How to get into PRT

Stakeholder Workshop

In situations where a PRT system is being proposed in a community environment, numerous stakeholders with differing interests are likely to be involved. One way to bring such a disparate group together and build consensus for a PRT system, and the way in which it is to be accomplished, is to hold a workshop of community leaders. The workshop must be facilitated by somebody knowledgeable in PRT and experienced in running workshops. This person needs to be empathetic and encourage all opinions to be heard. The workshop could take the following format:

• Introductions and statements of interest/concerns/goals
• Discussion on agenda and goals for workshop
• Slides and videos on the state of the PRT industry
√ Concepts
√ Vendors
√ Projects
√ Sustainability
√ Costs
√ Benefits
√ Procurement Models
√ Risks
• Consensus on major goals
• Consensus on probable procurement model
• Discussion of risk mitigation
• Discussion of probable implementation steps
√ Steering Committee
√ Management Team
• Discussion of funding requirements & sources

The results of the workshop should be documented and made available to the participants. A likely implementation step is the formation of a PRT Steering Committee comprised mostly of key participants of the workshop. The Steering Committee would meet periodically during the project to help ensure the major goals are being met and the best interests of the community are being kept in mind.

A PRT Management Team should also be formed. This could initially be comprised of key staff members of the Owner. Where the Owner lacks qualified staff and/or for complex projects, a consultant will probably be needed to provide program/project management services.

It is vital that the project leaders have a thorough understanding of the PRT concept and how it interrelates with transportation planning. Historic PRT projects, such as those at Morgantown, Denver and Rosemont, suffered from a lack of project leaders with a thorough understanding of PRT. In all three projects, the PRT concept was morphed towards something more familiar to conventional transit planners – corridor travel and/or larger vehicles. This led to cost overruns at Morgantown and project failure at Rosemont and Denver.