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Not to mention, are these trains going to stop every half mile? That doesn't sound very efficient.
In LA, trains stop every 1 mile, and it's faster than driving. Every 1 mile means you usually don't walk more than 1/2 a mile (8 minutes, roughly) from a station.
Less money--yes; of course. A transit pass for a whole year costs $1200. Owning a car for a year costs about $8000 per year.
I'll take on the rest of your post later, but this cracked me up. Do you have a CLUE how much your $1200 transit is subsidized? And you know, these figures they give for cars presuppose owning a late-model car bought with a loan or leased.
I'll take on the rest of your post later, but this cracked me up. Do you have a CLUE how much your $1200 transit is subsidized? And you know, these figures they give for cars presuppose owning a late-model car bought with a loan or leased.
Yes, I do have said clue. Roads are also used by buses and bikes. I can assure you car ownership is not subsidized, however. It has been decades since one could even get a tax deduction on the interest paid on a car loan.
Los Angeles, Seattle, Denver, and Honolulu are the big ones. Smaller projects are happening in San Francisco, San Diego, Phoenix, Houston, Dallas, Charlotte, Atlanta, DC, New York, Boston, Miami, and Minneapolis.
Denver certainly counts when it comes to urban rail, but like other isolated cities--Calgary, Anchorage, Honolulu, etc., it will obviously have a low intercity rail mode share (and a low intercity car mode share), because more people will choose to fly.
Not as much, because less miles of track and rail cars are needed than miles of road and passenger cars to serve the same number of people.
Faster--yes, in most urban environments, which is relevant to most people.
More comfortably--not having to spend your time driving counts as more comfortable to me.
Less money--yes; of course. A transit pass for a whole year costs $1200. Owning a car for a year costs about $8000 per year.
Numbers for these cities or it's not happening: San Francisco, Vancouver BC, Boston, DC. According to this link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...nsit_ridership
SF: 34.05%
Boston: 32.82%
DC: 26.61%
The ONLY city in the US where at least 1/2 the people take transit to work is NYC. You may look up Vancouver BC. It's not in the US.
Yes, I've seen light rail; there was no call for your snark.
Yes, it costs more to live in the city; that isn't proof it's more desirable. Taxes are higher, that makes properties more expensive. Living expenses are higher as well.
People aren't all going to the same places! The idea that "everyone" worked downtown from 8-5 hasn't been true for a few decades, if ever.
Faster-not always. Maybe not even 50% of the time, especially if it stops every mile.
More comfortable-I loved the description of Japan's system.
Less money-I already covered that.
London roughly has surface railways every mile or so throughout most of the city. I don't remember feeling rail used an especially large amount land for transportation-wise. If anything less, because roads are narrow there. Over half of workers use transit in London, similar to NYC. But of course not all transit riders are taking rail; can't remember the split, maybe a bit over half? So maybe 30% rail.
Yep. Pretty small in comparison to a boulevard or freeway.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Katarina Witt
Yes, it costs more to live in the city; that isn't proof it's more desirable. Taxes are higher, that makes properties more expensive. Living expenses are higher as well.
If supply met demand, it would cost less than $200,000 to buy the average house in an urban core. Since it costs more than that, demand is therefore higher.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Katarina Witt
People aren't all going to the same places! The idea that "everyone" worked downtown from 8-5 hasn't been true for a few decades, if ever.
Very true. However, everybody going to the same place from 8-5 is horribly inefficient, as far as transit systems are concerned.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Katarina Witt
Faster-not always. Maybe not even 50% of the time, especially if it stops every mile.
A grade-separated rail line with stops every mile is almost always faster than any urban driving.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Katarina Witt
More comfortable-I loved the description of Japan's system.
I guess driving is more comfortable if you consider sitting still behind a wheel unable to do anything else and getting very frustrated to be comfortable. I don't.
There is no way Denver is building light rail at 1 mile intervals. Here's the map: RTD
Numbers for these cities or it's not happening: San Francisco, Vancouver BC, Boston, DC. According to this link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...nsit_ridership
SF: 34.05%
Boston: 32.82%
DC: 26.61%
The ONLY city in the US where at least 1/2 the people take transit to work is NYC. You may look up Vancouver BC. It's not in the US.
Quote:
They all have over 50% of people NOT DRIVING. There are lots of people who walk, bike, etc.
sure, but the % taking the train is smaller than Katriana's numbers* since not all transit riders take the train.
*DC's numbers look lower than I've seen else, but even if that's true doesn't change the main point
As far as land use, most of the LR stations in Denver have parking. DU has a parking garage. I don't know about the others I posted pictures of; I've never been there.
It costs more than $200K to buy a 3 BR house in the Denver suburbs, let alone in the city.
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