I hear of plans calling for more light-rail transit for parts of the country and it got me thinking: why is it so much better considering it’s costs vs. the costs of a modernized streetcar system? I hear that streetcar systems can cost millions of dollars less than dedicated light rail. What are the disadvantages of both of these modes? Would it be wise to advise planning agencies to also consider street cars when they are currently considering light rail?
What are some of the success stories of modernized streetcars?
I believe light rail and streetcars, by today’s standards, are the same thing. From a philosopohical point of view, I believe light rail tends toward a more privatized right of way, alongside streets or inside center medians, or totally seperated from streets. In New Jersey, light rail lines Bergen-Hudson, Newark City, and the RiverLine, incorporate all the above even using former heavy rail rights of way and structures! And, all three are success stories!!
The trolleys have been temporarily taken out of service and are going to run in the street once the streets are rebuilt with tracks. The light rail runs in NS right of way, some current and some abandoned.
In my opinion, street running sacrifices most of the advantages of rail other than capacity. If you are going to run in the street mixed with auto traffic stopping for traffic signals you might as well just use buses. Dedicated ROW means the vehicle always runs exactly on time regardless of traffic, weather, car accidents, etc. If circumstances require increased capacity you just add additional cars. No staffing changes are required. They don’t slow down during rush hour, etc.
There is no cost savings putting rails in the street and running catanery over the streets instead of dedicated ROW. You do, however, save the cost of acquiring the ROW.
On a passenger-mile basis, operating a one-man streetcar still saves money over running a bus. Very, very, very rare is the saving great enough to equal the interest on the capitol costs.
Life of a good is 15 years, of an LRV or streetcar 30 years. Far less maintencanc expense. Capacity of a one-man streetcar can be 305 GREATER than an articulated bus.
As mentioned above, private right-of-way is more prevalent on light rail than on street railways, which provides a speed advantage. Also, light rail has more MU operations, with two or three articulated cars in a train, than the single car operation of street railways.
I rode the Sounder light rail from the SEATAC airport to Seattle last summer. It’s a bit of a hybrid. It has it’s own, new ROW leaving the airport, does some street running mid-route, then more private ROW and finishes up in a shared-with-buses commuter tunnel.
There were only four things wrong with it.
no place to put your luggage - strange for an airport line.
trolleys couldn’t actuate the traffic lights on the street running part - could have shaved about 5 minute off the running time if they did.
Sounder is completely separate from King County transit.
It was a long hike around the perimeter of the parking deck to get to the Sounder station at the airport.
But, it was a good ride at a good price. The fare machines were easy enough to use and the frequency of operation was decent.
Atanta has started a (cough, cough) BRT route with signal tripping and bus run around lanes at intersections. It means the bus gets to go to the front of the line a the traffic light. Just a few months old. Don’t know how it’s doing.
I believe there is no difference. The RTD in Denver runs light rail in the streets and on their own main, usually following railroads right of way and highways. Streetcars, such as the ones in New Orleans, also runs in the street. The difference would be if you were comparing Interurban, like the old Chicago South Shore and South bend and light rail. Light rails usually don’t couple more than two cars together, but with interurbans, they can couple many cars together, as long as every other car is attached to the wire.
South Shore IS NOT an interurban, hasn’t been since somewhere between 1955, when the R-2’s began replacing the steeplecabs, and 1980, when the Insull cars were replaced.
Anyway, I think that the comparison you were trying to make was between light rail and rapid transit.
The Interstate Commerce Commission decided that the South Shore was no longer an “interurban” way back in the 1930’s. The ICC had to make these determinations because various Federal railroad laws had exemptions for “interurban” railroads, and the ICC had to decide which railroads qualified for these exemptions. The ICC’s determinations of whether an electric railroad was an “interurban” were based on the nature of the railroad’s business, not the design of their motive power.
Little Rock, Arkansas has a short street car system that is pretty neat. I don’t know whether one can define it as a success (depends on the criteria), but LR has been expanding it. Eventually, as I was told when I rode it, the operator plans to extend it to the LR Airport.
The cars are heritage in appearance but otherwise very modern. I believe they were built in Iowa or thereabouts in the early 2000s. They are air conditioned, and they appeared to be very smooth.
I rode the system in 2007 or 2008. At the time it was approximately 2.5 miles in length. I understand that it has been expanded to the President Clinton Library, which adds another mile or so to the system.
The primary purpose of my trip to LR was to visit the Clinton Library. It is a very nice library and worth a visit irrespective of one’s political views or views of President Clinton.
Streetcars: surface in street running, bus like stops at least once almost every block or on demand of passengers at stops or asking to get off at stop.
LRV: can do streetcar running as described above but also along private rights of way with more restrictive stops…instead of every street block, could be miles between towns or other designated stops.
Subway/radpid transit: heavy rail operated usually with a short time frequency, more so at peak times than off peak, stops every half to one mile depending upon density of the city.
Commuter rail: heavy rail, peak and off peak timing, stops usually from town to town or district of town to district of town but basically with longer than subway or LRV or streetcar distances and less frequency.
