Masdar City PRT
World's First Urban PRT System
In the heart of Abu Dhabi work has started on the most ambitious sustainable development in the world today. Masdar City will be the world’s first carbon neutral, zero-waste to landfill, car-free city powered entirely by alternative energy sources. Masdar City will be built on six and a half square kilometres and will grow eventually to house 1,500 businesses, 40,000 residents and 50,000 commuters.There will be no fossil fuel cars within Masdar City. The city will be a pedestrian-friendly environment, with a Personal Rapid Transit system (PRT) available for longer journeys. The PRT vehicles will travel at speeds up to 40km/h, with the longest routes in the city taking around 10 minutes. Ultimately there will be 3,000 PRT vehicles serving 130,000 trips/day over the 85 stations.
The dedicated guide way in the undercroft, an artificial basement created by raising the pedestrian level, will also accommodate the Freight Rapid Transit system (FRT). The FRT system is capable of making 5,000 trips per day carrying the loads and deliveries for residents, stores and hotels. The flatbed vehicles can carry two pallets, with a maximum total payload of 1,600kg.
The PRT & FRT will be entirely powered by renewable energy. The vehicles are equipped with Lithium-Phosphate batteries, allowing a range of approximately 60 kilometers on a 1,5 hour charge. The vehicles will be recharged at the stations, avoiding the necessity of additional parking space (garage). The stations feature angled berths, allowing all vehicles independent entry and exit.
2getthere was selected as the supplier for the first phase of Masdar City, providing the link to the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology (MIST) by means of 8 PRT, 2 VIP (leather interior) and 3 FRT vehicles. In this phase the network will be approximately 1,2 kilometers long and feature 5 stations (2 for passengers, 3 for freight).
For more information on Masdar, please visit www.masdarcity.com
Masdar City PRT Application summarized:
| Description: | PRT Network |
| Operational period: | 2nd half 2009 |
| Peak Capacity: | 500 p/ph/pd currently |
| Service Frequency: | On-demand |
| Times of Operation: | 24hrs. p/d, 7 days p/w |
| Configuration: | Network |
| Connections: | Direct (Non-stop) |
| Type of vehicle: | 2nd generation CyberCab |
| Fleet Size: | 10 (+ 3 Freight Rapid Transit vehicles) |
| Passengers seated/standing: | 4 adults + 2 children |
| Drive: | Electric |
| Supervisory Control System: | TOMS |
| Track Length: | 1200 meters (one-way) |
| Number of Stations: | 2 off-line (+ 3 freight stations) |
| Berths per station: | 6 |
| Crossings for Traffic/Pedestrians: | On podium level |