Phoenix opens $1.4 billion light-rail system

[Dusty Ayres]

PHOENIX (Reuters) – With a hearty "All Aboard," Phoenix launched a sleek new $1.4 billion light-rail system on Saturday amid uncertainty people will hop out of their cars and onto the train.
About 75 people became the first riders of the 20-mile (32-km) system that snakes through a sprawling desert metropolitan area that includes the cities of Tempe and Mesa.
Planners project building 30 additional miles of light-rail lines by 2025, but it has yet to be determined if the area's love of cars will trump trains.
"The novelty is going to wear off and you'll see whether it catches on or not," said Sam Mazzeo, 50, a mortgage broker who was at a downtown Phoenix light-rail station. "People use mass transit in other cities. You know, gas is not going to stay cheap forever.

Phoenix opens $1.4 billion light-rail system

 

[Chaos Descending]

People better use this fucker.

They had half the town tore up for nearly two years to put the bastard in.

 

[MIB]

People in general will have to start demanding more rail travel period. I realize that we have this love affair with cars and we don't have to give that up completely. However rails are the most fuel efficient means of transport available to us right now. If we don't pursue it or something else that will effectively temper our affair with cars, I fear $4 a gallon for gas will seem laughably cheap in the future.

 

[dillon3001]

In Portland, OR we're gonna be getting a light rail system expansion (one that goes to Clackamas where I live at) in september 2009. http://trimet.org/i205/index.htm

Looks kind of cool, and should be awesome for people who work in downtown Portland

 

[bdb]

Houston has had one of these for a few years now. Just like in Phoenix, they tore up every street they could find to build it.

It's a'ight.

Its not that different a bus. People do ride on it, and occasionally, it runs into a car.

 

[John Picard]

People in general will have to start demanding more rail travel period. I realize that we have this love affair with cars and we don't have to give that up completely. However rails are the most fuel efficient means of transport available to us right now. If we don't pursue it or something else that will effectively temper our affair with cars, I fear $4 a gallon for gas will seem laughably cheap in the future.

People aren't going to demand what they don't want. If ridership is low, that that should tell you something. There's been all this talk that people in the US "Demand" more fuel efficient cars, yet the F150 and the Silverado were the best selling vehicles of 2008

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

People in general will have to start demanding more rail travel period. I realize that we have this love affair with cars and we don't have to give that up completely. However rails are the most fuel efficient means of transport available to us right now. If we don't pursue it or something else that will effectively temper our affair with cars, I fear $4 a gallon for gas will seem laughably cheap in the future.

People aren't going to demand what they don't want.

Oh, they will want it. They may not know it yet, but they will.

 

[Brolan]

They put the first one in Minneapolis and it's been a major success. They are planning a few more lines.

 

[Dusty Ayres]

They put the first one in Minneapolis and it's been a major success. They are planning a few more lines.

And they're going to be building them in Toronto, too: Transit City proposal

The lines will be as follows:

The plan proposes 120 km (74.6 mi) of electric light rail along seven routes. The proposed network would carry 175 million riders a year, of which 75 million would be new TTC users.[2] The seven proposed corridors are:

• Eglinton Crosstown LRT: The longest (at over 30 km (18.6 mi)) proposed corridor would be along Eglinton Avenue, from somewhere near the Toronto-Mississauga border to Kennedy Station. It is unclear where exactly the line will terminate in the west end, with the possibilities being either Eglinton Avenue West at Renforth Drive, where it would connect to the planned Mississauga Busway, or a few kilometres northwest of there at Toronto Pearson International Airport. Between Keele Street and Laird Drive, the road has been deemed too narrow for a right of way, and therefore the LRT will run in a tunnel (with underground stations), much like the cancelled Eglinton West subway line.[3]
• Jane LRT: One running along Jane Street, from Steeles West Station on the Yonge-University-Spadina subway line (east of the Jane/Steeles intersection), connecting with the Bloor-Danforth subway at (presumably) Jane Station. This line will likely be tunnelled for about 2 km from St. Clair Avenue to Bloor Street. [3]

• Etobicoke-Finch West LRT: One running along Finch Avenue West, from Humber College (just west of Highway 27) to Finch Station.[3]

• Don Mills LRT: One running along Don Mills Road, through East York Centre (Overlea Boulevard) where it would then follow the Leaside Bridge to Pape Avenue, and tunnel under Pape for about 2 km to Danforth (presumably at Pape Station).[3]

• Scarborough Malvern LRT: One running from Kennedy Station to the Morningside/Sheppard intersection near the Malvern neighbourhood via Eglinton Avenue east, Kingston Road and Morningside Avenue. The line would pass near the University of Toronto Scarborough.[3]

• Waterfront West LRT: One along the western waterfront. This line would run along Lake Shore Boulevard West from Long Branch GO Station eastward to the Exhibition Grounds where it would then use the current route 509/511 right of way along Fleet Street and Queens Quay to access the Bay Street tunnel and Union Station.[3]

• Sheppard East LRT: One along Sheppard Avenue East from Don Mills Station to Morningside Avenue.[3]

• Scarborough RT (Extension) : This project is not a new light rail line, rather an extension of an existing one contained in Transit City. The Scarborough RT differs from the above projects in that while it is not a subway, it must be grade-separated from traffic. The extension will take the RT east from its present terminus at McCowan Rd. south of Highway 401, for two additional stops. The first proposed station will be situated east of Markham Road such that it will flank the adjacent Centennial College campus. The line will then curve north to terminate at Sheppard Avenue East, connecting with the Sheppard East LRT. In the future, an in-fill station may be added about 1 km east of McCowan at Bellamy Road to serve the Consilium business area, and the line may also be extended north into the community of Malvern over a former railbed just east of Markham Road.

 

[Canadave]

^ Don't forget a Kingston Road LRT and a Leslie Street streetcar are also proposed, though seperate from Transit City.

Ottawa is also planning an LRT system, including a subway through downtown. The first line will be 13 km long, and will begin the replacement of our aging and over-capacity Bus Rapid Transit system.

It's good to see that even such car-oriented cities like Pheonix are beginning to embrace mass transit. That's an encouraging sign.

 

[Chaos Descending]

Well, I haven't ridden the Phoenix METRO Light Rail yet for two big reasons. One, I own a car. Two, the light rail doesn't go anywhere near my home, my job, or anything else that I frequent.

 

[CaptJimboJones]

Well, I haven't ridden the Phoenix METRO Light Rail yet for two big reasons. One, I own a car. Two, the light rail doesn't go anywhere near my home, my job, or anything else that I frequent.

And that's the biggest problem with light rail - for most people, it's not convenient. You have to transfer onto a bus (often at both ends of your trip) to get where you're going, which can make the trip far more lengthy than just driving.

I'm all in favor of mass transit, but most people simply aren't going to double their commuting time in order to take the train. There aren't enough hours in the day as it is.

 

[BCI]

And that's the biggest problem with light rail - for most people, it's not convenient.

Those who live too far from it can't use it... that's not an argument against light rail, it's reason to build more.

 

[cultcross]

Ah, they were building this when I was in the city last year - seemed to spend a lot of my time negotiating my way over building sites. Glad to see it's finished.

 

[Chaos Descending]

Ah, they were building this when I was in the city last year - seemed to spend a lot of my time negotiating my way over building sites. Glad to see it's finished.

What city? Phoenix? Did you visit the George and Dragon while you were there?

 

[Canadave]

And that's the biggest problem with light rail - for most people, it's not convenient.

Those who live too far from it can't use it... that's not an argument against light rail, it's reason to build more.

Exactly. And when you have more, people will use it, it's as simple as that. Just look at New York, London, Toronto, etc.