The GlidewayPRT envisions a national public automated electric guideway system designed to offer a different form of personal rapid transportation (PRT) to urban and suburban populations requiring local transit. This PRT public concept is a safer, faster, cheaper, and less intrusive method of transportation to and from suburbs or through urban congested areas with a minimum of time, cost and public disruption. This style of transportation is between one congested area to another without the use of private automobiles or taxis.

This elevated system is designed for performing the above traffic management using BiModal Glideway’s special switching systems which take advantage of the only space left in congested urban environments, i.e., the space above the streets and sidewalks/greenery. In order to relieve surface congestion we need to utilize some of this space without polluting the streets or air. Our concept takes advantage of open space without polluting and minimizes the physical appearance while improving all traffic flow. We believe all PRT traffic should be one-way on each side of a major through-way, maximizing esthetics, while reducing noise, and switching problems. However, two-way may be more economical. We have minimized the amount of horizontal space required for either one-way or two way-tracks and for switching and stations. Most stations will be elevated approximately 5 feet above the main track which requires 15 feet clearance above the street.

The GlidewayPRT includes an automated, elevated single lane throughway comprising multi-gage rail track in various combinations. A computerized control system regulates spacing of vehicles while maintaining uniform speed. The rail switching is accomplished by variable gauge rail wheels on the vehicle, which selectively engage or avoid engaging with various wider rail-gauge tracks. On-ramps extend from a guideway station and are taken by the vehicle temporarily engaging with a descending wide-gauge section of track that ends side by side in parallel with the narrow-gauge track. Off-ramps lead into the guideway station as the vehicle engages with the wide-gauge section of throughway track initially in parallel with the narrow –gauge track, the wide-gauge track ascending to remove the vehicle from the mail rail line. Bypassing the guideway station involves continuing engagement of the variable gauge wheels with the narrow-gauge track. A level pitch is maintained during climbing and descending.