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Supporters for a futuristic transportation test system for Winona have thrown their cards on the table, with the city poised to apply for $25 million in federal funds for a first phase test lab.
Preliminary work on the possible project shows that Southeast Technical College could connect with the hospital and East End retailers through a series of pod-like cars which ride along elevated tracks.
Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) is a transportation system developed in the 1950s, and has had its share of failures and criticism for a system which carries three to five passengers to destination stations along the elevated tracks. But supporters of the technology say it’s green, convenient, affordable and the wave of the future, with some studies suggesting such transit will become a $44 billion industry by 2020.
If PRT does explode as the new transportation system of the future, Winona city leaders would like a cut of the job creation that would flower alongside its development. They’ve come up with a plan, one that could result in a $175 million to $200 million system connecting locations in Winona, while fueling composite industry jobs and higher education collaboration.
Within a document prepared by the city to promote Winona as the site for a PRT test site, support was pegged from all three higher education institutions, and Winona-based RTP Company and related composite industries in Winona were named as private businesses which could help develop the actual pod cars and related infrastructure. That, city leaders say, could help create jobs that would continue to grow as PRT takes off elsewhere.
The City Council will learn more about the proposal on Tuesday, when it will vote on whether to pursue the $25 million in federal funding for the first phase project. That money would come with an 80/20 split, and would require matching dollars. City leaders have suggested that there’s plenty of interest from possible private donors for the project, and they likely won’t seek state bonding money for the potential PRT test bed.
“We already have many of the components that we’d need for consideration in this type of project,” said council member Tim Breza of the concept, adding that he felt there was private interest in the project. “It’s a matter of leveraging those resources. All grant makers look to see what skin you have in the game.”
The first – $25 million phase – would construct just over a mile of tracks to connect a proposed storage and maintenance facility at Southeast Technical College with retail on the city’s East End, and with Winona Health. It would include about 20 pod-like cars, and, if the grant is awarded, would have to be completed within 18 months of the award. If the City Council does pursue the grant money, it will find out this spring whether the city was awarded the funding.
Future phases of the project could add additional miles of tracks and connect the grid with other city locations. The system could also connect to a new Amtrak station to serve as a regional transportation hub, and could touch existing Winona transit as well as bus lines to Rochester, according to the city’s preliminary report.
Preliminary study shows several collaborations that could be developed through such a test lab. Saint Mary’s University’s geospatial services department could take the lead on mapping assessments and graphic depictions of the operations. Winona State University, along with its composite engineering programs unique to the nation, could help develop and study the system and infrastructure, and SE Tech could assist in research and development of electronic systems, network administration, mechanical drafting and maintenance.
While the test lab wouldn’t necessarily solve a high density transit issue here, it would provide a perfect test site that could be used to develop the technology and allow leaders and planners across the world to observe it, supporters say.
“Winona is small enough to experiment, yet large enough to produce meaningful results,” said Winona Mayor Jerry Miller.
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