10-25 million per mile, around half of what our chrome and fiberglass streetcars of the 18th century cost. I don't believe there is much chance of them crashing and burning, it's just a souped up ski lift. Well they do move along the cable, not attached to a moving cable.
I actually saw this somewhere because I thought it was a GREAT idea. Unfortunately, last I checked, it had never been built anywhere. Its still conceptual. Given the close vote, Houston voters would have turned this down cause we don't want to be the guinea pigs on a system that puts people at risk by stranding people in mid-air if it breaks down. Lightrail, while involved in accidents, has yet to kill anybody. Note: Except one guy that ran a red light doing 60mph at 3am. Houston is lucky he hit the train rather than another car potentially killing an innocent occupant in another car. Let a few European cities build this first. Once we know it works relaibly, then we can take another look. In the meantime, the funds for lightrail have been approved.
TOTAL cost is 10-25 million per mile??? i just can't imagine that building the structures for all of that is cheaper than light rail. i'm guessing it wouldn't have the same desired "good for business" impact that light rail has, in the sense that the stops are probably infrequent. i could certainly see this as a commuter system. but i'm not sure this is an alternative for inner-city mass transit.
People in this area are easily spooked. It doesn't even really have to crash.. the mere fact that if one did crash, people here would freak the hell out and never ride it again.. it would literally be the end of the program right then and there.. that is a HIGH risk factor when compared to other metro mass transit methods.
Aerobuses. Good grief. You folks trust Metro to build safe aerobuses when the light rail they built has already had so many crashes? I don't.
Quick question.... How many of those crashes were caused by the guy driving the light rail train? Thanks for playing, rookie.
I love it when this defense is used. Our city's light rail has had RECORD numbers of crashes with automobiles. Hell it even killed a man! Why don't other cities' light rail trains have record numbers of crashes? Why? Because Metro built a dud. Our train is dangerous, as evidenced by the record number of crashes.
Good for business = Bad for transit The figure is from their website, but since the system is just widely spaced steel towers and a cable for track, they probably aren't far off. The website lables the company as being in Houston Texas!!! though I haven't heard of them before. Apparently their are some of their systems running and more being built. The conflicts between transportation modes was imminently forseeable. Hell Fredrick Olmstead saw the need to separate traffic modes in the design of Central Park in 1898. That's why real transit trains are underground in NY and above the ground in Chicago.
As someone who lives on that side of town, I'd say definitely do it on Richmond because - - Westheimer would be an absolute nightmare with construction. - West Park is too far. It's already enough of a nuisance trying to drive down south to the tollway. - Richmond is a fair choice. Doesn't hurt business as much as it would on Westheimer, and half those businesses are strip clubs anyway. Maybe after the rail's done we'll see less strip clubs and more actual businesses (and they'll resurface that horrible Richmond street). The only other option I could think of is San Felipe/Briar Forest, but that's much more of a residential area and I don't think it would work well.
Thanks for that input captain misinformation. 1. Looking at year #2 of operation, crashes are NOT "record" numbers...not even close. 2. The man killed ran a red light at 60mph at 3am and broadsided the train. We're lucky HE didn't kill anybody else. Thanks for playing. Next.
At the time Houston voted for lightrail 2 years ago, they didn't have anything running. What part of "I agree with you but Houstonian's wouldn't have approved an elevated system" don't you understand? This thread isn't a question of SHOULD we build lightrail. It is a question of where to build it. Dubious, since it is getting built anyway, do you want to put it down Westpark or Richmond?
In the 13th hour of the 3rd day of the month of May MetroRail DID NOT set any new records for crashes! Hooray! The rail is a smashing success! There's that defense again. Metro's schit don't stink, does it? Metro has built a dangerous and expensive failure that arguably has not even produced any new business development. Folks, we got a dud.
Thanks for getting us back on topic. Actually, I think the segment in question starts at about Weslyn and goes to 610...it's only about a 1 miles stretch. East of Weslyn would still need to go down Richmond because Westpark doesn't go all the way to the Wheeler station (where Sear's is). So it'll either stay straight on Richmond or veer off simply to avoid the Ashton Oaks people. The question is to veer it to Westpark or up to Westheimer. I say veer it to Westheimer. That is where all the shopping is where people can jump off and be somewhere interesting. Then it is really easy to get to the Galleria. Yea, construction will suck but. Like a supermodel getting an augmentation, the surgery sucks but the end result is good for everybody.
Looking at the trends, there is nothing to indicate Metro will continue to have a high crash rate from this point forward. So if we look back 20 years from now, the first year was tough and the next 19 were just fine. But yea, it is waaayyy to dangerous. You are king of SPIN SPIN SPIN. The automobile accident rate hasn't changed in the area. the only thing that changed is there are some trains involved rather than just car to car. But the trains get all the publicity. You don't hear about when Mrs. Jones hits Mr. Edwards. Thanks for your OPINION. (baseless opinion). Quit being sour grapes. It is being built whether you like it or not. Me, I like it. Are you still upset Nixon got impeached?
I can't afford any property through that area. I wish I could. Now I'm gonna go call to see if I can get my 20% discount on the Rox tickets.
Nixon wasn't impeached. He resigned before it got that far. Just, you know, to take the thread in the different direction.
depends what you mean by bad for business. i have experience with the dc metro and at all the stations especially in nova they have extensive development. and all this has happened in the last 5-10 years. 1 bedroom apartments in nova walking distance from the metro range easily around 1500. lots of resturants and dry cleaners and small stores all around every station. but your right. for inner city (in and around the loop) the light rail is the best option. but for going down I-10/45/59 this would be terrific.
