Scott McGerik wrote:
>Conor Donnelly wrote:
>
>James E Jacobsen wrote:
>
>>>The light rail system will make the populace less subject to such
>>>parking and traffic tickets.
>>>
>>This is assuming that a substantial number of drivers will be leaving
>>their cars at home and hopping on the train instead. What's the
>>consensus on this? What's the range of projected ridership on the
>>Hiawatha line?
>>
WM: I wonder if it could be the case that those residents of the city
and whatever suburbs who think they won't be taking the train are too
close to the "newness" of it to make an accurate projection. The folks
who generally want to run all over town and explore are the teenagers.
It's they who come downtown in the evening and shout just to hear their
echoes in the concrete canyons. And they don't all have cars, probably
few of them have cars. [I remember fondly window shopping with friends,
going to the RKO theater for the movie (this was hot stuff in 1958). We
were cool, we were hip, we were sah-phys-ticketed.]
If it's a matter of predicting the movements of a group of people ages
16 to 25 years old for the next 10 to 15 years, particularly since they
have probably been mauled of America since birth, that's one sticky
wicket. Young clerks of a variety of industries will use that train.
They'll be both coming into the city and going out to the burbs. They're
much more amenable to change. To get current motorists onto the trains
on a regular basis is going to take leadership among those very drivers
and a very intentional campaign to change their habits. Is anyone
stumping for the train in that fashion? I would think it would be cost
effective to set aside money in the project to build commitment to the
investment.
>>I have a gut feeling that this number will be miniature. Can anyone on
>>the list make a ballpark guess at this number?
>>
Sure, I'm a sucker for absurdity. I'll guess 183.
>>
>I doubt it will have any impact. How many people actually work in Downtown
>and live somewhere along the Hiawatha route?
>
Commuter trains are served by hubs. Look to the places where there are
convenient hubs (both planned and presently in operation for buses).
That will tell you who's expected to use the train. Airport, Mall of
America, Lake Street. It will be the commuters who will drive or be
driven to the collection points to catch the train.
>Probably not many. I might
>take LRT to work, but I work in Bloomington.
>
WM: Trains have the wonderful advantage of being able to reverse
direction, don't they?. The planners are counting on you taking the
train to work. They make their nut off daily commuters. Everything over
that is, in a state owned operation, supposed to be invested in upkeep
and improvements.
WM: If I were to lose my sanity and take a job downtown, logically I
would not use the train since I live closer to I35W and can catch a
freeway flyer bus more easily. (The plan for I35W puts elevators up to a
bus station on the bridge, which I think is totally kewl.) The change
that will happen, if not done intentionally, will be a gradual shift
(that will lose money) from the local bus routes to some limited stop
routes which coverage on the hubs. Local buses, #4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 14, 17,
18, 28, etc. will still feed downtown and the burbs, but there will be
changes in the pressures for service. Alla dis here trans-por-ta-tion
stuff gotta work in concert, doncha know.
WizardMarks, Central
>
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