THE CASE FOR AUTOMATED-GUIDEWAY TRANSIT

Automated-guideway transit (AGT) is a class of transit systems characterized by fleets of driverless transit vehicles operating under computer control on exclusive rights-of-way above, at, or below ground level. AGT systems, in general, can perform all of the operating functions of conventional, fixed-guideway transit systems, ranging from simple shuttles through collection and distribution to urban and commuter line-haul systems, including complex networks. AGT transit systems represent a fundamental change in the operational capabilities of transit systems, resulting in significantly improved service levels with simultaneous improvements in productivity when compared with conventional transit. Two of the most significant urban deployments of AGT are in North America and Europe: the SkyTrain system in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and the VAL system in Lille, France. Their first years of operating performance are compared with those of other contemporary but conventional fixed-guideway systems. The conclusions drawn are that, in certain applications, AGT is more than competitive with conventional transit and that, under certain conditions, AGT systems can return sufficient revenues to match and even exceed their total operating and maintenance costs at acceptable fare levels.