Interesting-- having lived in Portland, I haven't noticed any of the above.
Crashes are exceedingly rare, crime is a problem caused by poor policing in the municipalities rather than on the rail line, getting to and from locations is easy (20 miles in 45 minutes as opposed to 3 miles in 40 in Seattle), running cars overnight prevents ice from sticking to the lines, parking in Portland is a hot commodity so driving isn't always a good idea (rarely), and the permanence of the line is actually a benefit.
Running heavy rail as you so expertly prescribe is completely infeasible, even with double-tracking. Bus Rapid Transit, with its low rider-to-driver capacity is a silly notion in the Fred Road corridor, especially considering planned growth and the fact that every 5 years you have to repave and every few weeks you need to re-tire. So much for savings.
And what percentage of transit systems make a profit and don't require subsidy in the US? I think the only one to truly turn an appreciable profit was the waterfront streetcar in Seattle
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Last edited by alexjon; Jun 10, 2008 at 5:35 AM.
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