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Everyone wants light rail, but is it really a game changer, or just another option? Older cities like Cleveland arguably have some form of it. Don't forget Detroit's "People Mover", but it seems like only cities with subways have true options. If that is true, reasons could be varied.
People Mover failed because:
+ It went from nowhere to nowhere
+ It was too short, and it was quicker to walk the distance, rather than rely on the train
The should rename it: "Cash Drainer"
This is what happen when you put "Car people" in charge of designing a system to remove the need for cars
As far as Whitey, that is a purely socio-economic issue. I haven't been to a city where I didn't see Whites riding the bus. The question, is WHICH Whites ride the bus, and my general consensus, is that they're either cheap and don't want to pay for gas, don't want to deal with the traffic in some areas, or honestly cannot afford any other mode of transportation. Also, as suggested before, it takes a thick skin and an indifference to working poor culture that suburban Whites do not have, which is why you get this NIMBY attitude when it comes to running buses through suburban areas, or, if the bus is ran through there it doesn't run as often or as frequently. Forget about the bus actually going up into a purely residential area; suburbanites are forced to walk out to the main thoroughfare and dodge 8 lanes of traffic to get to their bus.
As outdated as the bus is, it is configurable. This isn't infrastructure that needs to be built. Most cities with these starter 10K or less lines; that is all those cities can afford. Some of the cities never get past 10K, or never get past a single line. I fear that is what will be the case in Hampton Roads for the foreseeable future.
Light-rail is very sexy for urban planners these days, and a hit with those that can benefit from it, as well as source of angst for those that do not want to pay for it through increased taxes.
Car culture could be another thing with the bus. Places defined through sprawl, like much of Virginia, but also true to a large extent in Ohio where the overwhelming majority of a metro area is suburbia; people prefer to get behind the wheel, even if they do have to sit in traffic for an hour or more. You can get a piece of junk for a few hundred bucks and the time you waste waiting on the bus in those places, the money spent on insurance, gas, repairs, upkeep, maintenance of an automobile etc. it is a good investment when it takes three hours to get to the other side of the metro on the bus.
Ideally, light rail is supposed to alleviate this, but without more lines it is never a practical solution. I would like to see more light rail, but logistics such as where to build it, without using eminent domain to tear down housing and businesses, and the cost, seem to always get in the way.
+ It went from nowhere to nowhere
+ It was too short, and it was quicker to walk the distance, rather than rely on the train
The should rename it: "Cash Drainer"
This is what happen when you put "Car people" in charge of designing a system to remove the need for cars
Good point. I also thought that Detroit was in better economic shape when it was built and had the cash to build out more than what they did at that time, or I might be mistaken.
Good point. I also thought that Detroit was in better economic shape when it was built and had the cash to build out more than what they did at that time, or I might be mistaken.
It was in better shape then.
But that was no excuse for wasting money.
No wonder it is bankrupt.
Good point. I also thought that Detroit was in better economic shape when it was built and had the cash to build out more than what they did at that time, or I might be mistaken.
The majority of the DPM was federally funded. Then costs kept going up and by then no one wanted to be downtown anyway so they just left it as the loop.
Actually, pardon me, it was built in the 80s. But yea by then the city's population had already shrunk enough that they wouldn't have had enough funds to fully build it anyway without federal help. And from what I hear, I think the-then president wanted to put funding into particle accelerators so people mover funding (Miami's PM system was built around the same time with similar funding) was drawn down to pay for some science projects. Nonetheless, DPM is what it is and hopefully it'll either be torn down and better utilized in the future will Detroit's new light rail network.
Of course, it's a short thing covered areas adjacent to downtown so not that surprising but still not bad for what was constructed.
I know you already mentioned it in your post but I've seen that thrown out there by Houston boosters all the time, but honestly if they ever do expand that system it will drop to DART numbers lets not kid ourselves
It's faster and more reliable for longer distances than bus, but unless the city is dense enough it can't cover all but a few corridors. If there are specific busy corridors that helps a lot. As for "true options", most American cities with only light rail don't get all that high ridership, but outside the US light rail only system transport relatively high volumes. Calgary has only light rail with a weekday ridership of 250,000 / day and a metro population of 1.1 million. Nantes, France has an urban area population of 580,000 and 266,000 daily riders on its light rail system, with no subways.
Don't forget Monterrey, Mexico with 419,000 daily riders and a population of 1.1 million.
I disagree that light rail is faster and more reliable for longer distances than bus. I think light rail is terrible for longer distances. I often drive on a freeway parallel to a light rail line. Traveling at the speed limit 65 mph, I fly right past the light rail trains doing 55 mph. An express bus could easily be traveling the same speed I am. In most cases you will find that light rail is usually slower then express busses that it replaces.
The only thing light rail has going for it is, that people like trains. They don't like busses.
The majority of the DPM was federally funded. Then costs kept going up and by then no one wanted to be downtown anyway so they just left it as the loop.
Right.
So it seems like the "reason" to build it was : The jobs created during its construction, since "someone else is paying for it."
What a great iconic example of what NOT to do.
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