Here in Santa Cruz County, daily and seasonal congestion stalls economic growth and community vitality. Some transportation planners envision replacing a few crossings of Hwy. 1 to accommodate yet another freeway lane. While progress has been made with private micro-transit (bikes, e-bikes, and scooters), two new technologies promise even bigger impacts: automated vehicles (robo-taxis) and Personal Rapid Transit (PRT, or podcars).

We need a conversation about weaving these new technologies into our transportation tapestry. Santa Cruz PRT is organizing this public forum to discuss whether the promised value of adding podcars is worth the expected costs.

This Public Forum will use a moderated open fishbowl format that allows attendees to join the conversation.