The Streetcar Can't Save Your City (price, transport, rain)

[cqholt]

Readers Debate the Streetcar Revival - CityLab

[CCATL]

Yesterday was the first time I actually took the streetcar because I needed it. I was with some people at the Curb Market, and we wanted to go to Centennial Park, but there were some elderly folks with us who wouldn't have been able to make the walk. I will say that the streetcar was fantastic, and everybody I was with was very happy with both the experience and the ride. The biggest bummer for me was that we had to walk to the Dobbs stop on Auburn, rather than using the Curb Market stop to hop on the streetcar. Unfortunately, there was a homeless man with a severe mental illness sitting on the streetcar stop at the market, and he had defecated on the platform. I was with a baby, a few older folks, and a couple non-city people, so we just couldn't comfortably stay at that stop. I think something has gone on with mental care over at Grady - there has been a large increase in the homeless population and obvious mental illness in the area. I felt for the guy, but there was no way I could comfortably stand at that stop and wait 10 minutes for the streetcar. The city NEEDS to do something about this kind of stuff if they want people to use the streetcar as it currently is.

Aside from that, everything was great. The wait needs to be shortened, but the ride itself was fantastic and the car was really nice and comfortable. It was really easy to figure out how to buy the passes as well - I'm glad they allow you to buy in bulk, unlike regular MARTA cards where you have to do one at a time. The visitors I was with were quite impressed, and excited to hear that it would be expanded to within a couple blocks of my house if we vote YES in November I do think the expanded system is going to be a huge benefit to commuting residents and visitors throughout the city - I can't wait to see it happen.

[bu2]

Originally Posted by CCATL

Yesterday was the first time I actually took the streetcar because I needed it. I was with some people at the Curb Market, and we wanted to go to Centennial Park, but there were some elderly folks with us who wouldn't have been able to make the walk. I will say that the streetcar was fantastic, and everybody I was with was very happy with both the experience and the ride. The biggest bummer for me was that we had to walk to the Dobbs stop on Auburn, rather than using the Curb Market stop to hop on the streetcar. Unfortunately, there was a homeless man with a severe mental illness sitting on the streetcar stop at the market, and he had defecated on the platform. I was with a baby, a few older folks, and a couple non-city people, so we just couldn't comfortably stay at that stop. I think something has gone on with mental care over at Grady - there has been a large increase in the homeless population and obvious mental illness in the area. I felt for the guy, but there was no way I could comfortably stand at that stop and wait 10 minutes for the streetcar. The city NEEDS to do something about this kind of stuff if they want people to use the streetcar as it currently is.

Aside from that, everything was great. The wait needs to be shortened, but the ride itself was fantastic and the car was really nice and comfortable. It was really easy to figure out how to buy the passes as well - I'm glad they allow you to buy in bulk, unlike regular MARTA cards where you have to do one at a time. The visitors I was with were quite impressed, and excited to hear that it would be expanded to within a couple blocks of my house if we vote YES in November I do think the expanded system is going to be a huge benefit to commuting residents and visitors throughout the city - I can't wait to see it happen.

So there wasn't a convenient stop, the closest stop was nasty and had a disturbed person at it and the wait was long. What's not to like?

You are really trying way too hard to be positive here!

[fourthwarden]

Originally Posted by bu2

So there wasn't a convenient stop, the closest stop was nasty and had a disturbed person at it and the wait was long. What's not to like?

You are really trying way too hard to be positive here!

Well, homelessness is more a general problem than the streetcar's, and the other stop was a whopping 4 min walk away. There's not much of anything here to me negative about.

[CCATL]

Originally Posted by bu2

So there wasn't a convenient stop, the closest stop was nasty and had a disturbed person at it and the wait was long. What's not to like?

You are really trying way too hard to be positive here!

Yeah, the other stop really wasn't far, it just took a couple minutes to walk there (even with the elderly). And the homelessness issue at the stop I see as a national/state/local issue with mental health care (the person was very obviously mentally disabled). The streetcar experience itself was very positive, I just wish the city would do something to alleviate the homelessness and mental disability that we experienced there - something that positively impacts that community rather than just pretending they don't exist. And if they aren't going to do something about it now, at least ensure that the homeless aren't camping at the stops, and most definitely are not defecating where people will be standing to wait for the streetcar. Especially at a stop as popular as the Curb Market - that should never happen, and really reflects poorly on our city.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by CCATL

Yeah, the other stop really wasn't far, it just took a couple minutes to walk there (even with the elderly). And the homelessness issue at the stop I see as a national/state/local issue with mental health care (the person was very obviously mentally disabled). The streetcar experience itself was very positive, I just wish the city would do something to alleviate the homelessness and mental disability that we experienced there - something that positively impacts that community rather than just pretending they don't exist. And if they aren't going to do something about it now, at least ensure that the homeless aren't camping at the stops, and most definitely are not defecating where people will be standing to wait for the streetcar. Especially at a stop as popular as the Curb Market - that should never happen, and really reflects poorly on our city.

Guess that person couldn't have made it to the public restroom at AFR station 4.

[cqholt]

Cheap and efficient solution for personal travel on the streetcar tracks

Behold the Streetcar Track Skateboard - CityLab

[cqholt]

Ridership declines are plaguing Cincy as well.

What’s gone off the rails in Cinci? The Enquirer fingers faulty ticket machines as one factor. But there’s a bigger, more complex problem: The electric streetcar, that late-19th-century conveyance, has re-imposed itself on some late-20th century traffic planning. Cincinnati’s downtown traffic flows are now maximized to swiftly shunt cars on streets running east and west, getting commuters to and from the pair of interstates girding the city. But the Bell Connector runs north to south, which means it can be frequently mired in traffic. The Enquirer writes:

Streetcar timing is off and that means nobody knows when it will arrive at a station. On weekends, that's no problem. On weekdays, when people need to get to appointments, work or even lunch, timing has been a deal-breaker.

City of Atlanta Office of Planning and Development has received a grant to install arrival signs at streetcar stops. This data is available thru the Transit App.
Ridership Plunges for New Cincinnati Streetcar - CityLab

[fourthwarden]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Ridership declines are plaguing Cincy as well.

City of Atlanta Office of Planning and Development has received a grant to install arrival signs at streetcar stops. This data is available thru the Transit App.
Ridership Plunges for New Cincinnati Streetcar - CityLab

That's good to hear on our end. Seattle's South Lake Union streetcar had some of these signs at their platforms, and they were somewhat helpful, especially since I didn't have the app or anything to see when the next one was arriving.

Still looking forward to when it reaches the BeltLine (on both ends), as it will be so much more useful then.

[cqholt]

It appears streetcar revival isn't slowing down. Sorry streetcar haters.
http://www.curbed.com/2017/1/19/1432...portation-rail