tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6609536178570975752.post579482849444277923..comments2024-01-12T00:32:20.149-08:00Comments on The Overhead Wire: Cut It Out Already!!! Using Cost to Design a System Is WrongPantograph Trolleypolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17833159138533550544noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6609536178570975752.post-33389767625050909842008-06-30T14:18:00.000-07:002008-06-30T14:18:00.000-07:00GO Transit's Commuter Trains carry around 160,000 ...GO Transit's Commuter Trains carry around 160,000 riders a day during the peak period.Justinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17536532964936231120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6609536178570975752.post-71979070849047217172008-06-30T09:15:00.000-07:002008-06-30T09:15:00.000-07:00A commuter line with only rush hour service carryi...A commuter line with only rush hour service carrying "only" 10,000 riders is pretty darn good in my opinion. Look at LA, which does have a subway system and an extensive commuter rail network of 5 or so lines radiating from Downtown and one connecting two suburbs, and a daily ridership of only around 40,000.crzwdjkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06394805356595604336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6609536178570975752.post-70618715354114191092008-06-30T08:17:00.000-07:002008-06-30T08:17:00.000-07:00Seattle's line carries about 10,000 riders. Houst...Seattle's line carries about 10,000 riders. Houston and Minneapolis as M1ek Pointed out carry 30-40,000 riders. Those are just one leg of the eventual in town network in those cities. When Commuter rail is complete in Minneapolis and Houston, it will be much more appealing because people can get to more places.Pantograph Trolleypolehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17833159138533550544noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6609536178570975752.post-2481472386314997462008-06-30T07:55:00.000-07:002008-06-30T07:55:00.000-07:00"wildly popular" in Seattle's case means that it c..."wildly popular" in Seattle's case means that it carries a tiny fraction of what Minneapolis' or Houston's light rail lines do, even though Seattle's core is far more dense.M1EKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03650370583235985527noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6609536178570975752.post-29239857999045038852008-06-30T05:46:00.000-07:002008-06-30T05:46:00.000-07:00The problem is, we are trying to plan top-down whi...The problem is, we are trying to plan top-down while the market is skewed by auto-sprawl subsidy. Make transit free. You will see a natural progression.fpteditorshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04620275872850435922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6609536178570975752.post-3677487674105829872008-06-30T00:19:00.000-07:002008-06-30T00:19:00.000-07:00Effective center-city circulation can be provided ...Effective center-city circulation can be provided by frequent bus service, assuming the center is relatively small. This is pretty much the case in Seattle, where you can get off the commuter rail and hop on the incredibly frequent bus service to get to downtown proper. And existing rights of way are often useful: they were built where people needed to go, and that doesn't always change as much as you think. LA's wildly successful Blue Line was built on just such a right of way, and now carries some 80,000 passengers per weekday.<BR/><BR/>I think sometimes it makes sense to use an existing right of way, even if it means a less important line gets built first, but it's also better to build nothing rather than a useless line.crzwdjkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06394805356595604336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6609536178570975752.post-65519378218480761412008-06-29T23:48:00.000-07:002008-06-29T23:48:00.000-07:00I can't agree with you here.For one, Seattle built...I can't agree with you here.<BR/><BR/>For one, Seattle built a commuter rail system, opening it with two or three trips each way in marginal commuting hours, and its light rail isn't even open yet, but the commuter rail is still wildly popular. A commuter rail system is helped by local rail, but doesn't need it.<BR/><BR/>For another, you're kind of preaching to the choir here. To get the political will for transit projects, sometimes you need to make compromises. The pro-transit forces have advanced far but we still need to take baby steps.Morgan Wickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09816659818434590943noreply@blogger.com