Automated People Mover Standards

Prepared by the Automated People Mover Standards Committee of the Standards Council of the Transportation and Development Institute of ASCE.

Automated People Mover Standards, ANSI/ASCE/T&DI 21-21, establishes the minimum requirements necessary to achieve an acceptable level of safety and performance for an Automated People Mover (APM) system. An APM is defined as a guided transit mode that is fully automated, featuring vehicles that operate on guideways with exclusive right-of-way. This standard covers design, construction, operation, and maintenance of APM systems.

Topics include requirements for an APM in passenger operation, including chapters on security; system verification and demonstration; operation, maintenance, and training; and operational monitoring. One mandatory appendix covers requirements for system safety programs. Nonmandatory appendixes include a bibliography; recommended practice for acceptance of an APM system application; inspection and test guidelines; recommended practice for working safely near APM systems; and commentary on emergency egress provisions.

This revision includes substantive changes and additions of mandatory requirements in a number of chapters. These include new requirements that address separation assurance for Automated Transit Networks (ATNs), revised requirements for the structural design of APM specific guideways, revised requirements for the application of safety provisions, and four new appendixes.

This standard may be used in a safety certification process. It will be helpful to anyone who owns, operates, maintains, designs, tests, insures, oversees, or certifies APMs. It will also be valuable to transportation engineers, safety engineers, and contractors for APM systems or other innovative technology transit systems.