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San José visits London Heathrow ULTra System Sept 18, 2009
As part of San José's thorough effort to study and eventually procure a cleantech electric PRT system, Laura Stuchinsky undertook a half-day-long Heathrow PRT site visit from Europe, where she was on vacation with her husband. As a potential airport PRT customer, San Jose was interested in meeting with Heathrow PRT Manager David Holdcroft, an existing airport PRT customer. Stuchinsky and Holdcroft discussed Heathrow's process for procuring a PRT system. Heathrow began with a comprehensive study of internal transportation needs, exploring the viability of additional bus service and/or building a new automated people mover. In the end, the study concluded that PRT provided an operating cost savings of 40% over other technologies and a 60% passenger trip time advantage. Given the outcome in favor of PRT, the airport held an open, competitive PRT procurement under UK procurement rules. Advanced Transport Systems (ATS) ULTra won the competitive procurement. Holdcroft conveyed many Heathrow "lessons learned" to Stuchinsky.
“I was impressed with the great amount of thought and attention to detail Advanced Transport Systems (ATS) has invested to translate this innovative technological concept into an attractive transit service—the kind of service patrons will want to continue to use once the 'wow' factor has faded.” - Laura Stuchinsky, Sustainability Officer, San José Department of Transportation. “We have cities all around us who are watching to see what happens with our project,”
Stuchinsky toured the Heathrow ULTra system, visiting the control room and stations; sitting inside a vehicle; and observing the guideway and system maintenance area. Stuchinsky met with ATS personnel including Chief Operating Officer Phil Smith, Marketing Assistant Bernadette Fielden, and Heathrow System Lead Controller Andy Wilkes. During her visit, Stuchinsky filled her notebook with observation notes.
Much of Stuchinsky's conversation with David Holdcroft and Phil Smith was about lessons learned about the construction and operation of this first commercial system, as well as the unique challenges and benefits of building a PRT system at an airport. Discussion topics included: reactions from neighbors to the system, steps the Airport and ATS are taking to make the system easy for patrons to operate, and Heathrow's PRT expansion plans.
It is expected that San José will eventually hold an open, competitive PRT procurement, thus no particular advantage was gained for ATS in hosting a site visit. However the sharing of study/procurement experience between existing and potential customers should serve to benefit the entire PRT industry, helping to ensure that future procurements proceed expeditiously.
San José's Laura Stuchinsky in a Heathrow ULTra vehicle
Laura Stuchinsky chats with Heathrow ULTra System Lead Controller Andy Wilkes in the Control Room |
