Morgantown, West Virginia
From nycsubway.org
Morgantown PRT at Beechurst Avenue Station. Photo collection of David Pirmann.
Overview
The "Personal Rapid Transit" (PRT) at West Virginia University is a unique automated transit system servicing the city of Morgantown, WV, and the campuses of WVU. Funded by the Urban Mass Transportation Administration (UMTA) and designed and built by Boeing-Vertol Corporation, the system first carried passengers in October, 1975. Rather than trains operating on fixed routes with intermediate stations, the PRT is comprised of 75 rubber-tired autonomous vehicles, which operate point-to-point based on rider demand during peak periods, or "circulation mode" (stopping at each station) during off-peak times. The 1975 Phase I of the project included three stations (Walnut, Beechurst, and Engineering); 1979's Phase II expansion included two more stations (Towers, Medical Center). The UMTA planned the PRT as a demonstration project, and it remains the first and only large scale PRT system in the United States.
Facts and Figures
- Number of vehicles: 72 (45 built in 1974; 27 built in 1978-1979)
- Number of vehicles required for peak service: 55
- Rider Capacity: 8 seated/13 standing
- Vehicle Dimensions: 15'-6" long x 6'-8" wide x 8'-9" high
- Vehicle Weight: 8,750 lbs empty
- Propulsion System: one 70 HP 420 VDC traction motor
- Average mileage of vehicle per year: 20,000 miles
- Total length of track, or "guideway": 8.7 miles
Stations/Facilities
- Walnut
- Beechurst
- Engineering
- Towers
- Medical Center
The main maintenance facility is located midway between the Beechurst and Engineering Stations and was opened in 1974 with Phase I of the PRT project. The facility has maintenance bays accessible by powered tracks and unpowered storage areas. A smaller maintenance facility, which opened in 1979 with Phase II of the PRT project, is located between the Engineering and Towers stations.
Map
Photo Gallery
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 Image 160505 (314k, 1200x800) Collection of: David Pirmann |  Image 160506 (328k, 1200x800) Collection of: David Pirmann |  Image 160508 (329k, 1200x800) Collection of: David Pirmann |  Image 160509 (374k, 1200x800) Collection of: David Pirmann |  Image 160510 (300k, 1200x800) Collection of: David Pirmann |