MONORAILS are proven. Each and every day hundreds of thousands of passengers are carried on monorails. Many of the world's transit monorails exist in Japan, eight of which are full-scale urban transit systems. Others exist in Australia, Malaysia, Europe, Russia and in the United States. Several more are either under construction or in advanced planning. Surprisingly, Walt Disney World's Monorail System near Orlando, Florida, has one of the highest riderships of all monorails. Well over 100,000 passenger trips are recorded each day on the 14 miles of beamways (a far higher ridership than most USA light rail systems). Nothing "Mickey Mouse" about that! The system is there to move people between six stations, not just amuse them.

MONORAILS are safe. Whether they are of the straddle-beam or suspended variety, modern monorail technology makes derailment virtually impossible. As monorail is elevated, accidents with surface traffic are impossible. Zero accidents with pedestrians or surface traffic translates to no system down time, less liability suits and most importantly, a safer public. Street rail systems with grade crossings (light rail, trams or trollies) can't approach this level of safety, as any study of accident history will show.

MONORAILS are environment friendly. Since most are electrically powered, monorails are non-polluting. In 2007, the Las Vegas Monorail aided in the annual removal of an estimated 3.2 million vehicle miles from Southern Nevada’s major roadways and reduced emissions by more than 58 tons of carbon monoxide (CO), volatile organic compounds (VOC) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) over the course of the year. Most monorails run on rubber tires and are very quiet. Monorails are the most aesthetically pleasing of all elevated rail systems. Their sleek design blends in with modern urban environments. Quick construction time results in less disruption to the surrounding environments, whether business or residential.

MONORAILS are cost effective. The Tokyo-Haneda Monorail has been operating since 1964. This eight-mile dual-beam system is privately owned and TURNS A PROFIT each year. The Seattle Center Monorail, built in 1962 for the Century 21 exposition, is run by a private corporation. In return for the concession to operate the one-mile line, the corporation pays the city $75,000 every year. What private business would take on a contract like this unless profits were guaranteed? Profit is indeed an oddity in the transit world, as most transit technologies require enormous subsidies from taxpayers. Building monorail does not guarantee profit, but operating costs are almost always less.

MONORAILS are receiving serious attention from transit planners. Houston Metro selected monorail for its city rail system, only to be cancelled later by the city's mayor. Jacksonville built a peoplemover-scale monorail in its downtown. Newark International Airport opened a monorail system between terminals and parking lots in 1995, and in 2001 it was extended to a new Amtrak station that serves trains on the Northeast Corridor. In 2003, Kuala Lumpur opened a spectacular monorail, connecting hot spots throughout the Malaysian city. Okinawa has the newest monorail in Japan, which also opened in 2003. In 2004 Las Vegas opened a four-mile leg of what could become a city-wide monorail system. New systems are in advanced planning or construction in several areas of the world. The Monorail Society keeps members and anyone interested informed with updates on our News Briefs page.

MONORAILS are popular with people / taxpayers. Voters have demonstrated their preference for monorail more than once. In Los Angeles, they voted five to one in favor of monorail in a referendum. LA transit officials ignored them and continued to build light rail and subways. In November of 1997, approximately 93,000 Seattle voters said yes to a grass roots-produced initiative for a 40-mile citywide monorail system. A subsequent Seattle ballot initiative to tax automobile owners for a starter line in 2002 passed as well. Although voters supported the monorail on four separate ballots, a controversy over debt financing and lack of City Hall support in 2005 resulted in the cancellation of the project. Monorails still remain popular with people and more will be built in coming years!

A. Vehicle Type and Adaptation
1. Type of vehicle: Monorail vehicle on top of runway
2. Guideway Layout: Any type of configuration (loops or bi-directional)
Vehicles are easily switched from one guideway to another, elevated, tunnel or surface.
3. Applications: Freeways, urban areas, city centers, park and ride systems,

shopping center, airports, exhibitions, tourist resorts, sports and recreation.

B. Vehicle and Train Combinations:
1. Single vehicles with low or high floor
2. Dual vehicles (2 end cars)
3. Standard minimum train: 3 vehicles
4. Components for all trains:
Front car
Rear car
Middle car
5. Example: 7 car train: 2 end cars + 5 middle cars
6. Vehicle combinations: High and low floor (Flexible seating for high floor).
Walk-through from end-to-end of train
7. Walking space provided from front to rear end of each train

C. Vehicle Dimensions:
1. Overall width : 2.35m (7.5ft)
2. Single vehicle lengths
Type a (PRT type) 3.0m (10ft)
Type b: 5.5m (18ft)
Type c: 7.3m (24ft)
Type d (Standard type) 9.0m (30ft)
Middle cars for trains: 5.7m (22ft)
3. Overall height:
a) PRT Type: 2.0m (6.6ft)
b) Low floor in single vehicle: 2.8m (9.3ft)
c) High floor in trains: 3.2m (10.5ft)

4. Floor to ceiling height: 2.05m (6.7ft)
5. Doorway opening outside sliders: 2.0m (6.6ft) height x 1.25m (4.1ft) width;
6. Number of doors for end car: 2
Number of doors for middle car: 2 or 4

D. Vehicle Weights (Empty)
1. Single Vehicle: Varies with length
2. Train of vehicles:
a. End cars: 3,500kg (7,700 lbs)
b. Middle cars: 3,200kg (7,000lbs)

E. Vehicle Components:
1. Car body: Composite, stainless steel and/or Aircraft aluminum
2. Bogie: Aluminum, composite material, or stainless steel
3. Windows: Fixed, tinted safety glass
4. Doors: Laterally moveable, tinted safety glass
5. Tires & Wheels: (Standard) 2 traction tires + 4 guide tires on aluminum
wheels for each bogie, special high load capability,
easily replaceable, with run flat safety tire inserts.
Optional: Bogie with steel wheels.

F. Vehicle Mechanical, Electrical and Control
1. Primary power: 750 AC, substation line voltage mounted to guide rail or inside

of guideway
2. Propulsion: Alt I: Powerful electromagnetic motor, in-wheel direct
drive propulsion, with gear
Alt II: Maglev linear induction motor (MLIM)
3. Service braking: Dynamic regenerative
4. Emergency braking: Drum or electric disk brake
5. Suspension: Pneumatic and springs
6. Air Conditioning: Redundant, high capacity
7. Fire Safety: Design and materials to meet ASTM E-119 and NFPA

compliant

G. Vehicle Emergency Evacuation:
Special provision for evacuating passenger for elevated guideways

H. Automatic Vehicle Control:
Consists of 3 vital safety sub-systems:

a) Automatic Vehicle Propulsion
b) Automatic Vehicle Operation
c) Automatic Vehicle Supervision

The equipment is distributed along the inside of the guide way and at the central control

station.

I. Passenger Service and Communication
Automatic ticketing, Audio-Visual Communication on vehicle and at stations.

J. Substations Power Supply:
Located along guideway approximately every 2.0 km (1.25 miles)
Power required at each substation: Standard 15 km

K. Guideway – Elevated Beam way, Concrete Slab for Tunnel and Surface

Special elevated structures and stations designed off-street, that do not interfere with street

traffic.

1. Foundation: a) Standard spread concrete type
b) Standard pile foundation
c) Special foundations with multiple pilings

2. Width at surface: 1.2m (4.0ft) wide concrete slab (with center rail)

3. Width of elevated prefabricated concrete beam way or hybrid composite structure with

concrete running slab: 1.1m (43 in)

4. Height of elevated beam way (normal): 1.0m (40in) + guide rail = 0.4m (15in)

5. Length of spans: 30m (100ft) to 45m (150ft) depending on local
applications.

6. Minimum clearance height under beam and cantilevers: 4.5m (15ft)

7. Gradient (slope): 12%

8. Min. horizontal curve: 38m (125ft)

9. Min. vertical curve: 300m (1000ft)

L. Guideway Switches (4 types – depending on application):
Type a: Multiple High Speed Guideway Switch – Flexing of Guide rail
Type b: Non-flexible swivel (for 2 guide ways crossing at same level)
Type c: On-board switch (for off-line stations and maintenance yard)
Type d: Passive switch for low speed vehicles and service.

M. Vehicle Performance Characteristics
Max. Speed (Standard): a. 100 km/hr (60mph) for stations less than 1.6 km
(1.0 miles) apart

b. For stations further apart, the max. speed can be
increased

Max. Acceleration : 1.2 m/sec2 (3.9ft/sec2)
Max Deceleration: (Normal) 1.2 m/sec2 (3.9ft/sec2)
Min. vehicle operational turning radius: 38m (125ft)
(Smaller turning ability at L: c&d above)
Min. Interval between trains: Standard 1½ minutes (90 secs.)

N. Vehicle and Train Passenger Capacity:
Single PRT Vehicle Type a: 6 Seated + Wheel Chair
Single Vehicle Type b: 10 Seated + 25 Standees + 1 wheel chair
Single Vehicle Type c: 18 Seated + 25 Standees + 2 wheel chairs

3-Car train, nominal loading: 58 Seated + 72 Standees
Max. Capacity, Large Train: 25,000 pph or more on single guide way
50,000 pph or more on dual guide way