The people mover could come online as soon as 2013.
"The BART board voted 7-1, with Director Tom Radulovich opposed and Lynette Sweet absent, to award $440 million in contracts for the construction, operation and maintenance of the 3.2-mile Oakland Airport Connector. Construction of the automated, driverless train system that would whisk passengers to the airport in 14 1/2 minutes is scheduled to start next summer and take 3 1/2 years.
BART's board and regional transportation officials have longed to build a rail connection to the Bay Area's second-busiest airport for nearly 40 years but there was never enough money. The faltering economy gave the people mover the boost it needed earlier this year: $70 million in federal stimulus funds to complete the funding package."
Comments
Bart/Oakland People Mover vs Heathrow PRT System
Peter Muller
Doing the math, the Bart/Oakland people mover costs $137M per mile and averages 13 mph. The London Heathrow personal rapid transit (PRT) system costs $40M per mile and averages over 20mph. My understanding is both have about the same capacity. Do the British know something we do not?
Visit www.prtconsulting.com to learn more about PRT.