5 ms·

A friend of mine has a rather compelling theory that the principle of streetcars is going to make it's re-entry in the future, in a slightly different form thou

by stinos 12y ago

A friend of mine has a rather compelling theory that the principle of streetcars is going to make it's re-entry in the future, in a slightly different form though: self-driving cars which are shared in a on demand (cars owned by private or public companies)/carpool-like (private owners sharing their car) way. The self-driving aspect makes it a bit similar to a streetcar in that it should not deviate from the road, as does the on demand aspect: in it's glory days in city centers they were everywhere close to you at regular times so you'd never had to wait long before before one was available. Anyway, whether one finds it similar to streetcars or not, the most compelling about such system is that it would, together with a mentility change away from 'car is king', probably be able to get rid of a lot of traffic jams and more importantly all the problems they pose. Because it basically is a form of decentralized (must be good, right :P) public transport which is lacking now in most countries and cities: something which can get you from A to B at any time of the day or night without requiring walking/cycling to intermediate points where you then have to wait for your bus/train/.. to arrive.

scotty79 12y ago
> something which can get you from A to B at any time of the day or night without requiring walking/cycling to intermediate points where you then have to wait for your bus/train/.. to arrive. Taxi?!
- oblio 12y ago
  $$$
dalke 12y ago
There are a number of differences between what streetcars do and what you mention. The streetcars I'm most familiar with are directly connected to the power grid through overhead lines, and are on rails. Cars would need batteries as private cars won't have a pantograph, or fuel. In either case, there are more things that can break in a fleet of smaller vehicles, so maintenance is higher. Cars also use rubber wheels on pavement, rather than steel wheels on rails, so have higher rolling friction. Streetcars can also handle a high density of passengers. This is important for rush hour, when the load is high. A streetcar has about 3x the capacity of a similarly sized bus, which is in turn much higher than passenger vehicles. In turn, as the article points out, streetcars are best when they have dedicated right-of-way, which allows a higher throughput and predictable latency compared to cars, which are more subject to gridlock. Also, the improved capacity feeds back on itself when people build high-density (eg, 5 story buildings instead of single family houses) along streetcar corridors. The more recent streetcars are also better designed for a wide variety of users. For example, some of the ones I know have a platform which is only slightly above the curb level. This makes it easier for a parent pushing a stroller, or someone with difficulties walking, or on a wheelchair, to enter the streetcar unassisted. The same is not true of most cars. Finally, there are some environmental difference. A personal vehicle has the advantage of not sharing space with strangers. It has the disadvantage that you and your 9 friends can't all travel together. And a streetcar is usually a much smoother ride; a friend get nauseous after 10 minutes as a passenger in cars and buses, but not in streetcars. So while what your friend says is true, there are other factors which make it less compelling.
- EricSu 12y ago
  I live in Boston where our subway transit system still has a branch of streetcars. The points about passenger density and right-of-way are spot on. Actually the only thing that holds up the streetcars are when drivers are acting stubborn and entitle themselves to right-of-way...or when mother nature dumps 3 feet of snow on the city and the old transit system can't keep up. But everyone still uses the streetcar system because you can get from point A to B, no matter if B is half a mile or 5 miles away, for one fee of $2.10 vs ride-sharing or taxis which accumulate charges over time and distance.

by stinos 12y ago

scotty79 12y ago

> something which can get you from A to B at any time of the day or night without requiring walking/cycling to intermediate points where you then have to wait for your bus/train/.. to arrive. Taxi?!

oblio 12y ago
$$$

dalke 12y ago

There are a number of differences between what streetcars do and what you mention. The streetcars I'm most familiar with are directly connected to the power grid through overhead lines, and are on rails. Cars would need batteries as private cars won't have a pantograph, or fuel. In either case, there are more things that can break in a fleet of smaller vehicles, so maintenance is higher. Cars also use rubber wheels on pavement, rather than steel wheels on rails, so have higher rolling friction. Streetcars can also handle a high density of passengers. This is important for rush hour, when the load is high. A streetcar has about 3x the capacity of a similarly sized bus, which is in turn much higher than passenger vehicles. In turn, as the article points out, streetcars are best when they have dedicated right-of-way, which allows a higher throughput and predictable latency compared to cars, which are more subject to gridlock. Also, the improved capacity feeds back on itself when people build high-density (eg, 5 story buildings instead of single family houses) along streetcar corridors. The more recent streetcars are also better designed for a wide variety of users. For example, some of the ones I know have a platform which is only slightly above the curb level. This makes it easier for a parent pushing a stroller, or someone with difficulties walking, or on a wheelchair, to enter the streetcar unassisted. The same is not true of most cars. Finally, there are some environmental difference. A personal vehicle has the advantage of not sharing space with strangers. It has the disadvantage that you and your 9 friends can't all travel together. And a streetcar is usually a much smoother ride; a friend get nauseous after 10 minutes as a passenger in cars and buses, but not in streetcars. So while what your friend says is true, there are other factors which make it less compelling.

EricSu 12y ago
I live in Boston where our subway transit system still has a branch of streetcars. The points about passenger density and right-of-way are spot on. Actually the only thing that holds up the streetcars are when drivers are acting stubborn and entitle themselves to right-of-way...or when mother nature dumps 3 feet of snow on the city and the old transit system can't keep up. But everyone still uses the streetcar system because you can get from point A to B, no matter if B is half a mile or 5 miles away, for one fee of $2.10 vs ride-sharing or taxis which accumulate charges over time and distance.