International Podcar City Conference Returns to Silicon Valley

The Ninth Annual International Podcar City Conference is set for Nov. 4-6, at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts. It will address the role of podcars and automated transit networks as they pertain to mobility, energy, cityscape, and livability. An audience of 150-200 is expected, including city planners, transit planners, consultants, architects, engineers, investors, developers, elected officials, and university students. Podcar City is organized by the Institute for Sustainable Transportation (IST) of Sweden and the International Institute of Sustainable Transportation (INIST) of California. The Mineta Transportation Institute is a co-sponsor.

“Podcars are similar to the driverless trains we see at airports and other facilities around the world,” said Christer Lindstrom of INIST. “But these are built as smaller cars for about six passengers. Initial systems are expected to fill the need for short trips or for connections between transit modes. We expect the technology to eventually evolve into larger systems. Elevated tracks will allow them to operate without impacting street traffic.”

The conference will open Nov. 4, at 10 a.m., with a student design charrette at San Jose State University’s Spartan Superway Design Center.  Students will present their team designs at 4 p.m.

Other speakers representing government, business, and professional organizations will come from across the US, China, France, Australia, Sweden, Italy, the UK, Poland, Mexico, and the Netherlands.

Plenary sessions include: City, MPO, and State Perspectives; and Systems in Operations. Breakout sessions will address HSR/Feeder Systems and Station Area Design; Shared Mobility and Accessibility; Applicability of Podcars; Urban Design; Systems Development; Swedish City Perspectives; Procurement and Standards; Driverless Vehicles; Energy and Climate; and an interactive workshop. 

The Podcar City 4 Conference was held at the San Jose City Hall Center in 2010, attracting international participants. Other conferences have been held in New York, Washington, Germany, and Sweden.

Lindstrom said, “Podcars have impressed people all over the world. Some famous riders include Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, German Prime Minister Angela Merkel, US Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton, and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, among others.”