), and Downtown districts (3). APM technology has also been used for trunk line transit service, such as the VAL system in Lille, France, the SkyTrain in Vancouver, Canada. This paper attempts to conduct a worldwide review of APM applications for urban transit and airport circulation services to obtain a full understanding of the costs, benefits, capabilities and efficiencies of this advanced transit technology in order to assemble potential impacts of “Automated People Mover Systems” to future transportation systems. It may be concluded that APM systems are a suitable mode of high level-of-service for trunk line transit service in a medium population...