PROPOSAL FOR

CSULB MONORAIL CONSTRUCTION DEVELOPMENT

PREPARED FOR : FIELDON KING ALEXANDER,

PRESIDENT OF CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, LONG BEACH

PREPARED BY : …………………., GRADUATE STUDENT OF CSLB

May 14, 2012

INTRODUCTION:

My name is ……………, and I am a graduate electrical engineering student at CSULB. I write

this letter to you to recommend a solution consisting of the construction of a monorail system
that will solve the current campus transit problems for years to come. This report analyzes the
problems with campus shuttle bus transportation and Monorails that are extending their reach to
more than just zoos and amusement parks. Monorails are also being used in cities and at airports.
Benefits of a technologically advanced, safe, cost effective and rapid transit system outweigh
those of the unreliable and unpredictable operation of campus shuttle buses.

Monorail is rapid transit light rail system, running on an elevated concrete track. Monorail runs
on rubber tires, powered by electric current, acquires very less space on the ground, and provides
to minimize the traffic problems in congested shuttle routes. Monorail should not be only
suitable in amusement parks such as Disneyland, but it is also approved as a best solution of
transport problems with reference to other conventional rail system. As a concerned student of
CSULB, I would like to make some suggestions which can positively benefit for the future of
our campus.

PROBLEM:

Today’s road transportation is hazardous to our health, extremely unsafe, and very insufficient.
Presently, industries are designing and forming newly innovative forms of transportation to help
solve modern traffic troubles. As a growing population that relies greatly on transportation, we
can only afford to fill so many potholes, repair so many engines, and replace so many tires. In
order to take the proper steps to the future, we cannot keep fixing these problems with solutions
we have been using for years; rather, we must replace our problems with modern, practical, and
logical solutions that will serve us properly during our lifetimes and beyond.

The shuttle bus transportation system at CSULB is a model example of this solution technique.
Transportation problems are not temporary fluctuations that eventually dissipate over time. The

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subsequent information on the shuttle bus system outlines the specific problems affecting
campus transportation. Some of the bus shuttle problems are timing, air pollution from burning
fuel, and safety.

I. Shuttle Bus Timing Issues:

Figure 1: CSULB Shuttle Hours of Operation

Campus shuttles have a very difficult time reaching destinations according to schedule. Road
travel is extremely unpredictable and is practically impossible to foresee problems that may
transpire due to unexpected road circumstances. Specific circumstances that can possibly affect
shuttle travel here on campus are numerous. Shuttle buses are very difficult to trust when
individuals must be at a particular location at a certain time.

Figure 2: CSULB Campus Connection Routes

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 II. Air Pollution:

A leading cause of air pollution is the burning of gasoline fuels. If steps are not taken to
drastically help decrease pollution, this problem is only going to intensify and damage our
environment, especially in the beautiful beach city of Long Beach. Cleaner modes of
transportation are one way we can prevent this problem from getting any worse. We will
inevitably have to deal with this problem someday, but the sooner we do something for our
environment the better life for the future generation.

III. Safety:

At CSULB campus, shuttle buses transport 40000 students, faculty and staff throughout the 324-
acre campus to and from classes every day. Shuttle buses often lack the application of seat belts
and other safety devices in place of more practical applications, yet shuttle buses also include
other unsafe characteristics that may result in even more injuries. Seating capacity is obviously
limited, and sometimes the demand for a shuttle bus at any given moment during a school day
can be very high. With seats packed to capacity, other students must remain standing in the isle
holding on to no more than the seat in front of them. As we see in Figure 3, the UCSF shuttle bus
involved in a fatal accident July 14, 2011, with a big rig carrying cars in San Francisco’s Hayes
Valley.

Figure 3: 1 Dead, 4 Hurt in UCSF Shuttle Bus Crash

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SOLUTION:

For the last century, monorails have been proving themselves to be quite advantageous in high-
density areas. In fact, the first monorail debuted in Wuppertal, Germany in 1901, and is still in
operation today. One of the recently developed monorails is the Las Vegas Monorail that is about
4 miles long and stretches out along the Las Vegas Strip. This project provides Las Vegas visitors
and convention attendees with a quick, convenient, cost-effective and unique transportation
alternative. Some monorail benefits include:

 One of the safest modes of transportation.

 Monorails reach their destinations quickly and any unwarranted stops.
 Monorails have a very high passenger capacity and are very efficient.
 Designs for monorails are very flexible.
 Monorails produce less sound than many other forms of transportation.
 Monorails decrease traffic congestion.

I. Construction Details and Technical Contents

Monorail occupies very less space on the ground, which can be considered as a main advantage
for providing in the traffic congested areas. Monorail runs on the elevated concrete track
supported on the piers. Piers are erected on the medians or on the footpaths. Construction of
monorail is very convenient and time saving. It is done in stage by stage process in the following
order, first foundation, second piers and then beams.

The technical contents of monorails are as described below:

Rail System:
Monorail consist minimum two cars per train. All mechanism including motor, generator, and
brake system are fitted at front and end of the train. There is no provision of separation between
the cars. Minimum 125 passengers can travel at once in case of monorail of two car and
maximum 600 passengers can travel at once in monorail of four car. Weight of monorail is 22.5
ton per car.
Rubber Tires:

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Monorail is running on the pneumatic nylon rubber tires, which increase the grip on the track.
The tires are filled with nitrogen gas, to reduce the fire possibility. These tires will last 35,000
mile in the normal operation. They have maximum load bearing capacity of 13000 lb at the
inflation. Rubber tires reduce the noise pollution, minimize the possibility of derailment, and
maintenance is very less as compare to metal tracks.

Power Propulsion and Brake System:

Monorail is powered by electric current, which is supplied through a guided cable by the side of
the beam. It consists of 100HP & 600 volts D.C. electric motors. In modern Japanese monorails
power is inverted into alternative current for AC traction motors, which is more controllable than
DC motors. Breaking is regenerative with air-operated backup system. The system also consist
the disc-brakes and emergency mechanical brakes.

Station:
Monorail is generally proffered to construct in the overcrowded or traffic congested zones, so
design of the station should be convenient and less land covered. There are number of stands has
to be built up in intermediate areas at nearer distances. Main junctions of monorail where
monorails are parked, serviced, and repaired acquire large space and they are built up at ends of
track. Stands can be erected using the steel frames and concrete blocks, the height should be up
to height of monorail. Elevators, stairs or escalators can be provided for vertical movement of
passengers. Normally in case of one way movement stand can be easily built up by steel and
glass panels by erecting columns on the footpath or with building support.

II. Cost Consideration:

Cost of monorail cannot be accurately measured, because it depends on number of factors such
as topography, power transmission, number of stations, track length, covered land area and
shifting of underground utilities. The installation of a monorail will of course cost a good deal of
capital. Costs must be accounted for the construction of the railway, its stations, trains, and also
maintaining the monorail after its completion. The construction costs of a recommended system
for practical use at the CSULB really all depend on how much the University is willing to spend.

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However, an adequate campus cost of monorail projects varies from $10 million/mile to $40
million/mile. Although, the cost seems fairly expensive, in comparison to some other projects on
campus such as the $61 Student Wellness and Recreation Center, costs for a monorail would be
affordable.

The following capital and construction cost data in Table 1 have been drawn from such sources.
For consistency, all data have been escalated to year 2002 dollars using CPI data from the US
Department of Commerce, thus enabling a fair comparison of per-mile costs for systems built in
widely different years.

Table 1: Urban Monorails: System installation Cost per Mile ($ Millions, 2002)

For example, Kuala Lumpur MTrans has been built at a cost of $58.2 million/mile. The
successful system combines an effective approach to the monorail system with a slimmer size
carriage suitable for areas already built up with infrastructure. Figure 4 below shows the layout
of each 2 carriage train. The initial cost of project is high but the project can be developed in two
to three years and the capital cost can be covered within 5 to 7 years.

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 Figure 4: Kuala Lumpur MTrans schematic

Figure 5: Kuala Lumpur Monorail in Malaysia

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Advantages of Monorail Project:

The benefits of implementing the projects have been discussed below:

 Fast Transportation: Monorail is a unique transport system. It is running along track

without interruption at a speed of 35 mile/hr. There is also no signalization on track.
Continuous rail trips do not wait passengers for more than 5 minutes on station and each
rail takes 30 to 40 seconds.
 No Land Acquisition: Land acquisitions are not required for rail track on the road and
footpaths. Intermediate stations can be constructed by erecting columns on the median
and road sides. Terminal stations only covers more space which is multifunctional place
including platform, garage, stalls and rail parking spaces.
 No Demolition of Existing Structures: There is no need to demolish the structures like
building and roads except shifting of certain utility lines.
 Visitor Appeal Would Be Enhanced: Prospective students and their parents looking for
deciding factors between potential colleges could decide that the monorail at CSULB
delivers the one thing that positively distinguishes itself from every other college.
 World Recognition: Since the CSULB’s influences extend to countries all over the
world, this campus would be identified around the world as the first college campus with
an integrated monorail system.
 Student Moral Would Increase: It is often frustrating to travel around campus. Travel
will be less stressful with a monorail system.
 No Traffic Interruption: Monorails passed on the elevated track and columns are
provided at medians or sidewalks, so there is no possibility of traffic interruption.
 Environment Friendly: Monorail runs on electric power, which minimizes the air
pollution. It runs on the rubber tires minimize the noise pollution.
 Safe: Monorail provides maximum safety than any other transportation system. It is
running on elevated concrete track; therefore, there is no possibility of accident with
surface vehicle.
 No Derailment: Load tires and guide tires are wraps the track, so there is no chance of
derailment except the track itself fails due to catastrophic failure.
 Easy Movement: Monorail runs on the rubber tires, which provides more stability. It can
climb 6’ gradient and turn at 130ft radius curve with a maximum speed of 60 mile/hr.

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  Less Vibration: Rubber tires produce very less vibration on concrete track as compare to
steel track and steel wheels. It requires less maintenance and it increase the grip on the
track.
 Comfortable Journey: The inner part is decorated with the attractive design, air
conditioned coach, and automatic door. It provides aesthetic view from window with
more provision of windows.
 Capacity: Capacity of monorail is person/hour/direction. It can daily convey over one
hundred thousand people per day.
 Intermediate Station: Right of the way for monorail systems, the guide way structures
and station buildings can be constructed above narrow streets. Monorail stations may be
incorporated into buildings and can conform to local architectural style.

CONCLUSION:

This report has hopefully offered enough reasons why the CSULB’s campus warrants a better
mode of transit and how a new transit system will improve the University in several different
areas. It is a transport system which can fulfill all the ideal requirements including environment
friendly, economic, safe and less land covering, with little problems. Shuttle buses have
established a reputation on campus of consistently being off schedule and taking extensive
periods of time to travel around campus. With regard to safety and pollution issues, shuttle buses
look to have reached the peak of their existence and are slowly beginning to decline in numbers
resulting from newer advanced technology.

Thank you for your time and consideration and I hope that after reading this proposal you will
take proper measures for the future of our great campus at CSULB. GO BEACH!!!!

REFERENCES:

1. http://www.monorails.org/

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2. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/07/14/BA071KAG50.DTL

3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monorail

4. http://www.lightrailnow.org/myths/m_monorail001.htm

5. http://www.railway-technology.com/projects/lasvegas/

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