Quote:
Originally Posted by jmecklenborg
It just looks to me like the people in charge aren't willing to take any risk. They incorrectly see current conditions as analogous to the 1970s and don't want to be responsible for disasters from that era like the unfinished Second Ave. Subway in NYC.
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Yes reducing risks is a good thing, if you want to continue building more public transit infrastructure using taxpayer dollars especially if they are property tax dollars.
With all brand new starter systems they want to ensure that this first project goes through without too many delays and problems which then impacts the opportunities for future extensions. There's also a brand new rail yard and facilities that will be needed for a new rail system which will probably be 10-15% of the costs of this starter line if they have the land acquired, cleared and built.
Thankfully the core of this corridor is along a very busy bus corridor with solid ridership and activity centers. As I view the google map and read through the study reports I see that this is a corridor that they want to redevelop in a manner like Portland, OR.
I am surprised they are not putting the downtown portion elevated and closer to the Commuter Rail station on 4th Street, Cesar Chavez is by the Convention Center but it is a long walk around the Convention Center to make the connection (something is telling me given it is right near the Colorado River, there is a soil issue with digging the line underground)