KCRag Forum

DaveKCMO wrote:seattle's second streetcar line opened today (a 'soft opening', no less): http://www.kirotv.com/news/news/first-h ... day/np94L/

a thoughtful analysis of the soft opening of this line: https://www.theurbanist.org/2016/01/26/ ... ure-lines/

DC streetcar cleared for opening this month (for real this time): http://www.wusa9.com/story/news/local/d ... /80318682/

I was looking at Lisbon, Portugal, on Google Streetview and saw this streetcar line running up a steep hill and along a very narrow street lined with shops. I thought it was cool and wanted to share it.

It sort of makes me want to go to Lisbon just so I can ride this streetcar.

I was surprised how steep some of the grades were. These are not cable cars like in San Francisco. These are old fashioned electric streetcars that actually were built in the USA and imported to Lisbon. The cars are very maneuverable and able to make tight turns on very narrow streets that climb steep hills.

Youtube videos of the Lisbon streetcars.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJ66U0VfFe4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tiTp581IqU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ef2BrfftnPg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWUy3z91WOk

Google Streetview links showing specific locations where the streetcar runs along the narrow streets and hilly terrain.

http://tinyurl.com/hnmhevf

http://tinyurl.com/jss8khj

http://tinyurl.com/hotldkf

http://tinyurl.com/j45fut5

http://tinyurl.com/zhkxsny

http://tinyurl.com/zqnleqb

http://tinyurl.com/h7crfo5

http://tinyurl.com/hwa45sb

http://tinyurl.com/ha6etcj

http://tinyurl.com/z78vcs3

http://tinyurl.com/hqkf3l5

http://tinyurl.com/j79ec68

This intersection two streetcar lines cross, and they do it on a steep incline.

http://tinyurl.com/h9upj43

http://tinyurl.com/htysggw

http://tinyurl.com/zk2wak5

http://tinyurl.com/jo58amj

http://tinyurl.com/jv5bpc4

http://tinyurl.com/jcvoj7r

narrow gauge!

Cincinnati streetcar ridership numbers short of projections

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/20 ... /95043064/

It looks like you have to pay for this one, it talks about ticket machines being broken

Are we the only public transit system in the US that is free to ride and is funded through sales/property taxes? To me, it seems like this is the right combination to maximize ridership and to guarantee adequate funding. I bet we would be having the same issues as Cinci if we had a pay to ride system.

The comments in that link are pretty bad, bunch of told you so suburbanites saying "haha" to the entire thing.

brewcrew1000 wrote:The comments in that link are pretty bad, bunch of told you so suburbanites saying "haha" to the entire thing.

Transit haters are pretty similar everywhere you go (just like transit boosters), but KC and Cincy are like identical twins when it comes to civic culture.

The funny thing I noticed is that a lot of the haters disappeared after our system opened and exceeded expectations. the kc subreddit is night and day different now versus before it opened. Maybe they just moved elsewhere?

Makes me appreciate how KC planned and implemented their system. Opening in the fall is risky, as is charging fares.

That being said, they just need to "average" 3200 riders per day to meet the budget. Spring and summer could completely make up the winter shortcomings, even if service never improved.

mykn wrote:the kc subreddit is night and day different now versus before it opened. Maybe they just moved elsewhere?

LOL. good to know!

DaveKCMO wrote:

mykn wrote:the kc subreddit is night and day different now versus before it opened. Maybe they just moved elsewhere?

LOL. good to know!

lol doesn't it seem different to you? I feel like the more recent streetcar posts have had a lot less haters than maybe 2 years ago. Although I've mostly given up on the subreddit, so maybe I'm just missing it.

mykn wrote:Although I've mostly given up on the subreddit, so maybe I'm just missing it.

it was never that great -- most local subreddits aren't.

Article in Curbed.

10 new streetcar lines taking shape across the U.S.

http://www.curbed.com/2017/1/19/1432921 ... ation-rail

Cities mentioned are Kansas City (two photos), Cincinnati, Seattle, Tempe AZ, Brooklyn-Queens NY, Milwaukee, Detroit, Charlotte, St. Louis, and Ft. Lauderdale.

The Loop Trolley shows how important it is to have support lined up. Took approx. 6 years to get to groundbreaking while KC did it in 1.5. Their timeframe since then has been roughly the same.

http://www.looptrolley.com/timeline-3/

MARTA is adding additional service with I-85 collapse, both train and bus.

"Savior" is term used.

http://www.11alive.com/news/local/will- ... /427138323

MARTA promised increased rail services and additional representatives. "For example, from the North Springs area, you get on the train abut every 8 to 10 minutes and that train will get you downtown in about 20 minutes or so," said Keith Parker, MARTA GM/CEO. Parker said extra services will also run through the weekend and they will reassess services for Monday.

...

GRTA Xpress, a regional commuter coach service with 33 routes in 12 Metro Atlanta counties, will also play a vital role in the I-85 workaround. They will continue to run scheduled service with detours, but they're also encouraging ride MARTA or telework. They're acting as a vital bridge between commuter parking lots and MARTA stations. They've added additional buses from the Hamilton Mill and Sugarloaf Mills park-and-rides and the Doraville MARTA station.

Loop Trolley, late summer opening

http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/2017/03/27/ ... 7-opening/

The first unpowered clearance test was earlier this week.

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metr ... aa585.html

flyingember wrote:MARTA is adding additional service with I-85 collapse, both train and bus.

So I-85 is closed

Now a section of I-20 heading into the city is damaged.
http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/17/us/atlant ... index.html

The Nov ballot to expand transit passed
https://nextcity.org/daily/entry/atlant ... n-vote-tax

Couldn't the Freeway issues in Atlanta be a blessing in disguise for some people? Its possible that some people never rode MARTA or used the Bus system to commute might just stick to commuting that way and not have to deal with the huge traffic issues in ATL