Quote:
Originally Posted by zilfondel
A much better apples-to-apples comparison would be to Vancouver BC's Translink, which operates the incredibly successful and cash-positive Skytrain system. Vancouver's metro area is on par with Portland area and population wise, yet it has ridership far in excess of our MAX system:
MAX: 52 miles of track; 130,000 riders/weekday (2012 wiki)
average speed: 14.3 mph
Skytrain: 42 miles of track; 396,000 riders/weekday (2012 wiki)
average speed: 28 mph
Skytrain runs automated trains sometimes only 90 seconds apart - on fully grade-separated infrastructure (elevated and in a tunnel downtown).
img from urbanrail.net
Actual BRT has its own dedicated ROW, typically wider than rail lines, and allows NO sharing with cars - that defeats the entire purpose of BRT.
This is a typical BRT infrastructure:
img from lantanews.blogspot.com
img from http://imspatial.wordpress.com/
Anything else is called "a bus running in mixed traffic." Now, if the goal is to quickly move people from outer SE Portland to downtown quickly and using transit, go see my first point about Vancouver BC's Translink elevated Skytrain. |
Amen. Plus Skytrain is automated so it has hugely reduced operating costs, that also allows long trains every 15 minutes to be split up into short trains every 90 seconds for the same operating cost (just maintenance costs which is the same either way). Compare the cost per US $ mile of entirely grade separated (mostly underground) Canada Line with PMLR, I recall adjusted for inflation its about equal in cost per mile.
And amen also regarding BRT, unless it has exclusive lanes its just a bus painted in a unique color scheme. Exclusive lanes are no use where its easy to put them as is the case in Eugene, you put them where they are needed like congested portions of the route so that the bus can be a viable attractive alternative to sitting in SOV traffic, that there in turn attracts people to choose the bus over contributing to traffic congestion in their car.
Threaded Mode