A recent report from West Virginia University Transportation and Parking indicates the Personal Rapid Transit system has seen significant improvements in the fall 2019 semester compared to the same time period last year.
According to the report, which compared the weeks of Aug. 21, through Oct. 18, with the same time frame in 2018:
Since the beginning of the semester, weekday reliability of the PRT has remained at nearly 99 percent versus 95 percent in fall 2018.
Daily ridership of the PRT has increased 38 percent this fall versus fall 2018. In fact, the PRT is averaging more than 14,200 riders per day since the beginning of the fall 2019 semester.
The PRT system is averaging 43 vehicles in operation each day since the beginning of the fall 2019 semester compared to 22 vehicles per day during the same time last year.
In 2012, the University launched a multi-year PRT modernization project, which was designed to upgrade and replace all electronics and train control systems.
The design and installation of the updated control systems include new onboard vehicle controls, guideway equipment, central control equipment and passenger information signs and entry/exit gates. The new system also uses use radio frequency communications, which vastly improves system availability.
As a result of these efforts, PRT ridership continues to grow while the Transportation and Parking team continues to focus on decreasing system downtime.
“Safety, reliability and creating a great experience for students, faculty, staff and visitors who ride the PRT are our top priorities,” said WVU Director of Transportation and Parking Clement Solomon. “During this semester, interruptions in service often are the result of misconduct by riders, and our entire campus community can help reduce downtime by following a few simple rules.”
Follow @WVUPRTstatus on Twitter for more information and updates on the PRT. For the latest transportation and parking news, follow @WVUparking on Twitter and @WVUparking on Facebook.
Visit the Transportation and Parking and PRT websites for more information.