MEDIA RELEASE: Wearing blinders, VTA looks at the Future of Transportation

MEDIA RELEASE

For Immediate Release: July 23, 2026

Contact: LoopWorks

1421 Yellowstone Ave, Milpitas, CA 95035

Attn: Rob Means, Rob@MilpitasPRT.com

Wearing blinders, VTA looks at the Future of Transportation

VTA’s consultant ignores driverless cars and podcars in our future

What would you think of a report on VTA’s Future of Transportation that failed to mention the BART subway, driverless cars, and Personal Rapid Transit (PRT, or podcars)? While the consultant who created the report could be blindered by his long experience with mass transit, he could be saying what the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) wants to hear.

Because LoopWorks believes the people of this county deserve a better vision, a response to the Workshop meeting on April 17, 2026 was delivered to VTA that noted several oversights, and attempted to fill in some holes.

LoopWorks agrees with VTA’s three primary outcomes. Overlooked in the report, though, is the potential of a podcar network serving 10 square-miles to grow ridership dramatically, increase productivity through automation, and enhance the customer experience with individual podcars that go non-stop to desirable destinations. Achieving “these outcomes in a financially sustainable way” by using PRT technology that pays for itself could become the core of VTA’s new business model.

LoopWorks asks “Why limit the future of transit to 2 dimensions in a 3-dimensional world?” In the short guide entitled Points for transit planners to consider about PRT, point #2 says “Use PRT in congested areas, and driverless vehicles (robo-taxis) elsewhere.” Ground-level congestion is a worsening problem, so it makes sense to build transit infrastructure above the limited ground space.

The LoopWorks response also notes that while big vehicles and fixed routes are useful, they are only part of our transportation picture. We want synergy between the transportation options that reduces single occupancy vehicle car trips (i.e. reduces congestion). A labor-light technology like PRT or robo-taxis can move people to/from transit hubs and Bus Rapid Transit routes where labor-heavy options provide longer-range transit.

VTA’s Future of Transportation seems like an extension of what VTA has already been doing. As currently envisioned, it does not satisfy Mayor Mahan’s request for a the new business model. Nor does it inspire voters to approve a regional tax measure.

LoopWorks is a non-profit mutual-benefit corporation with governance that is local, democratic, and balanced. For more information, visit MilpitasPRT.com or email info@MilpitasPRT.com.

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