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Over on the Baltimore forum last month, I shared a poll involving seven options for the north-south line, and although there wasn't much of a sample size, the consensus leaned toward a HRT option. While that would be ideal, even a Seattle-type system would be fine, since it has many of the advantages of HRT (grade separated, no need to stop for traffic lights like the current LRT line), yet we're well past the point about the potential consequences that the original HRT line had provided, and Owings Mills seems to be turning around after bottoming out in the 2000s/early 2010s. On the other hand, a Detroit-like scenario could unfold as described below.
Quote:
Originally Posted by TheTimidBlueBars
Besides Austin, these are my rankings from most to least likely:
Las Vegas*
Boise* (they're growing like a weed and the infrastructure is badly inadequate, I think it could happen)
Raleigh
Madison, WI* (kinda small for it but very progressive and has the compact layout) Richmond* (growing fast, fairly progressive, but the city seems too historic and dense without a lot of great places to put lines)
[gap]
Detroit (progressive city government but they're badly starved of funds)
Reno* (on the small side but growing fast --- and they do have BRT now, and still have some unserved corridors where light rail could go)
Kansas City
Milwaukee*
San Antonio
Nashville
Columbus
Cincinnati (the leadership just seems very conservative and afraid of change)
*not mentioned on OP's list
A good rail line for Richmond would be from Short Pump Town Center to its airport, passing right through its core neighborhoods. It would run along Broad St. for most of its length with about ten stops include several for downtown/The Fan, include a stop at Main Street station, another in Church Hill, before bearing east onto US 60 south of downtown, with a capacity similar to Seattle's current red line that heads to its airport. Stops in And besides, density is actually what makes transit practical. BRT would be practical for a few other corridors since that's the only real line that makes sense to go heavier.
Isn’t the answer Austin? At this point the plans need to be in place for something to be done this decade. And I think Travis County passed a Tax/system referendum
Not a single vote for Cincinnati, while the Bell Connector has already set a ridership record in 2022 (by a huge margin) over the previous six years of operation, with two months of ridership data yet to be tallied in 2022!
I thought we were talking about building a true metro (heavy or light).
Cincinnati I put in the same boat with Kansas City here: The modern streetcar is hugely popular but that popularity hasn't translated into support for rail rapid transit of any variety. (KC's Main Street streetcar is being extended southward to the Country Club Plaza and UMKC, but again, this is a streetcar running in the middle of the street, not even a reserved-median LRT line.)
Cincinnati, btw, started building a subway in the 1920s but never finished it. The subway tunnel in the city core now carries a water main.
Also: I guess you voted for Cincy, because I see it has one vote now. That KC has two surprises me. Neither of those votes are mine; I voted for Austin.
I disagree. We are already at the end of 22. It won't happen that fast.
St. Louis may see the North South MetroLink line by 2030.
Austin has a completion date in 2029.
Charlotte may open theirs by 2030.
Charlotte will definitely not have any further rail expansion by 2030.
Beyond being tapped out on tax revenue and the inability to further raise taxes for a new line due to state law, in addition to a state with a legislature hostile to rail transit… Their transit agency is still holding community outreach on potential alignments. It’s no different than anyone on here drawing lines on a map and seeing which would be the best.
Charlotte will definitely not have any further rail expansion by 2030.
Beyond being tapped out on tax revenue and the inability to further raise taxes for a new line due to state law, in addition to a state with a legislature hostile to rail transit… Their transit agency is still holding community outreach on potential alignments. It’s no different than anyone on here drawing lines on a map and seeing which would be the best.
That is a 2021 article that made it seem like there was more advanced planning than what has taken place. They now came out with - like a month ago - 3 entirely different concepts of interlining with the Streetcar, Interlining with the current Light Rail or similar to the one you linked to :/ so it’s just very far from reality, unfortunately.
The only possible answer is Austin and even that's not likely based on recent announcements of funding shortfalls.
There's just not enough time left in the decade to pass a vote to secure funding, plan a route, receive state/local funds, hire engineering/consulting, conduct outreach, design the project, secure federal funds, and complete construction by 2030.
Also not to be pedantic but in railroad terminology "interurban" refers to streetcars that ran/run between cities. Like modern commuter rail, but with more stops and using streetcars. Only three left according to Wikipedia.
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