Ken Avid*r and PRT- an A-Z summary

Ken Avidor represents an unbalanced, fringe viewpoint that alleges PRT is a three decades-long-plus conspiracy by shadowy, right-wing, anti-transit, pro-highway forces to stop light rail transit (which is the sole object of Avidor's transit love). Of course, he has never been able to prove such a conspiracy despite many attempts. And he continues to cling to this conspiracy theory despite light rail having undergone a "revival" during that period.

Let's examine the talking points in his comment about spreading PRT hype.

1. The ULTra PRT is delayed with no explanation. Avidor supplies his own explanation: there are problems ("no mention of problems at Heathrow"). But if ATS Ltd. did not explain the delay, Avidor's claim of problems -- and their concealment -- is just guesswork.

2. He says PRT supporters smeared a transit consultant who only suggested some problems ULTra may have. As proof, he links to an online discussion group. Except the comments merely reflect the frustrations some group members have with a consultant who has repeatedly misportrayed PRT over the years. And whose website is about "advocacy" -- i.e., he has his own bias. And in fact, Avidor and Setty have a symbiotic online history.

3. Citizens in Daventry did not complain about being "flim-flammed," they believed they weren't getting all the information about the planned PRT network. Even though the responsible jurisdiction posted voluminous information online. Why did people still think they were being kept in the dark? Dunno-- why do some people still think President Obama is a Muslim?

4. Finally, Ken resorts to his oldest, most despicable ploy: he claims PRT is a crazy Republican idea -- Bachmann-crazy. Ken can continue to write this counter-intuitive slur (how can a *technology* be strictly Republican or Democratic?) because he conveniently ignores the progressives (such as me) who support PRT:

*Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), who has stated PRT should be included in a new transportation bill

*Debbie Cook (D), former mayor of Huntington Beach, CA

*Councilman Gus Ayer (D) of Fountain Valley, California, who has been attacked by the right wing for supporting PRT

*Mayor Carolyn Peterson (D) of Ithaca NY, which is studying the possibility of PRT there

*Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA), who supports Masdar, the carbon neutral city project that is to include an extensive PRT system

*Joan Bokaer, founder of TheocracyWatch, who spoke in favor of PRT last year

*Peter Calthorpe, a leader in the smart-growth movement, and a founder of Congress for the New Urbanism

*Frequent Avidor target Emory Bundy, an environmentalist, former Seattle broadcast executive, and chief of staff to the late Rep. Allard K. Lowenstein (D)

*The man who is credited with devising the modern PRT concept, Donn Fichter, a non-driver.

In fact, Bachmann merely wanted to add the words "personal rapid transit" to the long list of project types that local Minnesota governments can fund by selling bonds, if they want to. It wasn't a spending bill for a PRT project. That and only that is Bachmann's record on PRT: no spending bills, no appearances at transportation workshops, no speeches to podcar conferences, and no PRT bills in Congress (NO PRT bills were introduced by the GOP in all the years they controlled Congress -- odd, if PRT is such a right wing idea).

This is just an overview of the holes in Ken Avidor's anti-PRT campaign, which started (by his own conflicting statements) in 1989, 2003 or 2004. I'll conclude by mentioning some of his other boners:

He claimed a snow storm shut down the 1970s PRT prototype in Morgantown, West Virginia. What really happened: an automobile hit a power pole during the storm, and caused a blackout. The PRT runs on electricity.

He claimed he lived in Alameda, California, when that community was discussing a possible PRT system.

He tried to claim ATS Ltd's Cardiff test track had been "bulldozed" based on a Google Maps satellite photo that obviously pre-dated the track's construction. Instead of correcting his error, he tried to predict the future by claiming the bulldozing had been "postponed."

Perhaps most actionable was his attack on an ATS board member. Avidor claimed the board member's rail company was responsible for a multi-fatality train accident. Not only was Avidor trying to tar PRT by tying it to an unrelated tragedy, he was also factually wrong: a different company had been found at fault.