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Ditto for Quito, Ecuador: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trolleybuses_in_Quito https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trolleybuses_in_Quito I'm now back in Australia, an

Ditto for Quito, Ecuador: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trolleybuses_in_Quito https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trolleybuses_in_Quito I'm now back in Australia, and despairing because my small city is putting in a light rail solution when a bus rapid transit option would be so much cheaper, given our low ridership. But buses aren't cool. :(

astrodust 10y ago
Which city is doing LRT? These can be more cost-effective in the long run at certain ridership levels, plus they're usually a better experience for the passenger. Busses just plain suck.
- sanswork 10y ago
  http://www.metrolinx.com/en/projectsandprograms/transitexpansionprojects/toronto_lrt.aspx http://www.metrolinx.com/en/projectsandprograms/transitexpan...
  - astrodust 10y ago
    Yes, Toronto, Australia. Obviously.
    - sanswork 10y ago
      Is it even still on any rail network? I know it use to be way at the top on the Cityrail posters but a quick check now and it looks like it's been replaced with a coach service.
- illumin8 10y ago
  Salt Lake City, Utah, has had very good success with light rail.
- photojosh 10y ago
  Sydney is doing them, and it seems okay. Newcastle is doing a 4km line...
- jpatokal 10y ago
  Given the mention of "small city", I presume this is referring to Canberra: https://www.transport.act.gov.au/light-rail-project https://www.transport.act.gov.au/light-rail-project I don't think it's a bad idea as such, particularly if you consider it planning ahead for projected growth, but there are a lot of much larger cities in Australia that could use the same money more usefully. Building a BRT in Canberra now would be kind of pointless, since traffic jams are essentially non-existent, making ordinary buses rapid enough already.
  - jakecopp 10y ago
    When I lived in Canberra a year ago I noticed some backed up traffic in peak time near EPIC - however I realised there was only one car lane in each direction, and one bus lane in each direction. I don't agree that we should always build more roads if there is traffic, but building a light rail solution when the bottleneck is one congested car lane each way seems a bit unusual.
- NamTaf 10y ago
  It could well be the Gold Coast, too, which has just finished its light rail in preparation for the Commonwealth Games next year.
oulu2006 10y ago
I'm sitting right next to where they've been drilling on Devonshire street for the past 4 months to move a power cable to central station! I've taken busses through Sydney for years, and to be honest, I'm really hoping the LRS does what they promise it will, because the bus system here is so bad.
- photojosh 10y ago
  I think it'll be fine for Sydney, but I'm in Newcastle and it seems so daft...
  - oulu2006 10y ago
    Maybe future capacity planning?
- jakecopp 10y ago
  According to the Sydney Morning Herald, one-third of buses will still be required when the light rail starts operating in 2019 due to insufficient capacity, rising to 80% of current buses by 2031! http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/sydney-cbd-and-south-east-light-rail-crowding-rates-exceed-bus-and-train-crush-capacity-20170220-gugtx9.html http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/sydney-cbd-and-south-east-light-ra...
  - oulu2006 10y ago
    I never really thought that light rail would replace buses completely. One can't help but imagine how many more buses we would need without light rail, no?
    - jakecopp 10y ago
      True, but if we built any other sort of infrastructure (water, sewage, electicity) that operated at above over 100% capacity from day one, wouldn't we consider a solution with more capacity? With the light rail already blowing out as of November last year from $1.6bn to $2.1bn [1] I can't help but think of the merit of heavy rail. My understanding is heavy rail is very expensive, but how much more? I haven't been able to find a comparison of a heavy rail design on this route. [1]: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/sydney-cbd-and-eastern-suburbs-light-rail-project-500m-cost-blowout/news-story/29ffab19ad08da08fb7bcde90bdaeaa8 http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/sydney-cbd-and-e...

astrodust 10y ago

Which city is doing LRT? These can be more cost-effective in the long run at certain ridership levels, plus they're usually a better experience for the passenger. Busses just plain suck.

sanswork 10y ago
http://www.metrolinx.com/en/projectsandprograms/transitexpansionprojects/toronto_lrt.aspx http://www.metrolinx.com/en/projectsandprograms/transitexpan...
- astrodust 10y ago
  Yes, Toronto, Australia. Obviously.
  - sanswork 10y ago
    Is it even still on any rail network? I know it use to be way at the top on the Cityrail posters but a quick check now and it looks like it's been replaced with a coach service.
illumin8 10y ago
Salt Lake City, Utah, has had very good success with light rail.
photojosh 10y ago
Sydney is doing them, and it seems okay. Newcastle is doing a 4km line...
jpatokal 10y ago
Given the mention of "small city", I presume this is referring to Canberra: https://www.transport.act.gov.au/light-rail-project https://www.transport.act.gov.au/light-rail-project I don't think it's a bad idea as such, particularly if you consider it planning ahead for projected growth, but there are a lot of much larger cities in Australia that could use the same money more usefully. Building a BRT in Canberra now would be kind of pointless, since traffic jams are essentially non-existent, making ordinary buses rapid enough already.
- jakecopp 10y ago
  When I lived in Canberra a year ago I noticed some backed up traffic in peak time near EPIC - however I realised there was only one car lane in each direction, and one bus lane in each direction. I don't agree that we should always build more roads if there is traffic, but building a light rail solution when the bottleneck is one congested car lane each way seems a bit unusual.
NamTaf 10y ago
It could well be the Gold Coast, too, which has just finished its light rail in preparation for the Commonwealth Games next year.

oulu2006 10y ago

I'm sitting right next to where they've been drilling on Devonshire street for the past 4 months to move a power cable to central station! I've taken busses through Sydney for years, and to be honest, I'm really hoping the LRS does what they promise it will, because the bus system here is so bad.

photojosh 10y ago
I think it'll be fine for Sydney, but I'm in Newcastle and it seems so daft...
- oulu2006 10y ago
  Maybe future capacity planning?
jakecopp 10y ago
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, one-third of buses will still be required when the light rail starts operating in 2019 due to insufficient capacity, rising to 80% of current buses by 2031! http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/sydney-cbd-and-south-east-light-rail-crowding-rates-exceed-bus-and-train-crush-capacity-20170220-gugtx9.html http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/sydney-cbd-and-south-east-light-ra...
- oulu2006 10y ago
  I never really thought that light rail would replace buses completely. One can't help but imagine how many more buses we would need without light rail, no?
  - jakecopp 10y ago
    True, but if we built any other sort of infrastructure (water, sewage, electicity) that operated at above over 100% capacity from day one, wouldn't we consider a solution with more capacity? With the light rail already blowing out as of November last year from $1.6bn to $2.1bn [1] I can't help but think of the merit of heavy rail. My understanding is heavy rail is very expensive, but how much more? I haven't been able to find a comparison of a heavy rail design on this route. [1]: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/sydney-cbd-and-eastern-suburbs-light-rail-project-500m-cost-blowout/news-story/29ffab19ad08da08fb7bcde90bdaeaa8 http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/sydney-cbd-and-e...