does your city have a 'light rail' system?

[mugs]

Originally posted by: RossMAN
Affirmative: http://www.portlandmall.org/

Looks like a train from the future :Q

 

[RossMAN]

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: RossMAN
Affirmative: http://www.portlandmall.org/

Looks like a train from the future :Q

:Q

 

[CPA]

Originally posted by: ElFenix
it's an expensive trolley that runs in the streets and can make the streetlights change for it (which causes horrendous traffic near the trolley tracks).

we've got it here in houston.

it was just put in a few years back.

there is only one line.

it really doesn't go anywhere.
.

It's also affectionately referred to as the "Death Train" thanks to the number of accidents (well over 100) and deaths (at least 3 that I know of) it has caused in the 2 years it has been opened.

 

[Pepsi90919]

Originally posted by: ThePresence

Originally posted by: Pepsi90919
toronto has streetcars and subways and underground paths and things.

Those streetcars make downtown look ridiculous with all those wires hanging all over the place.

don't look up

 

[Spydermag68]

I am from Denver, Colorado.

There is two main light rail lines here. The oldest runs up Santa Fe and the newer line travels I-25.

Ever since the I-25 opened the Santa Fe line has gone down hill. I have to wait longer for the train from downtown to Littleton. :|

 

[K1052]

Originally posted by: Spydermag68
I am from Denver, Colorado.

There is two main light rail lines here. The oldest runs up Santa Fe and the newer line travels I-25.

Ever since the I-25 opened the Santa Fe line has gone down hill. I have to wait longer for the train from downtown to Littleton. :|

Equipment shortage?

 

[wetcat007]

Minneapolis, MN
I think it goes 2 places? lol Idealy, they'd be able to have it go to Downtown Minneapolis, from at least a couple suburbs, and make several stops, and also have one going between St. Paul and Minneapolis. Also one going along the 494 loop would be pretty sweet. That would all of course cost a ton of money, but I guess taxes need to be spent on several new sports stadiums instead.

Do any US cities, minus subway systems such as in New York(only because I already know they exist..), have a very useful light rail system, to the point where u really don't need a car and don't have to take the bus?

 

[Oceanas]

Originally posted by: ElFenix
it's an expensive trolley that runs in the streets and can make the streetlights change for it (which causes horrendous traffic near the trolley tracks).

Except that it doesn't make all the streetlights change for it. It stops at red lights too (or if it gets too close to another train or too far ahead of schedule).

Originally posted by: ElFenix
there is only one line.
it really doesn't go anywhere.
.

That's because the system has to start somewhere. They can't build it all at once. So, you build one segment to prove it works (not well though) and then build onto it. Eventually, in theory, the system will be built out to where it is fairly useful.

Originally posted by: CPA
It's also affectionately referred to as the "Death Train" thanks to the number of accidents (well over 100) and deaths (at least 3 that I know of) it has caused in the 2 years it has been opened.

Ignorant and inattentive drivers have been the cause of most of the accidents, not the train.

 

[AnthroAndStargate]

Originally posted by: ElFenix
it's an expensive trolley that runs in the streets and can make the streetlights change for it (which causes horrendous traffic near the trolley tracks).

we've got it here in houston.

it was just put in a few years back.

there is only one line.

it really doesn't go anywhere.

i consider it a giant waste of money when i see things like kuala lumpur's system (which is fully automated and does not run in the streets).

I'm from Houston - the light rail is great but it goes NO WHERE. It is only good for drunk bar hopping. They need to expand it out - but Houston is a horrible city in the sense of urban planning and sprawl - so it's prolly impossible. It was built on a swamp and it will end in a swamp I guess.

The real issue is Houstonians refuse to use public transportation and continue to drive Excursions 45 min. into the city from the burbs' to go to work. The only way they even got that first line built is for the Superbowl - if it wasn't for Football no one would have voted that up. Living in the burbs' I see people prefer to drive 100 feet from McDonalds to the grocery store rather then walk - so public transist is more of a nightmare then a dream for them! lol

 

[grohl]

Sorry Houston, Dallas kicks your ass again.

The light rail here is the bomb. I rode it downtown to work for like 3 yrs. Saved me tons on gas and time.

It's going to expand to the 'burbs in Dallas where I live now. Will make it easy to head into the city when the wife and I don't want to drive and plan drinking way too much......

So yeah the light rail in Dallas was well planned and money well spent IMO

 

[Fayd]

i've never been to NYC. the only public transport system that i've seen work near flawlessly was the metro in paris, france.

we have a trolley system in San Diego, that occasionally crosses roads. it doesnt go many places useful, but it does go pretty near where jury duty happens, and has a stopoff near a major mall. that's about the only time i ever use it.

 

[longhornlump]

I really liked the Portland light rail system, it made getting around town a breeze. DC Metro system was also very good. It got crowded sometimes but other than that it got me where I needed to be quickly.

I've only used the light rail in Houston once and that was to park and ride to Reliant Stadium. Not a bad experience at all but since I don't work downtown or in the med center I can't find a way to use it.

I think if Houstonians would embrace the light rail it could succeded but we love our cars here too much so it will probably fail. More highway construction FTL.

 

[UTmtnbiker]

Salt Lake City has one that runs up the I-15 corridor from the suburbs to downtown with another line going from downtown to the University of Utah.

Ridership has far exceeded all projections. I believe they projected 12,000 when originally built (for the Olympics) and it's exceeding 40,000 riders per day right now.

I was initially very much against it as I felt the tax burden outweighed the usefulness, and this is coming from a very anti-pave everything mentality that we seem to have here. Let's just say I'm pleasantly surprised.

In addition, it's been so successful, more lines are being added with a master plan that goes out 20 years. Airport, more suburbs, and a commuter line connecting to an intermodal hub that will basically span from Provo to Ogden. Hopefully this is the answer to congestion in this valley for the next 20 to 30 years as heaven knows we have little room to keep expanding the freeway system.

I believe a well planned system can succeed anywhere. SLC is very much a mini-LA at this point with quite a bit of urban sprawl and people very much attached to their cars. With trains coming every 15 min. and lines connecting the major population areas, I'm glad to have been proved wrong.

 

[nageov3t]

yes.

it even has its own wikipedia entry.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hudson-Bergen_Light_Rail

it's amazingly convenient and much preferable to taking a bus.

 

[cw42]

Newark Light Rail

 

[Toastedlightly]

Originally posted by: Indolent
the Twin Cities does. Haven't used it though. It's pretty good if you live in the right areas. Would be better if it connected to the suburbs though.

I enjoy it Nice and close to the U, provides an easy way to MoA

I really can't wait for them to being building a new section of it (supposed to go under washington ave near the UofM)

 

[Yossarian]

yeah we have a fairly weak one in the L.A. area. best one I ever used was in Hong Kong. cheap, fast, efficient, even a dumb white guy like me could find his way around no problem.

 

[aleckz]

DC's metro was awesome, very quick and efficient.

 

[LongCoolMother]

Originally posted by: paulney
San Jose has one, and the ridership has increased quite significantly in recent years, as they have expanded the line.
Unfortunately due to very expensive land and everyone being up in arms about light rail going through their backyards, it makes a huge loop by using old railway corridors. So, it takes you an hour to get from one point to another, while driving a car would take 15 minutes.

I, personally, used it on quite a few occasions, and sometimes still do, when they declare a 'spare the air' day. But I can't turn it into my daily commute: can't wast 1:15 instead of 15 minutes every day, each way.

yay for SJs lightrail system! Its pretty old. Only recently has been expanded to be a bit more integrating. Though still not that many people use it. It IS useful for getting people in an out of more traffic prone areas--such as downtown SJ. especially on weekends.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Originally posted by: paulney
San Jose has one, and the ridership has increased quite significantly in recent years, as they have expanded the line.
Unfortunately due to very expensive land and everyone being up in arms about light rail going through their backyards, it makes a huge loop by using old railway corridors. So, it takes you an hour to get from one point to another, while driving a car would take 15 minutes.

I, personally, used it on quite a few occasions, and sometimes still do, when they declare a 'spare the air' day. But I can't turn it into my daily commute: can't wast 1:15 instead of 15 minutes every day, each way.

LoL.. it's in what.. South San Jose? Come on. Silicon Valley has one of the best traffic systems ever. I've run so many errands during rush hour, driving across the valley from Sunnyvale to Milpitas and back through San Jose into Cupertino, etc... that it would take probably 4 hours trying to do the same job driving up in the East Bay.

The only areas that face significant jams are 237 => 880 North and some pockets of 101 South near the SJ Airport, 880 and 280 intersections. Other than that, rush hour in the South Bay is a JOKE.

The need for public transportation in the south bay is also a joke. Sure it would be nice to have BART extend down here so I can hop on and go home in a jiffy from school, but honestly... who the hell rides the bus? Like old people? I haven't done it since I was in 2nd grade, and I rarely spot busses..

 

[bersl2]

Since 1835. Electrified in 1893.

Noobs.

 

[nageov3t]

Originally posted by: cw42
Newark Light Rail

I hate the newark light rail so much... I swear, the tracks are laid out specifically to be as annoying as possible to people driving in cars.

 

[hans007]

los angeles has one, but its really not very useful for most people

 

[Googer]

Tampa had one, but it went out of business in the 50's and was mostly plowed over. But circa 2000 they decided to build a new one that went from nowhere to nowhere, so no one rides it. Total waste of money.

 

[JRich]

Unfortunately, Phoenix is now building one that no one will use.