PRT: Public Transit Of The Future?

Thirty years in development, a Minnesota inventor debuted SkyWeb Express, a personal rapid transit (PRT) system that has some people excited about the future of public transit.

1 minute read

April 14, 2003, 5:00 AM PDT

By Christian Madera @http://www.twitter.com/cpmadera


"After 30 years of laboring to perfect and sell the world on his futuristic public transit system, Minnesota inventor J. Edward Anderson on Thursday presented a shiny red cab that moves people along a silver track. Anderson's invention, known as PRT (for personal rapid transit) and more formally named SkyWeb Express, continues the tradition of Post-it notes, pacemakers, Honeycrisp apples and other Minnesota inventions, Olson said. "The problem with clogged streets has never been solved but I believe there is hope for that today," he said. As Anderson envisions it, cabs would operate on a guideway system elevated about 16 feet above clogged streets. Riders would mount a station platform, swipe a fare card through an electronic reader, punch in destination numbers on a keypad and then climb inside a three-seat cab slightly smaller than a Volkswagen Beetle. The system would be fully automated by computer, taking riders to their destinations nonstop while bypassing other stations along the way."

Thanks to Christian Peralta

Friday, April 11, 2003 in Star Tribune

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Use Code 25for25 at checkout for 25% off an annual plan!

Redlining map of Oakland and Berkeley.

Rethinking Redlining

For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

May 15, 2025 - Alan Mallach

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

May 14, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Front of Walmart store with sign.

Walmart Announces Nationwide EV Charging Network

The company plans to install electric car chargers at most of its stores by 2030.

May 7, 2025 - Inc.

Public Market sign over Pike Place Market in Seattle, Washington with pop-up booths on street.

Seattle’s Pike Place Market Leans Into Pedestrian Infrastructure

After decades of debate, the market is testing a car ban in one of its busiest areas and adding walking links to the surrounding neighborhood.

May 15 - Cascade PBS

Yellow and silver light rain train in downtown Long Beach, California.

The World’s Longest Light Rail Line is in… Los Angeles?

In a city not known for its public transit, the 48.5-mile A Line is the longest of its kind on the planet.

May 15 - Secret Los Angeles

Man reaching for young girl sliding down playground slide.

Quantifying Social Infrastructure

New developments have clear rules for ensuring surrounding roads, water, and sewers can handle new users. Why not do the same for community amenities?

May 15 - Happy Cities