UMTA Transcript (Volume I, No. 5)

NHTSA · 1975 · ROSA P / United States. Department of Transportation. Urban Mass Transportation Administration

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Summary

This document is an internal newsletter, the *UMTA Transcript* (Volume I, No. 5), published by the United States Department of Transportation’s Urban Mass Transportation Administration (UMTA) in December 1975. It serves as an administrative update rather than a research paper, detailing operational milestones, policy standardizations, and program developments within the federal transit agency. A primary focus of the issue is the standardization of terminology for Automated Guideway Transit (AGT) systems, following a May 1975 report by the Congressional Office of Technology Assessment. The text defines three distinct categories of AGT: Shuttle-Loop Transit (SLT), Group Rapid Transit (GRT), and Personal Rapid Transit (PRT). SLT is described as the simplest form, featuring fixed routes with minimal switching and vehicle capacities ranging from under 20 to over 100 passengers. GRT offers greater route flexibility and switching capabilities, with vehicles holding 10 to 50 passengers and headways between 3 and 60 seconds. PRT is characterized by very short headways (less than three seconds), small all-seated vehicles (3–6 passengers), and high routing flexibility. The document notes that the Morgantown, West Virginia system, while officially titled a PRT system, is technically a GRT system due to its operational characteristics. The newsletter reports on the operational status of the Morgantown PRT demonstration project. The 2.3-mile double guideway system, which transports West Virginia University students, began limited service on October 3, 1975. By early December, it had carried over 200,000 passengers and operated 13 hours daily. Access is controlled via magnetic prepaid fare cards for students, while non-university passengers pay a 25-cent fare. Additionally, the document outlines several other UMTA programs, including the Advanced Group Rapid Transit System Development, Dual Mode Transit (DMT) systems capable of both automated and manual operation, and socio-economic research mandated by Congress to assess the viability and public acceptance of AGT systems. Other administrative updates include the inauguration of the Philadelphia Chestnut Street Transitway, a $5.9 million auto-restricted zone project funded by UMTA. This downtown bus and pedestrian mall bans auto traffic to improve bus speeds, resulting in estimated annual savings of $200,000. The issue also covers personnel changes, such as the appointment of Diane G. Enos as Acting Director of Public Affairs and the retirement of Robert Sloan from the American Public Transit Association. Furthermore, it details UMTA’s participation in Vice President Nelson Rockefeller’s White House Public Forum on Domestic Policy and regional activities concerning rail reorganization and planning regulations.

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