DUAL-MODE TRANSIT CONCEPT OF GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION

General Motors has completed the concept feasibility study and preliminary design of a dual-mode transit system. The basic system involves a modified version of the GMC motor home operating off the guideway in a relatively conventional manner and on the guideway in an automatic mode with both lateral and longitudinal control effected by communication signals from a buried wire loop. System operation will be 25 m/s (82 ft/s) in corridors and 12 m/s (39 ft/s) in the central business district. Communication is accomplished off the guideway through ultrahigh frequency equipment and on the guideway principally through a very low frequency and low frequency link. Principal modifications to the vehicle are required to accommodate load changes due to the 17 seated-passenger capacity; a unique positive switching device, and an electric propulsion unit added to the primary internal combusion engine. The propulsion system combination provides for backup redundancy as well as acceleration boost allowing reduction in kilometers of guideway. Representative approaches to guideway and station design have been developed to the preliminary design stage; however, site-dependent considerations will determine detailed design. Station configurations incorporating mode-interchange facilities, 2 to 5-berth sawtooth platforms, and accommodations for processing as many as 3200 passenger/hour have been studied. Concentration in these areas has been on cost minimization. Preliminary analytical work on control and scheduling development confirms the feasibility of the system approach.

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/sr/sr170/170-016.pdf
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/0360859X
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper appears in Dual Mode Transportation, which is a publication containing the proceedings of a conference conducted by the Transportation Research Board, May 29-31, 1974. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board (TRB)

  Washington, DC   
• Authors:
  • Tyson, H Blair
  • Caiati, Frank P
• Conference:
  • Conference on Dual-Mode Transportation
  • Location: Washington District of Columbia, United States
  • Date: 1974-5-29 to 1974-5-31
• Publication Date: 1976

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 44-51
• Monograph Title: Dual-mode transportation
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Board Special Report
  • Issue Number: 170
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0360-859X

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Communication systems; Design; Dual mode transportation systems; Propulsion; Railroad stations; Scheduling; Transportation; Vehicle power plants
• Uncontrolled Terms: Design criteria; Propulsion systems; Transportation systems
• Subject Areas: Design; Planning and Forecasting; Transportation (General);

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00149239
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Mar 15 1977 12:00AM