tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5810004648766820675.post7194810764519930248..comments2024-03-28T07:33:15.903+00:00Comments on Robert Schwandl's Urban Rail Blog: PORTLAND MAX & StreetcarRobert Schwandlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13156288779783738076noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5810004648766820675.post-25252890343040201632021-01-01T18:53:48.952+00:002021-01-01T18:53:48.952+00:00BART has its issues and even 40 years ago only by ...BART has its issues and even 40 years ago only by commuting in the reverse direction (SF to Walnut Creek) was it reasonably palatable. That they've been able to expand it in a few directions (SFO, Pittsburg, Milpitas) is good news, but much more is needed and regional/commuter rail is likely to be up and running much sooner. Despite greater frequencies, its still inferior to Caltrain, Capitols etc for longer distance rider comfort and amenities (and yes having been commuting to outer Bay Area employment for 15 years - there are a lot of cross suburban commuters. Marin opted out of BARTD and got a fairly usable (for a low density area- with lots of recreational drivers) diesel commuter line, plus transfer to GGT ferry to SF. BART across the Richmond San Rafael Bridge was considered at one point - but the bridge bucked and swayed during the 1989 earthquake and that was not considered thereafter Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14074913743355278124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5810004648766820675.post-11549118295150538522014-12-08T01:25:05.235+00:002014-12-08T01:25:05.235+00:00The thing is, our down town areas tend to be more ...The thing is, our down town areas tend to be more densely zoned, that is more people live in apartments.<br /><br />Investing into and using transit makes more sense in such environment. Also, actually having a place to park the car in dense down town is more expensive so with these variables more households opt to have only a single car.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5810004648766820675.post-74217479056508121052012-12-26T08:03:38.052+00:002012-12-26T08:03:38.052+00:00I'm afraid your impression of Europe is wrong,...I'm afraid your impression of Europe is wrong, we do have cars, too, and too many of them. Certainly some people who live in big cities choose not to have one if there is reasonable public transport available, just as you say in San Francisco and I guess in New York City, too. So your conclusion that L.A.'s system is bad because noone uses it doesn't make sense: it is badly used because it doesn't go to many places (and in my personal opinion there aren't too many places I want to go to in L.A. anyway....)Robert Schwandlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13156288779783738076noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5810004648766820675.post-29351036161081863702012-12-23T04:31:24.677+00:002012-12-23T04:31:24.677+00:00While i agree, BART is the most efficient Subway s...While i agree, BART is the most efficient Subway system in California and the United States, the reason why the LA system is so pathetically bad is because nobody uses it. In Los Angeles, everyone has cars and lives in the suburbs, so its not really useful. Unlike the Bay Area and San Francisco where everyone has cars but enjoys getting rid of them. <br />The United States is a car country, its not like Europe where people hardly have them and can't get them (my own experiences in Paris and London staying for some months) In America, the question isnt; Do you have a car? The question is; "How many cars do you have? Two? three" The Bay Area has been cutting down on this with Bart and Muni Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5810004648766820675.post-51309095821666798652012-08-08T06:19:44.823+01:002012-08-08T06:19:44.823+01:00Robert, I think this is an understatement: "T...Robert, I think this is an understatement: "The North West is served by a couple of Cascades trains, which run between Portland and Seattle". The actual number of Cascades trains is 8 a day, or four roundtrips a day. If you include the two trains a day (one roundtrip a day) of the Coast Starlight, the overall service level between Seattle and Portland is 5 roundtrips a day. This is very respectable level of intercity rail service for the United States. Only California and Northeast have more trains on their routes. Neither Midwest nor any other part of the country has comparable service frequencies, so overall, Northwest is among the better states in this regard.Yurihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11527150380889921163noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5810004648766820675.post-85085779708043254092012-08-06T07:22:50.239+01:002012-08-06T07:22:50.239+01:00Great, thanks! I sent an e-mail off to you with a...Great, thanks! I sent an e-mail off to you with a link to view some photos. The vintage streetcars are pretty rare - the budget only allows eight days of operation per year, and five of those happen in the weeks leading up to Christmas. The vintage cars are run as a fun feature promoting "do your Christmas shopping downtown," but sadly they're on Sundays which sees very few people actually in the downtown core. Oh well!Chris McDowellhttp://www.christopherjmcdowell.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5810004648766820675.post-79429311144458560812012-08-05T17:36:04.819+01:002012-08-05T17:36:04.819+01:00Hi Chris,
thanks for your comments and explanatio...Hi Chris,<br /><br />thanks for your comments and explanations. I do hope, though, that the Orange and Yellow Lines will be linked to form one line only, just like the Blue Line (or are they trying to avoid those long runs?).<br /><br />I did spot an old Alaska train but just from the train I was on while they crossed at the mid-way station. You're welcome to contribute a photo of this and the heritage trolley to my book (get in touch directly at rschwandl@gmail.com, thanks). I didn't see the latter, I had forgotten to check beforehand whether they were actually running on the Sunday when I was there.Robert Schwandlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13156288779783738076noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5810004648766820675.post-46353645683325407052012-08-05T07:16:24.255+01:002012-08-05T07:16:24.255+01:00Hi Robert,
First off I hope you enjoyed your stay...Hi Robert,<br /><br />First off I hope you enjoyed your stay here! I've lived here in Portland for a number of years and most residents see it as beneficial to have the level of transit infrastructure that we have. It's started to pay dividends too - the cost per ride on the MAX is less than half the cost for a ride on a city bus.<br /><br />A couple of notes - the turnaround at Union Station does appear to be a space-waster, but I think it's there only because they needed enough space to do a complete turnaround loop at the north end of the Transit Mall. They occasionally run one-car Mall-only trains when service is light (Sundays) or when bridge-raising keeps the eastside trains from crossing the river. The heritage trolleys also turn around there (they operate historic trolleys up and down the Mall about 8-10 Sundays per year). And I think the planning for the Orange Line also played a part in their decision - those trains will turn around at Union Station as well.<br /><br />As for the Streetcar, I'm not holding my breath for them opening up the new line at the end of September (as much as I'd like them to). The latest news is that they will be lucky to have just one out of five of their brand-new Union Streetcars ready by then, which means best-case scenario, they'll have 12 streetcars total at that point. They operate six cars during most of each weekday (maybe seven during rush hours), and the eastside expansion will double the amount of track they need to put cars on. Let's just say that if they do open on time, they'll have to cross their fingers that none of their streetcars breaks down. When they do open, the system will operate as two distinct routes (see the newly-released map here: http://www.portlandstreetcar.org/node/4).<br /><br />Did you get a chance to see the ex-Alaska Budd railcars that WES has? They are pretty nifty...I love when they show up to do a run, although it's pretty rare. I've taken a number of pictures of them when I've caught them in service; if you'd like to include a photo in your upcoming book, just let me know and I'll send over some samples for you to take a look at. I also have some shots of the heritage trolley if you're interested. I'm actually quite a fan of your books and I'd be happy to contribute!<br /><br />All the best!<br />-Chris McDowellChris McDowellhttp://www.christopherjmcdowell.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5810004648766820675.post-66213854456337801882012-08-04T06:57:28.215+01:002012-08-04T06:57:28.215+01:00Dear Al,
could you quote a few cities in the U.S....Dear Al,<br /><br />could you quote a few cities in the U.S. that offer a day pass for less than 5 USD for a comparable service?<br /><br />You are also welcome to add your experience and share with others.Robert Schwandlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13156288779783738076noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5810004648766820675.post-87790326371695131062012-08-03T16:55:07.638+01:002012-08-03T16:55:07.638+01:00I'm not sure about your"cheapest" fa...I'm not sure about your"cheapest" fare system remark. I researched that and found it was among the most expensive in the US.<br /><br />I enjoyed reading your post, you hit some of the problems but left out plenty others that only a person who lived here and used the system regularly would know.Al Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06670275801784105978noreply@blogger.com