  Tetsua Member Username: Tetsua Post Number: 1437 Registered: 01-2004 |
The 26 stations between 3.5 miles sounds kinda stupid to me, I hope that's a mistake. http://www.crainsdetroit.com/a pps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/2008 0224/EMAIL/898898114/1070 | ||
Digitalvision Member Username: Digitalvision Post Number: 584 Registered: 11-2003 |
Not if you realize that there are actually 12 stops and 26 stations counts those on both sides of the street and one endcap on each side. The cost difference is pretty steep - but I'm willing to bet there could be some federal subsidy or the like to help out. I think this would be absolutely excellent and I'd use it at least a couple times a week with all the traveling I do between downtown and midtown. Heck, I might even use it from C-Mart to Foxtown or the like if I'm being lazy and it runs often enough. | ||
Mwilbert Member Username: Mwilbert Post Number: 95 Registered: 11-2007 |
The article says 23 stations and I think they are counting stations on both sides of the street. 12 stops in 3.5 miles isn't ridiculous, although with that many stops it won't be much faster than a bus. | ||
Tetsua Member Username: Tetsua Post Number: 1438 Registered: 01-2004 |
Ahhhh, thanks for the insight I didn't look at it too closely. 12 stops isn't that bad. | ||
Eboyer Member Username: Eboyer Post Number: 78 Registered: 01-2007 |
12 stops. 23 stations. 2 at each stop and one at the end. | ||
Spaceboykelly Member Username: Spaceboykelly Post Number: 279 Registered: 04-2005 |
Yes, please! | ||
Livernoisyard Member Username: Livernoisyard Post Number: 5351 Registered: 10-2004 |
It's not rapid transit and it's fine by me. It'll save on diesel fuel. Those SMART buses heading downtown on Woodward wouldn't need to go that far and can save on fuel by turning around near the New Center. There's only a few SMARTs that use Woodward but it's a savings, nevertheless. However, this system won't satisfy the rapid transit crowd because it'll only be a bit faster than a bus--due mainly to the rapid acceleration of its electric motor. | ||
Chow Member Username: Chow Post Number: 451 Registered: 10-2003 |
This won't satisfy rapid transit folks because it really doesn't serve the populous. Transit only works if it connects people to a destination. This plan merely connects destinations. I am still for it, its a decent start. But only with the possibility of future expansion. | ||
Mackinaw Member Username: Mackinaw Post Number: 4461 Registered: 02-2005 |
Don't ask questions, just do it. It's privately funded? Jump on that! That station frequency is similar to the frequency on a Manhattan subway. If they're quick and efficient stops then it will move along fine. | ||
Livernoisyard Member Username: Livernoisyard Post Number: 5352 Registered: 10-2004 |
They'll move along fine. But, they'll have to be wheelchair accessible. So, there may be a few handicapped delays from time to time, just as on the buses. Probably will have a bike rack on front and/or back for a couple of them, too. | ||
Hybridy Member Username: Hybridy Post Number: 217 Registered: 08-2006 |
bike rack on the outside??? no no no if the cars are built to accomodate barrier-free patrons to roll right on why would one not bring a bike on these things will certainly not be too full on a daily basis for a bike or two | ||
Livernoisyard Member Username: Livernoisyard Post Number: 5354 Registered: 10-2004 |
All the linehaul SMART buses have racks up front for two bikes. | ||
Danindc Member Username: Danindc Post Number: 3908 Registered: 10-2003 |
quote: Who are you, and what did you do with Livernoisyard? This sounds more like a streetcar, although it seems like the vehicles would be light rail, especially given the costs. Because Detroit is such a geographically large city, I tend to think that light rail would make more sense, because it would be faster. Eleven stops (each direction) would put each station about 1/3 mile apart, which is pretty decent service, yet not too congested where the vehicles would get bogged down like buses. Good to see that something is moving forward on this front. | ||
Rbdetsport Member Username: Rbdetsport Post Number: 461 Registered: 11-2005 |
I am still concerned that this might get in the way of the DTOGS plan. I have many questions... Although I really do champion John Hertel on his efforts for the region. | ||
Hans57 Member Username: Hans57 Post Number: 275 Registered: 05-2006 |
I'm surprised there'd only be two cars. What would the wait time be? | ||
Livernoisyard Member Username: Livernoisyard Post Number: 5355 Registered: 10-2004 |
Two cars in a consist, | ||
Detroitstar Member Username: Detroitstar Post Number: 974 Registered: 01-2006 |
I know it's off topic but I have a simple question that is not worthy of it's own thread... Can the DPM stations fit 3 car trains? Saturday night there were shows at 3 theaters, 20K+ at The Joe for MSU vs UM, boat show at Cobo, and the usual Saturday night bar scene. I spoke with a buddy at the hockey game who waited 15 minutes for the train at Greektown. They ended up taking the shuttle from one of the bars. He is from far away and was curious to use our "train to nowhere." When I was on it at 6:30 it was packed over capacity and they easily could have run more than the two trains that we saw. Do they ever add more cars or additional trains? | ||
Mackinaw Member Username: Mackinaw Post Number: 4462 Registered: 02-2005 |
They never add any. The DPM is either not used, or overflowing. Tough to justify adding a car unless it could somehow make the City $$. | ||
Livernoisyard Member Username: Livernoisyard Post Number: 5356 Registered: 10-2004 |
Back when in high school, I had a ham radio in my car. Its whip antenna was exceptionally tall that it would contact the 600 V trackless trolley wires at times. Whenever I had to go near them, I would either accelerate or brake quickly to avoid touching them. It probably would do no harm anyway, as there was a glass mica capacitor in series with the antenna inside the vehicle, but the wire would still be hot. Here's some other shocking news about streetcars in my time. quote: | ||
Rbdetsport Member Username: Rbdetsport Post Number: 462 Registered: 11-2005 |
Lots of talk of mass transit around here lately. The time is near..... | ||
Livernoisyard Member Username: Livernoisyard Post Number: 5357 Registered: 10-2004 |
quote:Buses are mass transit. Strange! Haven't heard much about them. Is it time for your bus to come, finally? | ||
Digitalvision Member Username: Digitalvision Post Number: 585 Registered: 11-2003 |
What I like about it is that it would tie the whole Woodward corridor into one cohesive neighborhood. Think about it - you live in Midtown. You want to go to work downtown. Shop at that new market by Brush park. Go to a ballgame. Go to a Wings game. Go to the bar... get keys made at the rencen. It just makes so much sense because now you can cover enough geographic area to be efficient about it all. I take it as a good sign if Livernoisyard can go along. If he can, anyone can and the plan has a shot. He's like a handy barometer of transit cynicism. | ||
Jonnyfive Member Username: Jonnyfive Post Number: 109 Registered: 03-2007 |
"get keys made at the rencen" You go to the Ren Cen to get keys made? | ||
E_hemingway Member Username: E_hemingway Post Number: 1567 Registered: 11-2004 |
The private backing is what will make this happen. Tom Walsh's column in the Freep Friday was about how Metro Detroit's big regional victories (such as stadia, airport, casinos) came about because major players from the business community came out and backed them. This idea is following the same course. This will really take off if they can find a way to work with the public sector people (DTOGS). If this happens watch the downtown/Midtown/New Center area take off development wise. You'll also see Oakland County start clamoring for that line to be extended up Woodward no matter what L. Brooks says. That could set off a whole domino effect for real regional mass transit in Metro Detroit. This is great news. | ||
Livernoisyard Member Username: Livernoisyard Post Number: 5358 Registered: 10-2004 |
I'm not against streetcars. But be advised that streetcars are nonrapid, serial mass transit, and one mishap could tie up the system for days. The Hudson implosion took out much of the DPM for months. Whenever that occurs, buses would have to handle all the streetcar traffic until it gets straightened out. | ||
Jonnyfive Member Username: Jonnyfive Post Number: 110 Registered: 03-2007 |
"I take it as a good sign if Livernoisyard can go along. If he can, anyone can and the plan has a shot. He's like a handy barometer of transit cynicism." The potentially good thing about this plan is that the cynics really have no say because the money isn't coming from any public funds. I am genuinely concerned, however, about interference and lack of cooperation with the DTOG plan. They had to know it was going on, would they deliberately conduct this in secret without being in contact? If this gets built, it means DDOT just wasted a lot of money on the DTOG study using incompatible technology. | ||
Danindc Member Username: Danindc Post Number: 3909 Registered: 10-2003 |
quote: I don't know about "days". Certainly there would be incidents that cause delays. This isn't any different than an accident on a freeway, however. The difference is, even a so-called "bus-bridge" still keeps you moving, whereas a bad accident on the highway will bring you to a complete halt. | ||
Livernoisyard Member Username: Livernoisyard Post Number: 5359 Registered: 10-2004 |
Whenever a coroner is involved, for example, it could take a day or two to clear a track. But, that's rare. I know of streetcars being halted in that manner because the very last streetcar line in Milwaukee came a block from my high school as a sophomore. I lived ten miles away and often took the streetcar to get to better hitchhiking territory a few miles away if it was too cold to hitchhike starting at the high school. Some days there would be no streetcars for some unknown reason, and no buses would take over that route's traffic. So that route would be dead for quite an indeterminable time. On those days, I would bus to my father's shop and ride home with him. Those %#$*^~& streetcars. | ||
Focusonthed Member Username: Focusonthed Post Number: 1697 Registered: 02-2006 |
quote: Nonsense. When there's a fatality involving commuter trains here in Chicago, there may be a few hours of delay, generally in the neighborhood of 2-6 hours-long shutdowns I'd say, anecdotally. There's one of these (serious incident, not necessarily a fatality) about monthly around here. (Message edited by focusonthed on February 25, 2008) | ||
Fmstack Member Username: Fmstack Post Number: 41 Registered: 06-2007 |
I think it's silly that there's not already a light rail line on Woodward that goes all the way out to the suburbs -- but this is a great, great start. One thing that people haven't yet mentioned on the thread is how this line would make the proposed commuter train between AA and Detroit make a bit more sense -- it's sort of exciting thinking about transit lines turning into transit /networks/ so quickly. I think if both of these projects got off the ground, ridership would drastically exceed estimates. |
