We envision a modern system of Personal Rapid Transit and/or Group Rapid Transit, eventually growing to include the following characteristics:
- Service to heavily populated areas and business districts from Santa Cruz to Watsonville
- Service within safe and easy walking range of most public schools
- Service to and within UCSC and Cabrillo College
- Service to Dominican Hospital, Watsonville Community Hospital, some doctor offices, and most nursing homes and retirement communities
- Convenient access along the rail corridor
- Overhead infrastructure for optimum efficiency
- Artistic design reflecting the character of Santa Cruz County, beloved by residents and tourists alike
- Electronic “smart glass” windows that become translucent in neighborhoods where residents request privacy
- Easy bus connections to areas beyond the PRT network
- Lower carbon footprint than bus or train
- Lower operating cost than bus or train
- Faster, more convenient service than bus or train
- Emergency buttons in podcar: 911, Police, Fire, Hospital, Nearest Bathroom
- System likely to be managed by Santa Cruz Metro Transit District with priority hiring for bus drivers and other employees whose jobs could be displaced by the PRT system
Here we show a possible map of the guideway network that would provide broad coverage from Santa Cruz to Watsonville, as proposed by Transit X:
