actually Tram is a worse solution than Bus! I suppose tu build a subway is too late??
----- Original Message ----- From: "Jim Elwell" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Monday, July 08, 2002 5:09 PM Subject: [USMA:20886] Re: (Off-topic) Public transportation > At 08:22 PM 7 July 2002 -0600, Carl Sorenson wrote: > >... Salt Lake City has a new TRAX light-rail > >system that has been used very heavily (by all socioeconomic classes). It > >was finished within budget, ahead of schedule, and it is being used more > >than was predicted. TRAX is very popular and many extensions are being > >planned. > > I'm sorry, Carl, but there is another view of Salt Lake City's new light rail: > > (1) It would be difficult to pick a WORSE use for a free transit corridor > in a moderate-sized city. The light rail corridor could much more > effectively have been turned into a high-speed mass transit route (i.e., > high-speed two-lane road for buses and vans). Rail provides fixed locations > only: people have to take the bus to a transfer point, get on the light > rail, then get off and (often) transfer to another bus to get to their > location. Rail does not allow one vehicle to pass while another one loads. > Rail does not allow for shifting economic centers. The whole corridor is > wasted when the trains are not running. And electric rail is many times as > expensive to construct as road. > > (2) It is heavily used during a few peak commuting periods. Otherwise you > have 50,000 kg strings of rail cars hauling a dozen or so people. This is > NOT efficient. The back of my office abuts the light rail line -- every > morning and evening I see cars full, the rest of the day and weekends they > are largely empty. > > (3) It has contributed to the destruction of downtown Salt Lake City. > Downtown is a ghost town most evenings and weekends. Many shops have closed > and there is a glut of unused office space (occupancy is about 65%). This > is because (a) public transit is far less convenient than a private car, > particularly if you are hauling packages or kids around, or need to go when > the rail isn't running, and (b) they used light rail as an excuse to get > rid of many of the too few parking spaces that existed, making it even more > miserable to try and go to the center of the city in a car. (As you may > know, Carl, Rocky has put parking into the middle of Broadway to try and > make it easier for people to actually come to his ghost town). > > (4) It certainly is NOT used by "all socioeconomic classes," to any > significant degree. It is used by individuals going to work downtown, and > couples going downtown for evening entertainment. Most people who value > their time to any degree avoid it at all costs. The 21st South station is > perhaps 100 meters from my office. Of 48 employees, I know of only one who > uses light rail with any regularity, and most have never even been on it. > > (5) It is an outrageously expensive system. The UTA itself has published > figures showing that each ride is subsidized by taxpayers to the tune of > $16. Since the ride only costs $1.25, light rail is hardly an economic > success. How many people would ride it if they had to pay the full $17 or so? > > Light rail is the product of arrogant, self-annointed "planners" who hate > cars. Since the vast majority of people prefer the convenience and privacy > of their own car, these "planners" have accomplished nothing but waste > billions of dollars and destroy downtown Salt Lake City. > > Some "planning." > > > Jim Elwell, CAMS > Electrical Engineer > Industrial manufacturing manager > Salt Lake City, Utah, USA > www.qsicorp.com >
