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Pound for pound, which city’s LRT serves the metro area the best? I understand that Houston is bigger, but relative to the respective size of each, Charlotte is not that far behind it.
I rode the METRORail Red Line while I was in Houston this past weekend. Unlike DART, the cars seem much cleaner and service seems a bit faster, which is what I liked best about it.
Having said that... I'm fairly certain Charlotte's is better. Houston has only had their LRT for about a decade now? It's just now growing and doesn't have a real central hub, which is about the only thing I don't like about it.
I rode the METRORail Red Line while I was in Houston this past weekend. Unlike DART, the cars seem much cleaner and service seems a bit faster, which is what I liked best about it.
Having said that... I'm fairly certain Charlotte's is better. Houston has only had their LRT for about a decade now? It's just now growing and doesn't have a real central hub, which is about the only thing I don't like about it.
Charlotte’s is 11 years old, so the same age. This is why it is interesting.
Why is Houston so late to the game? How was a metro that big functioning without rail?
Why is Houston so late to the game? How was a metro that big functioning without rail?
In Houston, the automobile is king. People want to be in control of their movements, and don't want to wait on others, and/or have others driving them around. It's about being independent. It might not make sense in other areas, but people there could care less, and aren't interesting in copying others.
It's the newer and younger people - often from elsewhere - who are trying to get the light rail "train" rolling. But they're facing an uphill battle against deeply-entrenched tradition and culture.
Pound for pound, which city’s LRT serves the metro area the best? I understand that Houston is bigger, but relative to the respective size of each, Charlotte is not that far behind it.
Maybe by miles but not ridership. Houston has at least triple the daily ridership with about the same amount of track miles.
Quote:
Originally Posted by meep
Charlotte’s is 11 years old, so the same age. This is why it is interesting.
Why is Houston so late to the game? How was a metro that big functioning without rail?
It wouldn't be the first. LA was about twice the size of what Greater Houston is today before it got its first rail line. Citizens in Houston voted for heavy rail in the 80s (and a much larger light rail expansion in the late 90s/early 00s) but the mayor at the time in the 80s basically vetoed it to appease his developer friends. He himself owned a lot of vacant land in the metro that slowly became sprawled subdivisions. In the 00s, two politicians (John Culberson and Tom Delay) both diverted federal funding intended for rail expansion in Houston to other cities. Some of that funding went to Dallas, for example, which used it to double its track length. Both of them have since apologized and acknowledged their mistakes.
Charlotte’s is 11 years old, so the same age. This is why it is interesting.
Why is Houston so late to the game? How was a metro that big functioning without rail?
Trust me, most places (with the exception of NYC) can "function" without light rail/trains. When you compare ridership to the overall population in nearly all metro areas, it's excruciatingly expensive and not cost effective at all. It's just the thing to do these days. When we don't physically see the tax $$$ coming out of our pockets, it's easier to pour massive amounts of money into these things. With the same cost/benefit ratio, we wouldn't dare treat our home finances like that. Out of sight, out of mind. Most people, as one poster said, want the freedom of their cars. There's nothing wrong with that. It's extremely efficient on a personal level. I know this sort of thinking doesn't fly on C-D, but I the math doesn't make sense. LR and other rapid transit is nice and fun, but a huge money pit that benefits comparatively few people.
Trust me, most places (with the exception of NYC) can "function" without light rail/trains. When you compare ridership to the overall population in nearly all metro areas, it's excruciatingly expensive and not cost effective at all. It's just the thing to do these days. When we don't physically see the tax $$$ coming out of our pockets, it's easier to pour massive amounts of money into these things. With the same cost/benefit ratio, we wouldn't dare treat our home finances like that. Out of sight, out of mind. Most people, as one poster said, want the freedom of their cars. There's nothing wrong with that. It's extremely efficient on a personal level. I know this sort of thinking doesn't fly on C-D, but I the math doesn't make sense. LR and other rapid transit is nice and fun, but a huge money pit that benefits comparatively few people.
Lol are you talking about roads or rail transit? Roads cost more by far but of course since most of us are used to that we expect to pay for them. I agree, there's nothing wrong with liking cars and the "freedom" of personal vehicles, but the cost to the citizens is far greater with cars and roads, not the other way around. It is no longer a question of whether this type of transportation will be sustainable in the future, but rather how much longer we can maintain this. That is why many cities are investing...not cause it's popular but because it is a necessity for the future.
You wanna expand, or you just wanna leave it at that?
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