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May 24, 2012
Jeff Jacoby: The peace process battered Israel's reputation
Michael Muskal: 'Pro-choice' position hits record low, according to poll
Chris Farrell: Are We in a Tech Bubble?
The Kosher Gourmet by Penelope Wall: PHILLY CHEESE STEAKS --- hold the steak!
May 23, 2012
Tony Pugh: More private colleges offering tuition discounts
Mary Beth Franklin: How to Choose the Right Annuity for You
Tina Susman: The wig wasn't enough: Man gets 13 years for posing as his dead mom
The Kosher Gourmet by Emma Christensen:A simple way to do fish right
May 22, 2012
Warren Richey: Can US group challenge overseas surveillance act? Supreme Court to decide
Thomas M. Anderson: Walking Away From a Mortgage
The Kosher Gourmet by Megan Gordon: Enjoy a celebration of the most rich and layered flavors: Black bean, sweet potato and quinoa chili
May 21, 2012
Mark Clayton: Cybersecurity: How US utilities passed up chance to protect their networks
Howard LaFranchi: NATO summit: Who will foot the bill for long-term Afghanistan security?
Chris Farrell : Earn Dividends in Emerging Markets with This WisdomTree ETF
Stephen Whiteside, Ph.D. : Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: Social anxiety disorder --- or just shy?
Guy Jackson : Victim's father regrets death of Lockerbie bomber
The Kosher Gourmet by Mario Batali: Famed chef's veal shoulder farsumagru: A festive meat course for late spring
May 18, 2012
Rabbi Berel Wein: Striving: The People of the Book's Book for (All of) the People
Steven Goldberg: 5 Great Stock Picks and the Exchange-Traded Fund that Owns Them
Mary Pickett, M.D.: Ask the Harvard Experts: Don't be forced into gluten-free lifestyle based merely on a doctor's false-positive test
The Kosher Gourmet by Carolyn Malcoun: DIY healthy lunchbox treats: HOMEMADE FRUIT BARS for kids and brown-bagging adults alike
May 17, 2012
Warren Richey: Teacher fired for being unwed and pregnant can sue religious school, court rules
Josh Mitnick: Netanyahu's 'centrist' coalition is already proving it's anything but
Steven Goldberg: Earn Dividends in Emerging Markets with This WisdomTree ETF
Amina Khan: Research links coffee to lower death rates
The Kosher Gourmet by Faith Duran : Cheesy Potato Breakfast Casserole with Cheddar and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
May 16, 2012
Carmen Terzic, M.D., Ph.D. : Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: A variety of exercises can help improve balance
Melissa Healy: National strategy on Alzheimer's disease aims to halt it by 2025
The Kosher Gourmet by Joyce White : GOODNESS GRACIOUS: GREENS! 4 winning recipes that are no longer just for down-home folks (Includes expert tips & techniques)
May 15, 2012
Kristen Chick: Obama administration resumes arms sales to Bahrain despite serious unresolved human rights issues. Activists feel abandoned
Pat Mertz Esswein: Homes are now affordable again and mortgage rates are low. What you need to know before you buy
Kathy Kristof: Our Practical Investor Fights Inflation with These 6 Investments
Sue Hubbard, M.D.: The Kid's Doctor: Lactose intolerant young child? Check again
The Kosher Gourmet by Kathy Hunt: Spread a Little Excitement with EXOTIC CONDIMENTS (4 RECIPES)
May 14, 2012
Lisa Gerstner: How to Protect Your Identity, Finances If You Lose Your Phone
Harvard Health Letters: Heart disease and dementia
The Kosher Gourmet by Megan Gordon: MANGO COCONUT OAT MORNING MUFFINS are a bright but hearty delight
May 11, 2012
Jessica L. Anderson: Get the Best Deal on a Used Car
Jett Stone: Forget face-lifts and fake knees. Scientists have seen the fountain of youth --- and it's broccoli
The Kosher Gourmet by Chef Mario Batali: The famed chef's vegetable dish that tastes true to the season: FAVAS AND SUGAR SNAP PEAS WITH POTATOES AND TARRAGON
May 10, 2012
Sergei L. Loiko: Putin sends warning to U.S., NATO in Victory Day speech at Red Square
Mary Rourke: How being a 'mentch' got Vidal Sasoon his start and fighting in Israel's War of Independence provided him with confidence and a strong sense of his own identity
Jeff Bertolucci: Get Home Phone Service for Less Than $10 a Month
The Kosher Gourmet by Betty Rosbottom: Gleaming with its golden, crimson, and snowy white hues, this silken smooth and creamy STRAWBERRY ORANGE TRIFLE looks impressive, but is easy to prepare
May 9, 2012
Sharon Palmer, R.D. How you can reduce your risk -- or delay -- chronic diseases associated with aging
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Jewish World Review
How Personal Rapid Transit works
By
Marshall Brain
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | (MCT)
Most of us are familiar with the idea of a "rapid transit system." New York City's subway system is one of the oldest and best known examples in the United States. Parts of the NYC system are more than a century old. Cities like Atlanta, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., have more modern systems built in the 1970s. Phoenix has a light rail transit system that is brand new.
But on the horizon there is a new form a rapid transit that will change the way people think about getting around in urban areas. These systems are know as personal rapid transit systems, or PRT systems. The PRT concept has been around for a long time, but the technology is just getting to the point where the first systems are now being installed. For example, Heathrow airport in London is installing a PRT system that will move people from a parking lot to the terminal (http://www.atsltd.co.uk has details).
Although there are many different PRT systems on the drawing boards right now, they all share some basic characteristics. The first and most obvious of these characteristics is small cars. Instead of giant trains that carry hundreds of passengers, a PRT car is sized more like an automobile. This is where the word "personal" comes from in the name. The car might typically hold two or four people depending on the design.
The second characteristic is the number of stops. In a typical rapid transit system that uses trains, the train stops at every station. There might be a few "express" trains that bypass some stations, but frequent stops are the norm. In a PRT system, your car travels straight to its destination, skipping past stations along the way. When it is time for your car to arrive at the station, the car moves onto a siding or a loop track so that you can get out. What this means is that you have a quick, non-stop trip to your destination.
The third characteristic is automated control. The cars in a PRT system are driven by computers. As a passenger, you do not have to do anything beyond getting in the car and choosing your destination. The control system handles the speed of the cars, the spacing between cars, the merging process and all track changes.
Finally there is the track that the cars ride on. In a PRT system, the track might be a narrow concrete roadway, a concrete monorail, or steel tracks like a steel roller coaster. If you have ever been to Disney World and looked at the track for the monorail trains there, you can see that it consists of a very simple concrete beam elevated on concrete posts. The advantage of this simplicity is very low cost for the track. It is far less expensive than railroad track or highway lanes.
Because the cars are small and light and the track is simple, you get another advantage. The track can fit into relatively small spaces, and it is easy to elevate. So PRT track might run down the median or the shoulder of existing highways and streets. Track can also squeeze between buildings. This further reduces the cost of a PRT system, because there is no need to acquire right-of-way.
The low cost or PRT track means that you can lay more track and build more stations. That makes the system more useful to passengers, so more people use the system. In a city that suffers from sprawl, this advantage might mean the difference between success and failure for a transit system.
But the real advantage of the PRT system is convenience. In a normal rapid transit system or bus system, trains and buses might only run every half hour, or even every hour. The schedule can be very inconvenient for passengers. In a PRT system, individual cars are waiting for you when you arrive at the station, and you travel straight to your destination. It is potentially more convenient than an automobile because you don't have to worry about parking at your destination.
Pay attention to the news over the next year or so. We should be hearing more about personal rapid transit because it looks like its time has come.
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Comment by clicking here.
Previously:
How 3G works
How the Global Position System (GPS) works
How octane works
How cruise missiles work
How submarines work
How miles work
How octane works
How food preservation works
How beer works
How holding your breath works
How smoke detectors work
How heat pumps work
How your night vision works
How concentrating solar collectors work
How your key fob works
How the common cold works
How the Large Hadron Collider Works
How making a TV show works
How dry cleaning works
How exoskeletons work
How an oil refinery works
How landfills work
How the Orion spacecraft works
The cutting edge in HDTV
Redefining the CD
How the HDMI cable scam works
How glow-in-the-dark toys work
How the subprime mortgage crisis works
How gift cards work
How Tasers work
How giant TV screens work
How foreclosure works
How Air Force One works
How wildfire fighting works
How vitamins work
How ejection seats work
How reattaching limbs works
How hot air balloons work
How paparazzi work
How counterfeiting works
How CDs work
How the Edsel worked
How Stinger missiles work
How hybrid cars work
How sharks work
How mosquitoes work
How diesel engines work
How water towers work
How the Dawn mission works
How Kassam rockets work
How the North American Eagle works
Why aren't we flying to work?
How tofu and soy milk work
How Colony Collapse Disorder works
How airbags work
How the U.S. income tax works
How gum works
How caffeine works
How Daylight Saving Time works
How a cruise missile works
How snow making works
© 2007, How Stuff Works Inc. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
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