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Re: Observations from a Demand Forecaster
Author: Erik H.
Date: 09-09-2017 - 19:37
synonymouse Wrote:
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> With electric light rail tech building south to Marin City can be done with a reasonable
> price tag and relatively quickly
I wish I could agree, but anything and everything costs more in California, plus dealing with the environmentalists that will be angry that you're taking out their precious bike path. A light rail line that costs $100 million/mile anywhere else somehow costs $200M/mile in California. San Diego's Trolley was built cheap back in the 1970s, but those days are long gone.
There are tunnels that will need to be rebuilt, trestles that will have to be completely replaced, rebuilding street crossings and intersections...the only plus is the ROW is already owned, but might not be wide enough for double-track light rail construction.
There'll be levee and wetland issues in Corte Madera that will require all sorts of issues with multiple federal agencies.
And Marin City still has the problem of being a mile short; but the rich folk in Sausalito will put up a huge fight. So you have to choose between winning over rich people, or suffering a ridership hit for not connecting to the ferry dock with the shortest travel time to S.F.
Again to use the example of WES - sure it connects multiple large suburbs. But guess where it doesn't go? It doesn't serve Nike, Intel or Tektronix in Beaverton - all require at least two transfers (WES to MAX, MAX to shuttle bus) or a fairly lengthy walk (in the case of Tektronix). It doesn't serve Washington Square, the largest shopping destination and a huge employment base. It doesn't serve Kruse Way (a large office development in Lake Oswego, just east of Tigard.) It doesn't serve the Oregon Business Park (another large light-industrial area of Tigard). It doesn't serve the high schools. It consistently comes up a mile short of anywhere. So often, HSR and rail proponents call out the fact that the trains stop at downtown stations, within a short walking distance of employment and entertainment centers...if the train stops in Timbuktu, that's a problem.
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> With electric light rail tech building south to Marin City can be done with a reasonable
> price tag and relatively quickly
I wish I could agree, but anything and everything costs more in California, plus dealing with the environmentalists that will be angry that you're taking out their precious bike path. A light rail line that costs $100 million/mile anywhere else somehow costs $200M/mile in California. San Diego's Trolley was built cheap back in the 1970s, but those days are long gone.
There are tunnels that will need to be rebuilt, trestles that will have to be completely replaced, rebuilding street crossings and intersections...the only plus is the ROW is already owned, but might not be wide enough for double-track light rail construction.
There'll be levee and wetland issues in Corte Madera that will require all sorts of issues with multiple federal agencies.
And Marin City still has the problem of being a mile short; but the rich folk in Sausalito will put up a huge fight. So you have to choose between winning over rich people, or suffering a ridership hit for not connecting to the ferry dock with the shortest travel time to S.F.
Again to use the example of WES - sure it connects multiple large suburbs. But guess where it doesn't go? It doesn't serve Nike, Intel or Tektronix in Beaverton - all require at least two transfers (WES to MAX, MAX to shuttle bus) or a fairly lengthy walk (in the case of Tektronix). It doesn't serve Washington Square, the largest shopping destination and a huge employment base. It doesn't serve Kruse Way (a large office development in Lake Oswego, just east of Tigard.) It doesn't serve the Oregon Business Park (another large light-industrial area of Tigard). It doesn't serve the high schools. It consistently comes up a mile short of anywhere. So often, HSR and rail proponents call out the fact that the trains stop at downtown stations, within a short walking distance of employment and entertainment centers...if the train stops in Timbuktu, that's a problem.
