tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6609536178570975752.post8461944357073103953..comments2024-01-12T00:32:20.149-08:00Comments on The Overhead Wire: Importance of Employment CentersPantograph Trolleypolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17833159138533550544noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6609536178570975752.post-59910840979568131002009-10-07T16:13:24.643-07:002009-10-07T16:13:24.643-07:00If you want a survey of polycentric development ta...If you want a survey of polycentric development take a look at Garreau's (Wash. Post reporter) "Edge City" (1991).<br /><br /><a href="http://sflib1.sfpl.org/record=b1300497~S1" rel="nofollow">Edge City @ sfpl.org</a><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Edge-City-Life-New-Frontier/dp/0385424345/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1254956731&sr=1-1" rel="nofollow">Edge City @ amazon.com</a><br /><br />Granted, he is looking at nodes created by freeways. But this book identifies nodal points coast-to-coast. One could use his book as a starting point for mapping where there has been transit infill and where there could be new development or extensions.MB94128https://www.blogger.com/profile/04494572766051396972noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6609536178570975752.post-49441438060974363552009-07-25T12:04:04.832-07:002009-07-25T12:04:04.832-07:00The Denver tech center looks a little like South S...The Denver tech center looks a little like South San Francisco -- dense for a car-oriented office park and near transit, but nonetheless a car-oriented office park.Stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13472103339319567043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6609536178570975752.post-44171807176517933882009-07-24T22:44:38.498-07:002009-07-24T22:44:38.498-07:00Isn't the key to limit free parking provision ...Isn't the key to limit free parking provision in these development nodes though? Surely one of the main reasons that PT modeshare for jobs in the CBD is much higher than suburban employment centre is because parking is expensive in the CBD and generally inexpensive or free elsewhere.<br /><br />So the system can certainly work, but requires that a price is put on parking.jarburyhttp://www.transportblog.co.nznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6609536178570975752.post-70088124816612904772009-07-24T15:30:41.530-07:002009-07-24T15:30:41.530-07:00"As for Houston, under your argument that two..."As for Houston, under your argument that two major job centers were connected, I'm surprised it has such high ridership density. Sounds like two destinations connected to each other as opposed to connecting to some origin. What am I missing?"<br /><br />The origins in between that get connected to two destinations instead of just one. But I think job centers outside downtown should be served by local streetcars and good buses at best. Most of them were created by cars and sprawl, after all, and a lot of the people tying transit to development would rather revitalize downtown first and look at areas beyond it later.<br /><br />(Though in that I'm probably being influenced by <a href="takethemetro.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">Jon Von Kerszek</a> and even he proposes a polycentric transit system for LA centered around Downtown, Hollywood, and the Westwood/Century City area...)Morgan Wickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09816659818434590943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6609536178570975752.post-55301727219255067792009-07-24T10:08:08.119-07:002009-07-24T10:08:08.119-07:00The other key is the creation of a transit system,...The other key is the creation of a transit system, as opposed to just having a line or two. Arlington's stations in VA would be worthless without being connected to other parts of the region through the rest of the metropolitan transit network (fixed rail subway system).Richard Laymanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02765521217875752850noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6609536178570975752.post-48635551500733098512009-07-24T09:38:17.011-07:002009-07-24T09:38:17.011-07:00As for Houston, under your argument that two major...As for Houston, under your argument that two major job centers were connected, I'm surprised it has such high ridership density. Sounds like two destinations connected to each other as opposed to connecting to some origin. What am I missing?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6609536178570975752.post-17453374345589557952009-07-24T08:39:39.394-07:002009-07-24T08:39:39.394-07:00I think a solution would be to connect the Bellevu...I think a solution would be to connect the Bellevue and Dayton Light rail stations with a streetcar line running through the Tech Center.<br />The right of way certainly exists and the cost of a streetcar loop through the Tech Center shouldn't be that high.<br /><br />Conversely, you could look at building an Automated People Mover (APM) with stops actuall in (or adjacent to) the major buildings.Stevennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6609536178570975752.post-42925834987894036762009-07-24T07:35:04.465-07:002009-07-24T07:35:04.465-07:00Great visuals, by the way.
For the Denver picture...Great visuals, by the way.<br /><br />For the Denver picture, you didn't illustrate where LRT runs in that picture, which is just to the west (left) of the 25 freeway. The tech center jobs are almost exclusively on the east side of the freeway, so it is automatically a much longer walk than it would have been had LRT been built through the action rather than on the fringes of it.<br /><br />The freeway ROW is about 15 lanes at that point and the only station for the tech center is at the top of that picture, so if one works south a ways, you're looking at a really, really long walk or a transfer.<br /><br />IMHO, RTD's loads would be a lot better if it built that line with better connections to the Tech Center, even though the Tech Center itself is not very walkable.<br /><br />However, because of the expense that would be involved with running street-level rail right through the DTC and the locations from which the people commute to the DTC, express bus service would be ideal for getting people to the tech center carless.Roberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17883694938829784769noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6609536178570975752.post-35253144533485005042009-07-24T05:14:24.470-07:002009-07-24T05:14:24.470-07:00I would not support BRT as a substitute for rail a...I would not support BRT as a substitute for rail anywhere in the Twin Cities, including I-35W. This isn't the best I would do, in spite of all the "realities" as BRT proponents define it.Matt Fishernoreply@blogger.com