Questions and Answers Explain guideway placement and construction?  The System requires only a 5' X 10' plot of land every 100' for supporting T-columns.  The land used is publicly owned right-of-ways along freeways.  The guideways are modularly constructed off site and trucked over the freeway during low drive times.  Guideways are then placed on either side of T-columns for bi-directional travel.   The results:  faster construction, lower costs, less disruption.  Why is High Passenger Capacity Important?  21’ wide cabin offers the highest capacity per linear measure.  Important because this provides transit operators the highest passenger load at the lowest passenger or seat cost possible.  Note, conventional light rail and HSR’s cabin width is between 8’ – 10’. What is the system power?  Electric power.  In selected locations, optional photovoltaic panels can be placed on guideway. Why is Superior Passenger Comfort needed in urban transit?  Or, Why the Big Box?  To attract and hold the discretionary traveler (reference the Vision page on this site).  The passenger is offered a wide comfort seat with WiFi.  Every seat is accessible directly from 1 of 3 aisles (2 aisles on the HSR).  The Goal is to provide a positive atmosphere and a like experience found in coffee houses and executive offices.   What Secondary Benefits are derived with wide the cabin, "Big Box", interior?  (1) The flat entry from the station into FasTran's passenger cabin benefits wheelchair movement.  (2) When permitted by the transit agency, bicycles and personal electric vehicles can be boarded.   The "Big Box" cabin benefit closes the urban transportation loop to and from home, work, shopping, entertainment and other desired destinations. How is the vehicle propelled? Off-the-shelf Components.  Systems are light rail and HSR components.  Important because operators can continue to use proven components, have excellent availability and match current parts inventory and training. How is aerial safety addressed?  (1) The Vehicle is geometrically impossible to derail from guideway.  (2) Vehicle's Balance Wheel Assembly has two built-in emergency egress slides that deliver egressed passengers to a dedicated walkway between the bi-directional guideways.  Egressed passengers are positioned away from the third rail.  Is an earth quake design available?  The best in current earth quake design and guide-beam attachment technology is incorporated. How can this wide-bodied vehicle turn within the confines of existing city streets?  (1) The vehicle is mounted on two trucks (bogies) that operate independently in a turn (like a street car).  (2)  The guideway is slanted, thus the guideway's super-elevation (slope design) aids both right and left turns. How is the vehicle switched from one guideway to a second?  Robotic "functionality" is used to move guideway segments.  Right turns, left turns and  “through the guideway”  are accomplished using this design.  Fast, safe, quiet.  How will the aerial vehicle operate in ice, rain and sleet condition? Excellent.  Compression between the steel wheels and the steel rails provide drive wheels traction.  Also, guideway slope allows water and snow to run off.  Will this system be able to aid recoveries like those after the New Orleans Hurricane disaster?  Yes.  Equipped with a back-up power generating capability and the system's beam-aerial guideway, the FasTran system will be capable of operating above the destruction and water to aid recovery.	Technology    Designing a vehicle's size, there are three axes that come into play:         (1) longitudinal axis, or length. Example of extending the longitudinal              is adding additional length to a bus, as in the articulated bus.        (2) vertical axis, height, is seen in the double deck bus and rail car.        (3) the final axis is the horizontal, or width.  Until now, no transit system              addressed increased vehicle width as an advantage.  The widest                   transit vehicle in the U.S. is BART's 10.5' commuter rail car.  Why?              Because all transit systems built today have the Center of Gravity             between the wheels and this, in turn, for a wider vehicle width             would require wider acquisition of urban land, wider bridges, greater             cost, etc.  In contrast, the FasTran designs and controls the Center             of Gravity outside the wheels and cantilevers the vehicle into the             "free-air-space" from a relatively narrow guideway.   The vehicle's Center of Gravity (CG) is defined and controlled as no           other surface transit system.  The design defines the CG range and            maintains the CG range outside the wheels points of contact with the            guideway.  The empty CG is loaded with a designed factor which           also aids passenger comfort.  The main support/drive wheels           are steel and roll on welded steel rails.  The balance wheels           roll on smooth sheet steel.  The result is a smooth passenger ride           through all vehicle speed ranges. With CG outside the points of contact, the result is a cantilevered monorail.            A system that replaces conventional transit systems’ rectangle           support with the FasTran’s patented triangle support system.            When incorporating this design, the results are the world’s            widest-bodied, highest capacity, premium comfort transit            system for urban and special use areas.    Why is the triangle a better structure than the rectangle?  Because            of the unique force/structure, the triangle design produces            perpendicular (right angle) relationships between the wheels            and the running surfaces.  At the same time, this design            defines the enlarged Center of Gravity and controls            the vehicle’s CG range and movement. The guideway is constructed in a controlled environment, off site.            The outer frame is made of steel and concrete with rails are           attached.  The rails are constructed using laser aiming           and measuring.  The guideway is trucked down the           freeway at night and lifted to one side of two supporting           T-columns.    Lastly, the two guideways are "cradle & braced"            together to counter act the vehicle's torque input.  In urban           centers where structures limit bi-directional guideway, single           guideways structures are used. All guideway and vehicle forces are "boxed". The switch uses computer driven robotics for switch movement           and control.  The actuation is "4-seconds" fast, open           to closed, and provides system designers unlimited           switching functions and variants. FasTran’s wide-bodied benefits & features are targeted to attract           a new class of commuter, the middle and upper income           business person, who desires a better quality and           higher class of the transit ride.  FasTran also provides           this type of rider the ability to reclaim personal time           once lost when using conventional automobile commuting.