Contact: Jacob Alan Roberts US Communication Director 3rd Annual PodCar City Conference Institute for Sustainable Transportation Stockholm, Sweden
jake.roberts@podcar.org 315.729.0829
For Immediate Release
November 26, 2009
Importance of sustainable transportation with Podcars is underscored by presence of California delegation to COP15 related transportation conference in Malmo/Copenhagen As a result of the Swedish-Californian Memorandum of Understanding on Renewable Fuels and Energy, a delegation of prominent California stakeholders representing areas of transportation, design and government will attend the International PodCar City Conference (PCCC3) December 8-10 in Malmö, Sweden. The conference, held in conjunction with the UN Climate Summit in Copenhagen, COP: 15, will present practical solutions for the transportation and urban planning sectors that can lead to a major shift in policy and action to help reverse the growing perils of global warming. With an emphasis on discussing future roles for “PodCars” in society; how to implement automated transit within conventional urban fabric; and identifying how this emerging green industry can address major climate change concerns, PCCC3 intends to contribute to the global evolution of sustainable cities by highlighting international PRT investments that provide alternatives to car and oil dependent forms of mobility. Participants in the two day symposium will be introduced to the world’s top PRT designers through various presentations and working sessions that will also feature the first industry PRT Auto Show with several Pods on display. The event, which will offer many cross-disciplined networking opportunities, features a packed agenda presenting numerous world renowned speakers. Conference organizers are KOMPASS, a network of 14 Swedish cities aiming to adopt PRT, and the Institute for Sustainable Transportation (IST), in cooperation with the US-based Advanced Transit Association (ATRA). For more information about the 2009 International PodCar City Conference, please visit www.podcar.org/cop15 or contact Jacob Alan Roberts, US Communications Director, Institute for Sustainable Transportation/IST. For information about the Memorandum of Understanding between California and Sweden, please contact Anna Carin Thomér, Consul, Consulate General of Sweden, Los Angeles on email losangelesact@hotmail.com. Background: The first PodCar City Conference (2007) in Uppsala Sweden, introduced the PRT concept to a broad international audience with internationally recognized speakers and highlighting the Vectus PRT product, a system being tested at the University in Uppsala, and on the cusp of achieving Swedish safety certification for public use. The second PodCar City Conference (2008) in Ithaca, NY, with 300 attendees further explored the potential of PRT development in North America with a focus on how the Personal Rapid Transit industry could serve as a tool for urban revitalization in often neglected and sprawling US population centers.