Ottawa can be the first city in the World implementing new transportation method PRT.

Img. SkyTran UniModal PRT

How can we improve our city if we do not listen to all the candidates for Mayor?
Why, no one except me, was thinking or considering alternatives to LRT.
Why others were infinitely talking only about different ‘street car’ solutions (diesel vs. electric, one track vs. two tracks, go to Airport vs. Barrhaven).
HELLO…. There are other transportation solutions!!!
For example PRT (Personal Rapid Transit) or H2 (hydrogen) Fuelled Buses if we worry only about the environment ***

MISTER Illustration: Artur Kriaga Academy of Fine Arts in Cracow under direction of prof. Maria Dziedzic

I have fresh ideas but no one was interested to talk to me about them before the LRT decision was made. Since the beginning of June I proposed another solution to LRT, and no TV, Radio, Ottawa Citizen, or Ottawa Sun have mentioned anything about it.
I see that for our local Media not fresh ideas or new faces are important, but the old names repeated again and again. A hundred times I have heard about 3 candidates for Mayor, but I did not hear about 3 other candidates and their ideas.
SHAME for manipulating the public and wasting taxpayers’ money. This is a dis-service to the voters of Ottawa by not allowing them to see all their options for Mayor and fresh new ideas.

This section of my platform I dedicate to PRT (Personal Rapid Transit), the modest, pollution and accident free, most efficient way of public transportation, that I would like to build next year in the downtown of our city. Because PRT technology is still new, I am suggesting to build a pilot project as a tourist attraction for Ottawa visitors and eventually later expand it. This initial project can be built in one about year from the moment we say YES. It will be the first such solution in the World and will attract a lot of attention. It will be a city investment that will be returned to the city coffers in a maximum of 2 years, and for the future years it will create profit that the city can use for other necessities.

MISTER Illustration: Michał Kracik Academy of Fine Arts in Cracow under direction of prof. Maria Dziedzic


If this project satisfies us with its reliability and expectations, after one year we can easily extend it in any direction to use as a public transportation. In this case, in 3 years from now, our commuter problem will be solved without increasing our taxes a penny and without huge construction cost and inconvenience.
Moreover, as the first city that accepts and builds this system, we will have a lot of privileges from the developer, and a huge advantage compared to other popular cities from a tourists point of view.
If we do not accept PRT as a solution to our traffic problem, PRT will stay as a city attraction and downtown transportation, that will add continuously money to the city budget.

BUT…, first we have to accept the fact that driverless vehicles above and on city streets are no longer science fiction, as auto guidance and driving systems have been making rapid advances.

Around the World, there are many different solutions for PRT (Personal Rapid Transit). I have already contacted a few companies in Europe, Asia, and America, which have designed different PRT models. I have exchanged information with inventors in Europe and Asia. After comparing all designs, I have chosen MISTER (Metropolitan Individual System of Transportation on an Elevated Rail), which I think is the best and modest solution. At the end of July I was in Warsaw (Poland) where the first MISTER prototype will be probably build soon. I talked there with the inventor of this unique system Mr. Olgierd Mikosza.
At the end of this document I’ll list links to a few other PRT projects for you to compare and link to the Demo of similar project proposed to Microsoft main campus in Silicon Valley.

MISTER combines the best ideas from other systems and adds its own innovations. This project was awarded with a prestigious research grant from Warsaw Technology University.
Here are some facts that I liked the most about MISTER (for more information please visit: http://mist-er.com/index-en.htm).

MISTER Illustration: Michal Golinski (Huston)

MISTER’s cabin (weight with approximately 4 passengers is 500-600kg.) uses small electric engines which require only 0.5-2 KW for cruising (the same energy uses hair dryer); therefore, energy cost per passenger-km is around $0.01.
FANTASY??? NOT, it is Today’s REALITY.
"If at first, the idea is not absurd, there is no hope for it." - Albert Einstein

MISTER is comparable to Metro in capacity, because is capable to moving from 5000 up to 32 000 passengers per hour in each direction on double track. It can actually deliver more people than subway or any other transit system.
Great Brains thought that flying something that is heavier than air was impossible.

MISTER generates ZERO air pollution and minimum noise.
"Human being never will visit a moon, regardless the future inventions" -- Dr. DeForest, TV developer 1926

MISTER causes NO collisions or free passage.
"640 KB RAM should be enough for everyone" -- Bill Gates, 1981

MISTER is 10-20 times less expensive and 10 times faster to build (30-40km/year) than subway.
“The only failure is not to try” - Bill Cullen (self made Irish multimillionaire)

MISTER 4km. Ottawa downtown entire project (from War Museum, through Albert St., Slater St., Rideau Canal, University of Ottawa, Market, up to Museum of Civilization) will cost in total only about $25 million.
Invention is possible only, if we are not afraid to do what other people are afraid.

MISTER pylons that hold its tracks can replace the street lamps’ masts and will serve still as lamps. The only disadvantage I see would be a small rail support system 10-15 m above the ground, which would create a tiny shadow or distraction. But somehow nobody really complains, when we build road/rail estacades or flyovers, which are 100 times more intrusive. Such infrastructure is taken for granted, because it “helps” to improve traffic problems. Why then not a hardly visible and quiet truss rail system above the streets?.
Eiffel Tower was almost disassembled 20 years after it was build, because was ugly for the Paris.MISTER has only one problem: No one else has installed it yet.
Even though, the concepts and assumptions of MISTER have been verified and confirmed as feasible by a number of neutral parties, including senior university researchers, suppliers, and project bureaus.
"Problems cannot be solved by thinking within the framework in which the problems were created" - Albert Einstein




According to the conservative estimates, the following are the maximum costs of a 1 km, two directional, MISTER system (in millions of USD)
50 pylons and 2 rails (steel, concrete, land and labor) $1 M / km.
200 vehicles / km (this is maximum density, which we won’t need) $2 M / km
Single vehicle will cost around $10 K (this is production cost for a small volume vehicle factory, which despite simplicity will increase costs)
Automation, sensors and computer control $1 M /km
4-6 stations (small structures with 1 bay for 5-10 vehicles) $1 M /km
Total Maximum Cost p/km (including rolling stock) $5 M/km

Nevertheless, it shows that the MISTER innovative transportation system is a self-financing, seamlessly scalable, environment friendly, and sustainable transportation for governments and affordable, comfortable, safe, secure and convenience for commuters. It is definitely a very good alternative for private car commuting.

Now LTR deal is done. So,…
We have a democratic system in Canada; therefore, we elect our Mayor, who should talk to us, listen to us, and make the right and the best decisions for us. If we do not agree, we may vote in a new leader when the time comes. But as long he/she is our leader, it is up to him/her to make a final decision.
I repeat, I am against present LRT solution to our transportation problem, but if the councillors with the support of the mayor have decided to proceed with it, I will not negate their decision. However, this will not stop me to propose to the city another transportation project, to improve our quality of life in Ottawa. The city needs pedestrians to boost business. In Ottawa there are 2.5 cars per family. We need to convince people to leave their cars at home. To do it we have to offer them better public transportation. If we go with LRT, then I am for some modifications such as underground tunnel in downtown. Cost of such tunnel will be 50% higher than building LRT on the ground, but if we add loses related to the construction of rail lines and the accompanying disruption in city life, we will get probably the same SUM. To cover costs related to drill a tunnel, I have a few propositions/ways to get necessary funds without digging into the taxpayer’s pocket.
Please remember that international studies show that all large cities have not been able to solve their transport problems using only surface transportation systems. Such cities need a high-capacity Metro system to serve their people and provide a smooth, reliable and fast moving means of transport.

MISTER Illustration: Michal Golinski (Huston)

PRT is not a new concept. It has been deliberated over the past 40 years or so but it is only now that the time is ripe to build it. Today, all the necessary components are easily available, like computers, software and wireless broadband for seamless communication between cabins and control stations. These components are now cheaper, safer and more efficient than ever before.
PRT is a low cost, yet high capacity transportation system; it is scalable and flexible
to build, a system which will save Governments billions of dollars and it will be able to provide highly efficient and affordable transportation to the people.
The cost of building the stations can be charged to for example hotel owners if they would like it to be at their building block, which will help reduce operations costs for the PRT system operators.
PRT stations can be build on top of existing bus stations or can be attached to the buildings (or even inside of them), where platform for passengers can be built instead of windows.
PRT again is unique as empty cabins are NOT required to move continuously.

Construction versus operations: Two factors make up the cost of a transit system: the total cost for construction and the operating costs. Usually if the upfront costs are low, there is high operating cost, and vice versa. But PRT is different.
Construction: PRT can be installed for less than the cost of other rail systems. There is no requirement to purchase kilometers of expensive right of way. The only rights of way that are required are for the small metal poles, which can generally be placed on public land at no cost. And even when PRT crosses private property, only air rights are needed.
Operations: PRT also has low costs of operations. By automating the system, this high cost present in most bus and rail systems is eliminated. And since the system is designed for ease of maintenance and repair, we will avoid the high costs often associated with automated systems.
Revenue: Many systems don’t talk about their revenue figures. Fare box revenue is often a drop in the bucket. But PRT is different. The high level of service will allow this system to carry many more riders than other modes. This will also increase revenues many times. Advertising can also be a significant stream in a personal system like this.

MISTER Illustration: Michal Golinski (Huston)

Would’t it be amazing if we could build PRT along Ridau Canal, in the middle of Carling Ave. or connect Alqonquin College with Barrhaven, i.e. in many places where traffic is always heavy? During construction, traffic would not have to be stopped for even one minute! This system is very flexible and doesn’t require the system operation to be stopped in the case of route extension or the building of additional stations.

Each cabin will be heated or air conditioned, and can be equipped with TV or an advertising screen. MISTER can be used to remove garbage during night hours, or to deliver goods and food to stores and restaurants. Only MISTER keeps cabin always in the horizontal position, so it is safe and convenient for wheelchairs and cargo loads.
Transport plays a great role in the development of a nation, economically and socially and it is considered to be a main Base of the growth of any country.
Therefore, in Ottawa we should:
First step – build an attraction for tourists (one year)
Second step – expand it to PRT network (two years)

MISTER and Other PRT Concepts

Here is a link to download a Demo. This project was proposed for the Microsoft main campus in Sillicon Valley, California:
http://www.cities21.org/MS.wmvv
Here are a few other PRT systems:

MonicPRT - Singapore
http://www.monicprt.com

http://www.monicprt.com/doc/MonicPRTCostNRevenueNUSModel.pdf

Morgantown - US
http://faculty.washington.edu/~jbs/itrans/morg.htm

Taxi2000 - US
http://www.taxi2000.com/

APGM - Finland
http://www.tut.fi/units/arc/ays/tutkimus/apgm/web-content/apgm.html

Vectus - Korea-Sweeden-UK
http://www.vectusprt.com/eng/main.asp

ULTra – England
http://www.atsltd.co.uk/

COASTER – Austria
http://www.coaster.at/?frs=30&lid=22

SKYCAB - Sweden
http://www.skycab.nitea.se/eng/?startt

MISTER – Poland
http://mist-er.com/index-en.htm

*** A Hydrogen vehicle is an automobile which uses hydrogen as its primary source of power for locomotion. These vehicles generally use the hydrogen in one of two methods: combustion or fuel-cell conversion. In combustion, the hydrogen is "burned" in engines in fundamentally the same method as traditional gasoline cars. In fuel-cell conversion, the hydrogen is turned into electricity through fuel cells which then power electric motors. A primary benefit of using pure hydrogen as a power source would be that it uses oxygen from the air to produce water vapor as exhaust.
London is taking part in a pioneering project to reduce air pollution and noise by testing the first generation of zero-emission fuel cell buses. This important initiative is a key part of the London Mayor's Transport and Air Quality strategies, which are designed to help give Londoners a cleaner and healthier future.
Not only is the fuel cell bus trial a significant step towards achieving that goal, it also demonstrates that London is leading the way in alternative forms of public transport.

Perth, Australia
In this photograph the first bus is unloaded from the ship. Pure steam can be seen rising from its exhaust pipe which is visible at the rear.