Quote:
Originally Posted by PhxDowntowner
A 7.8 mile loop = 3.9 miles one way. That's 40% of 10 miles, so not exactly an apples-to-apples.
|
And what's 3.9 miles plus 6? About 10.
Quote:
Originally Posted by PhxDowntowner
But the underlying issue with long streetcar routes is that since they interact with traffic, their headways are more variable, and headway variability is directly correlated to longer average wait times. Long average wait times at grade, and in Phoenix heat, is not a product that will impact Phoenicians' mode or living choices.
|
Indeed their headways are more variable than LRT, but likely still vastly more reliable than bus. They'd be especially more reliable than bus if given light priority and used the same 'on your honor' ticketing system the LRT does to speed up people getting on and off.
I recall reading once that McDowell Rd was one of the busiest bus lines in the City, so it would stand to reason it would be a corridor worth looking at for Streetcar. Especially if in the future the Tempe Streetcar extended over to the Tempe Arts Center and then went North over Priest and into the Papago Park area, that could then connect with a McDowell Streetcar at Galvin.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vicelord John
I agree with you. Streetcar routes at that length won't be any more efficient than busses, and given the location of the tracks (in the middle of the street) they will be harder to access than a bus.
|
Modern streetcar in this situation wouldn't likely run down the Middle of the street. There's not room in the McDowell R.O.W. to put lanes for streetcars in each direction AND stations, the stations would have to be off the sidewalk.
The set up would likely have to be (going from the north side of the road to the south):
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-West bound trains traveling in a shared lane, the Northernmost lane. With stops/stations being shaded facilities on the sidewalk.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- The next lane to the South would be another West bound traffic lane
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- The next lane to the South would be another West bound traffic lane
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- a VERY small (2' wide or so) median, likely just concrete for safety
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- The next lane South would be East bound traffic
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- The next lane South would also be East bound traffic
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- The Southernmost lane would be East bound traffic and Eastbound streetcars in a shared lane
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Also if you did keep traffic in 2 lanes each way you could perhaps do away with the streetcars having to be shared lanes, thus much increasing their speed. The Streetcar could be a in a dedicated lane, perhaps only shared for when cars need to make turns at major intersections & shared with bicycles (I've seen a similar setup before).
19th Ave to Scottsdale Rd on McDowell with the current bus set up is at least a 45 minute trip, that could likely be cut down to around 30 minutes with a Streetcar system like described above.
Prev
Linear Mode
