The Personal Transportation Alternative for Americas Parks and Public Lands

1
The Personal Transportation Alternative for
Americas Parks and Public Lands

• Franz Gimmler
• TRB Annual Meeting
• January, 2004

2
Outline of Presentation

• Park ATS search favors transit
• What shaped Mass Transit
• Resulting transit technologies
• What Shapes Park Visitor Experience
• Park paradigm mismatch with Transit
• Better Mode Choices
• Need for Demonstration of Alternatives

3
Mass Transit Paradigm
4
Characteristics of Mass Transit

• High Speed
• Large Vehicle
• Crashworthiness
• Weight
• Efficiency
• Infrastructure
• Operations

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High Speed
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Large Vehicle
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Infrastructure
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Other Characteristics

• Crashworthiness
• Weight
• Efficiency
• Operations

9
Rubber Tired Technologies

• Tourist Trams, Trolley Replicas
• Vans and Small Transit Buses
• Large and Small School Buses
• Small and Standard Transit Buses
• Articulated, Bi-Articulated Buses
• Motor Coaches
• Double Decker
• Electric Trolley Buses
• Buses with Trailers, Low Floor Buses

10
Rail, Guided Technologies

• Light Rail
• Heavy Rail
• Conventional Passenger Rail
• Monorail
• People Movers, Cable Shuttles
• Historic Trolleys
• Narrow Gauge Railroads

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Other Special Purpose

• Aerial Tramways, Gondolas
• Pontoons and Skiffs
• Catamarans, Mono-Hull Vessels
• Cog Railways, Funiculars
• Hydrofoils
• Snow Coaches
• Snow Buses

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Parks are Different
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Park Transportation Paradigm

• Travel is an Experience, not just a Trip
• Wayside has High Value
• Mode affects Experience
• Park is Precious
• Park Resources must be Protected
• Parkland has single Owner/Manager

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Ideal Visitor Experience

• Education, Interpretation
• Inspiration, Contemplate
• Explore, Random, Adventure,
• Spontaneous Pace, Sequence
• Seamless, Effortless
• Undistracted, movement/rest
• No alien sounds, sights
• Information en-route or at features
• Shared with Friend, Family of Choice

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Ideal Mobility System for Park

• Leave Resources Unimpaired
• Untouchable
• Topography, Hydrology
• Plant Life, Animal Habitat
• Non-polluting to Air, Water. Quiet
• Non-intrusive physically, visuallyGood Platform
  for interpretation
• Reasonable capital, operating costs

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Park ParadigmPark Manager Meets Park Visitor

• LOW SPEED
• SMALL VEHICLES
• Light Weight
• Small Power Unit
• Energy Source
• Energy Storage
• Intrusiveness
• Design Flexibility
• Structures
• Costs

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Park Paradigm

• Low Speed

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Park Paradigm

• Small Vehicle

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Park Paradigm

• Light Weight

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Park Paradigm

• Small Power Unit

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Park Paradigm

• Energy
• Source

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Park Paradigm

• Energy
• Storage

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Park Paradigm

• Intrusiveness

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Park Paradigm

• Design Flexibility

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Park Paradigm

• Structures

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Park Paradigm

• Costs

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Cycles
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Peddle Cycles
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Electric Cycles
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Scooters
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Gulf Carts
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Neighborhood
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Road MVSS
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Personal Water Craft
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Structures
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Segway
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Bike Rental
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Soft Mobility

• Support Pedestrians Bicyclists
• Extend Public Transport in the Destination and on
  the way
• Use Emission Free/Low Emission Vehicles
• Keep Whole City Centers/Rec areas free of Cars
  and I/C Engines
• Market SOFT MOBILITY

39
Whats Next

• Vision - Hypothesis
• NPS/USFS/USFWS/BLM Ownership
• Funding
• Demonstration
• Deployment
• Data Collection
• Ongoing