08-25-2015, 07:08 PM
I guess the things that I think ICTS/Monorail/VAL/etc. has over Light Rail is that they [typically] are elevated - I see elevated transportation technologies as vastly superior to those that are ground-based and have to interact with people. Elevating a system so it is completely separated eliminates all of the deaths and accidents that are caused each year by having pedestrian/cycle/automobile interaction with semi-high speed light rail trains; it frees up land (look under Vancouver's Skytrain guideways - parks everywhere), but I guess deep down, as a transit enthusiast... it just feels right to me. I understand that the Region wanted to do the whole step-on/step-off thing "Oh look, a cafe, let's jump off the train on our bicycle and the platform is at the same height" but the result is that we will have accidents - people will get hit, there is massive disruption during construction, and we have removed a huge swath of land where the right of way is (lane capacity, properties, etc).
Don't get me wrong - I understand all of the overall system benefits - I'm just saying that other transportation technologies, however "inappropriate" they might have felt to be implemented here, would have had a little less hurt, for the same gain. They do exist for a reason. Look at Rennes. City with less than half the population of the Region, and they're building their 2nd automated Metro line (Ligne A is VAL 208, Ligne B is the Cityval prototype). Crazyness.
I agree that ICTS/Monorail/VAL would have probably seemed out of place here, met with much opposition, and I never truly expected anyone to take me seriously. Besides, it gives me a reason and drive to travel. Why else would I go all the way to Morgantown or Odaiba or Lille?
(I humbly appreciate your comments regarding the photos; I have fun taking them, and enjoy sharing the progress of the system.)
Don't get me wrong - I understand all of the overall system benefits - I'm just saying that other transportation technologies, however "inappropriate" they might have felt to be implemented here, would have had a little less hurt, for the same gain. They do exist for a reason. Look at Rennes. City with less than half the population of the Region, and they're building their 2nd automated Metro line (Ligne A is VAL 208, Ligne B is the Cityval prototype). Crazyness.
I agree that ICTS/Monorail/VAL would have probably seemed out of place here, met with much opposition, and I never truly expected anyone to take me seriously. Besides, it gives me a reason and drive to travel. Why else would I go all the way to Morgantown or Odaiba or Lille?
(I humbly appreciate your comments regarding the photos; I have fun taking them, and enjoy sharing the progress of the system.)