Would a street car system help your town?

[JBeukema]

Back in cali, they took small buses and had a fabricator make them look like streetcars.


Behold! A streetcar that can go anywhere, can be rerouted during roadwork, and needs no special infrastructure!

Also, they can be made to run on flex or alt fuels in the future if that ever becomes feasible.

 

[JBeukema]

[ame=http://www.amazon.com/Internal-Combustion-Corporations-Governments-Alternatives/dp/0312359071]Amazon.com: Internal Combustion: How Corporations and Governments Addicted the World to Oil and Derailed the Alternatives (9780312359072): Edwin Black: Books[/ame]

 

[Wry Catcher]

Cars take you from where you are to where you want to be in less time than it takes to talk about it.

Mass transit always seems to go between two places I don't want between my pick up point and my destination, and take twice as long.

The reason I started taking my bike was that I had to take two buses and 55 minutes to do a distance that on my bike took 40 minutes on a direct route.

Good for you; I'm sure you're healthier and have more energy than others your age. Rarely do I use emoticons, but for you on this post ....

 

[Wry Catcher]

It's unfortunate too many Americans are focused on the bottom line, and not on the pleasures of living.

Here's an idea Wry Catcher - Worry about your own life. The rest of us will worry about ours.

Thanks for sharing Zander. If you ever post anything of substance, I'll be sure to provide you with a positive rep. For now, you remain a stupid asshole, motivated only by self interest. With all honesty, you are one of the biggest jerks on this MB and in all of your posts have managed to offer nothing but criticism and sarcasm - of course there's Oddude and a few others, but too few to mention.

 

[Trajan]

Can streetcars save America's cities? - CNN.com

As a kid I rode the Street Cars to school everyday 'til I got my driver's license, and today ride BART to the Street Car and on to AT&T park (the home of the World Champion Giants, btw).

Building the cars and rails would provide jobs, badly needed today, reduce our need for foreign oil, reduce pollution and make commutes less stressful for many.
Of course some disagree. What's your opinion?

In Seattle we have a pretty good transit system with buses that run on electricity from overhead wires and they run on deisel when running out of the power grid. I think that makes more sense than a dedicated street car system. The bus system is safer in an emergency in that the routes can be changed to meet circumstance. A street car or trolly system is locked into the routes they have and if event of a power failure due to eathquake or a number of reasons the system is useless.

I remember reading an article re; Seattles monorail system, that took the whole projected monorails refurbishment and extensions of routes via eminent domain etc. to task as a financially unsound venture, cronyism and mismanagement...that has been pretty much written off?

 

[Wry Catcher]

Can streetcars save America's cities? - CNN.com

As a kid I rode the Street Cars to school everyday 'til I got my driver's license, and today ride BART to the Street Car and on to AT&T park (the home of the World Champion Giants, btw).

Building the cars and rails would provide jobs, badly needed today, reduce our need for foreign oil, reduce pollution and make commutes less stressful for many.
Of course some disagree. What's your opinion?

In Seattle we have a pretty good transit system with buses that run on electricity from overhead wires and they run on deisel when running out of the power grid. I think that makes more sense than a dedicated street car system. The bus system is safer in an emergency in that the routes can be changed to meet circumstance. A street car or trolly system is locked into the routes they have and if event of a power failure due to eathquake or a number of reasons the system is useless.

I remember reading an article re; Seattles monorail system, that took the whole projected monorails refurbishment and extensions of routes via eminent domain etc. to task as a financially unsound venture, cronyism and mismanagement...that has been pretty much written off?

You actually read something? Holy Shit Batman, Nero read something! The fact he read something is mind blowing; the fact he expanded what he read into an immutable universal truth, not so much.

 

[Trajan]

Most cities and states are broke. Who pays for the never ending subsidies and cost overruns for this crap?

yes I can see that, especially here in san jose. My aunt who moved here in 78 when there was next to no mass transit watched it get built up, bond measures and the like. The VTA unions of drivers mechanics etc. have excellent benes etc. and right now are fighting to keep their bonus they receive a yearly despite the downturn and lack of VTA operating profit.

The point is they cannot sppt. the infrastructure they have built on present ridership, even as fares rise and lines, number of buses and light rail trains and service times ( no buses on many lines after midnight) decline to cut costs.

The geography of the valley renders this problematic. Why would anyone pay 3 dollars to get somewhere, say 25 miles away ( or much less) when they can a lot more quickly take their car for a the price of a gallon of gas.

In my private sector employment the cop. gave everyone free monthly VTA passes, to encourage use, after 6 months a study found lees than 15% of them were utilized and many of those passes were given to their kids etc........they had basically no impact on the issue at large.

 

[Trajan]

In Seattle we have a pretty good transit system with buses that run on electricity from overhead wires and they run on deisel when running out of the power grid. I think that makes more sense than a dedicated street car system. The bus system is safer in an emergency in that the routes can be changed to meet circumstance. A street car or trolly system is locked into the routes they have and if event of a power failure due to eathquake or a number of reasons the system is useless.

I remember reading an article re; Seattles monorail system, that took the whole projected monorails refurbishment and extensions of routes via eminent domain etc. to task as a financially unsound venture, cronyism and mismanagement...that has been pretty much written off?

You actually read something? Holy Shit Batman, Nero read something! The fact he read something is mind blowing; the fact he expanded what he read into an immutable universal truth, not so much.

wipe your chin rye kvetcher, the offal is dripping from your mouth.

 

[Zander]

It's unfortunate too many Americans are focused on the bottom line, and not on the pleasures of living.

Here's an idea Wry Catcher - Worry about your own life. The rest of us will worry about ours.

Thanks for sharing Zander. If you ever post anything of substance, I'll be sure to provide you with a positive rep. For now, you remain a stupid asshole, motivated only by self interest. With all honesty, you are one of the biggest jerks on this MB and in all of your posts have managed to offer nothing but criticism and sarcasm - of course there's Oddude and a few others, but too few to mention.

You remain consistently oblivious to the inane idiocy of your emotion based arguments. Fixed mass transit systems such as "street cars" are grossly underutilized in all but the most densely populated areas. You may find them quaint and fanciful, but they are a total waste of taxpayer money. Only a self absorbed blowhard would continue to shill for such an extravagant waste! To expect a meaningful conversation about such a silly topic is the height of frivolity.

 

[Zander]

Why would anyone pay 3 dollars to get somewhere, say 25 miles away ( or mish less) when they can a lot more quickly take their car for a the price of a gallon of gas.

Why? To "feel" good !!! To do a good deed !!! Take a train that leaves you miles from your ultimate destination!! Do it to feel good, Do it for "society". People like Wry Catcher don't really care about facts and figures!! They want to "feel" good. That is the most important thing!! Feelings matter!

PS- Why are you so mean??

 

[Trajan]

Why would anyone pay 3 dollars to get somewhere, say 25 miles away ( or mish less) when they can a lot more quickly take their car for a the price of a gallon of gas.

Why? To "feel" good !!! To do a good deed !!! Take a train that leaves you miles from your ultimate destination!! Do it to feel good, Do it for "society". People like Wry Catcher don't really care about facts and figures!! They want to "feel" good. That is the most important thing!! Feelings matter!

PS- Why are you so mean??

I hate Amerika....

 

[william the wie]

Electric diesel is already cheap as a bus operating system. Streetcars are currently a redundant and expensive alternative. Likewise hybrid and all electric cars appear to be nearing economies that will make them relatively cheap. I think the wrong argument is being advanced. Rather than focus on something that is expensive with little spillover benefit consider an analogy high speed rail.

The current argument is to put high speed rail where it is expensive to do so and little benefit is gained. However high speed freight rail across the Great Plains and high plains desert would reduce oil usage by huge amounts since it would be faster than long haul rigs and be comparable in total cost being much cheaper to build where there are no or few people. Extending and connecting the high speed lines when they start turning an aftertax profit would be much easier to justify to voters as well. Car and passenger trains would permit much longer but less time consuming commutes and allow people to live in lower cost of living areas. That would benefit everyone particularly the poor.

 

[Wry Catcher]

Why? To "feel" good !!! To do a good deed !!! Take a train that leaves you miles from your ultimate destination!! Do it to feel good, Do it for "society". People like Wry Catcher don't really care about facts and figures!! They want to "feel" good. That is the most important thing!! Feelings matter!

PS- Why are you so mean??

I hate Amerika....

Gee, Dwiddle Dumb and Dwiddle Dumber post credible and reasonable arguments - don't they?
No? You mean they're... Ah, ... Um ... (be nice Wry!) ... why, they're idiots?
Yes, but Wry, everyone knows they are callous conservatives and not too bright, but why attack the person, attack their arguments.
Fuck, their arguments are all bull shit, anyone with a three diget IQ knows Zander and Trajan are stupid, greedy, hateful morons, don't they?
Yes Wry, they are all of that, but why not humor them?
Shit, okay, I'll try.
Okay. Thanks for sharing, boys. You're both very very funny (how's that, did I do good?).
No Wry, they are fucking morons, be honest next time and funny.

 

[Revere]

In most cities, it would be cheaper to buy cars for the few people who actualy ride them.

Of course, then you don't have the lard ass public employees forever on the payroll and their obscene pensions.

 

[Trajan]

I hate Amerika....

Gee, Dwiddle Dumb and Dwiddle Dumber post credible and reasonable arguments - don't they?
No? You mean they're... Ah, ... Um ... (be nice Wry!) ... why, they're idiots?
Yes, but Wry, everyone knows they are callous conservatives and not too bright, but why attack the person, attack their arguments.
Fuck, their arguments are all bull shit, anyone with a three diget IQ knows Zander and Trajan are stupid, greedy, hateful morons, don't they?
Yes Wry, they are all of that, but why not humor them?
Shit, okay, I'll try.
Okay. Thanks for sharing, boys. You're both very very funny (how's that, did I do good?).
No Wry, they are fucking morons, be honest next time and funny.

I think you have a either a drinking problem or a borderline personality disorder....good luck with that btw. seek help.

 

[Wry Catcher]

Zander forgets he is not alone in the world. Some Americans don't drive, some don't own a car, some can't afford one, others choose to take public transportation. Others take public transportation because getting to where you want to go maybe faster in a car, unless one encounters gridlock or expects to park in say, San Francisco or New York or any metro area in between.
Of course $3 is too much to pay in Zander's mind to ride a street car; maybe his ignorance gets in the way of his 'reasoning', $30 simply to park at popular attractions in San Francisco isn't uncommon; Parking meters .25 cents for six minutes, if you can find a spot and be a minute late and the fine can be as high as $160.

 

[Douger]

No.In my town I can walk from one rain forest, across the metropolis, to another rain forest in about ten minutes.OK. 1/2 hour after I bullshit and shake hands, or kiss, everyone in between.

 

[Zander]

Zander forgets he is not alone in the world. Some Americans don't drive, some don't own a car, some can't afford one, others choose to take public transportation. Others take public transportation because getting to where you want to go maybe faster in a car, unless one encounters gridlock or expects to park in say, San Francisco or New York or any metro area in between.
Of course $3 is too much to pay in Zander's mind to ride a street car; maybe his ignorance gets in the way of his 'reasoning', $30 simply to park at popular attractions in San Francisco isn't uncommon; Parking meters .25 cents for six minutes, if you can find a spot and be a minute late and the fine can be as high as $160.

Are you drunk? I've already explained that in cities with high-density populations (like New York and San Francisco) , fixed mass transit systems work well. Most other areas of the country are better served with other systems that offer more flexibility.

You need to get help with your drinking problem. Surely you can catch a rickshaw or street car to a local AA meeting?