Here we present the Goals, Criteria, and Performance Measures that have been chosen by the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission (SCCRTC) for their Unified Corridor Investment Study. We think you will agree, Personal Rapid Transit is the best way to achieve these goals.
Goal: Promote feasible solutions that address transportation
challenges.
- Community support and coordination/consistency with local, regional, state and federal plans: No known problems
- Potential to address transportation challenges and advance environmental, economic and equity goals: Excellent! PRT provides convenient transportation with little or no greenhouse gas emissions and low operating costs. Equity is largely a matter of designing the network to serve those communities that need it most.
- Compatibility with regulatory requirements: No known problems
- Level of public investment: Unknown
- Right of way constraints: Excellent! The rail corridor is a prime location with few constraints.
- Technological feasibility: Some systems are ready to go now, while others will rapidly become more feasible from year to year. Given that the County is making decisions regarding 30 years of funds, it is important to study cutting-edge technology that may be available soon.
Goal: Safer transportation for all modes
Injury and fatal collisions by mode: Excellent! See Public Safety page.
Goal: Reliable and efficient transportation choices that serve the most people and facilitate the transport of goods
Peak period mean automobile travel time: Excellent! See Reducing Traffic page.
Peak period mean transit travel time: Excellent! See Convenient Transit page.
Peak period travel time reliability: Excellent! See Convenient Transit page.
Mode share: Excellent! We expect the convenience of PRT to increase the number of people using public transit, and the reduced traffic will help people to feel safer walking and cycling.
Person trips across N-S screenline: Excellent! PRT will make it easier to travel north or south, especially during rush hour.
Goal: Develop a well-integrated transportation system that supports economic vitality
Level of public investment: Unknown
Visitor tax revenues: Excellent! Visitors will enjoy riding a PRT system, especially if Santa Cruz leads the way in providing a unique transportation experience that isn’t available in other cities.
Cost associated with fatalities and injuries: Excellent! See Public Safety page.
Goal: Minimize environmental concerns and reduce adverse health impacts
Automobile vehicle miles traveled: Excellent! See Reducing Traffic page.
Environmentally sensitive areas: Excellent! An overhead PRT system has minimal effect on the ground below.
Criteria pollutants: Excellent! PRT operations don’t pollute.
Greenhouse gas emissions: Excellent! See Climate Change page.
Goal: Accessible and equitable transportation system that is responsive to the needs of all users
Transit Vehicle Miles Traveled: Excellent! For many purposes, PRT is more convenient than driving a car.
Household transportation costs: Excellent! PRT has much lower operating cost than a bus or train.
Benefits and impacts to transportation disadvantaged communities: Excellent! The network should be designed to serve these communities. In particular, we observe that PRT could pass quietly through densely populated parts of Watsonville, serving them much more directly and effectively than a train could do. (See population density map.)