Quote:
Originally Posted by Echostatic
In Phase 1 of Project Connect, which is what is currently funded, the darker portions here will be grade-separated:
Editing to add in the commuter rail; the Red Line, which already exists, and the Green Line, which is partially funded in Phase 1 and will be extended Eastward in Phase 2. All at grade - it's only commuter rail, after all.
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Yeah, commuter rail doesn't (and often shouldn't) be grade-separated. Denver's highly successful A Line commuter rail really saved costs by avoiding grade-separation (and several portions are only single-tracked) and they still got 20K+ riders pre-COVID, not to mention have an average speed of 37 mph or so.
A bit disappointing the Orange Line will run mostly at-grade in street medians. But from prelim reports, it looks like the Orange Line will still run 21 miles in 54 minutes for an impressive 23 mph. Austin has the right idea--you don't need to grade separate your entire line for speed, you only need to grade separate the downtown corridor, where street-running LRT runs the slowest.
But imagine if Austin grade separated its LRT as much as Seattle, whose Link Line 1 is 26 miles and only has 57 min travel time!