Final chance to comment on rules revision, go to: http://e-democracy.org/rules --------------------------------------- Bruce G. asked whether the 300 person capacity I cited for modern trams was "crush load." No, it's not. It does include standees however which seems acceptable for most forms of city transit.
Bruce also seems to be making the point that the Portland system within the free fare zone is slow. Well, I don't think we're talking about anything like that here. A two way line running down University, connecting the two downtowns and extending beyond the downtowns to the East and West would serve a pretty dense area and would do it faster than the current bus system. It would also be more environmentally protective than buses and would have far more capacity. And, when one only one driver is needed for 300 people, there are real labor savings as well. Midway book has a real concern about the loss of parking spaces that might occur. As for the backups on University and Snelling, I think this is a real concern. It ought to be dealt with by separating the tram line from the roadway at Snelling with a short tunnel under the intersection. A station stop below ground at Snelling could provide space for shops as well as a transit stop. Doing this would eliminate both the traffic and the parking problem. Another point is that the shape of the city is determined, at least in part, by the transportation infrastructure. Streetcar lines in the right places will attract the kind of density they need to be viable. Look at the development now taking place all along the Hiawatha line. Imagine what University Ave. might look like in time if it had a modern, attractive and relatively fast tram line on it. Charlie Swope Ward 1 _____________________________________________ To Join: St. Paul Issues Forum Rules Discussion Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ____________________________________________ NEW ADDRESS FOR LIST: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe, modify subscription, or get your password - visit: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/stpaul Archive Address: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/private/stpaul/
