02-28-2024, 11:33 AM
(02-28-2024, 10:31 AM)danbrotherston Wrote: I kinda figured this would be the timeframe...honestly...but I'm a cynic.
I think a separated line doesn't make much sense. Cambridge just by itself probably doesn't justify an LRT. And without connecting to the rest of the region it doesn't serve as a regional connector/integrator. If the city was large enough, it probably would make sense, but it just isn't that big.
I agree. We should spend money on the line between the cities, not on a redundant maintenance facility. I do think there should be a storage facility in Cambridge to improve the logistics of starting and stopping service, but maintenance can all be done at Dutton Drive. A storage facility could be as simple as long tail tracks at the end of the line. Store a few more vehicles on the main line, on the approach to the last station, overnight.
Quote:Honestly, I am disappointed. I want to see politicians push back on these absurd cost projections. Chuck at Strongtowns had a good podcast recently about the problems with procurement in NA.
Also agreed. If an LRT is unaffordable, highways should be super-unaffordable. The basic preparation for an LRT is essentially two lanes’ worth of grading and bridgebuilding (or tunnelling, if appropriate). The basic preparation for a highway is essentially eight lanes’ worth of the same for a basic 4 lane highway (don’t forget the shoulders). Once that is done, how expensive can rails and concrete ties really be? Signalling? Have computer chips suddenly gotten more expensive? Has steel suddenly gone up in price by a factor of 100?
Something is seriously wrong if basic LRT construction has become unaffordable, and what’s wrong isn’t the desire to build public transportation.