Mass Transit
Submitted by JPetersen on Thu, 09/20/2007 - 14:06.
Fresno is starting to become a big place. But, even for our size, we are suffering some extreme traffic congestion problems. Where is the mass transit in Fresno?
I've long wished it to be that I could walk out of my house, walk 2 or 3 minutes to a stop, and hop on ANY sort of mass transit to get across town. I know, personally, I'd gladly spend $30 or so a month on a monthly pass (with a decent transit system) where I could get around town fairly quickly and easily.
So, being interested in the subject, I did some looking around (with my good friend Google). And after seeing comparison's, it seems to me that Fresno is overwhelmingly a great candidate for a monorail. Let's take a look at some of the reasons why:
-Cost: Initial cost is comparable to light rail. However, construction is generally faster, and operating costs are usually much lower (being on elevated rails, accidents don't really happen, and derailment is practically impossible due to the nature of monorail).
-Speed/Traffic: Gets around town much quicker than light rail since it travels on elevated rails, going above the car traffic. Trams are still subject to traffic jams. Speed is comparable (but many times, faster) to a metro, but much cheaper to build and maintain, with a stellar safety record that subway's can't touch (and certainly not light rail). Bringing me to:
-Safety: There has not once (to my extensive searching) been an accident reported in any monorail system (and again, being elevated, accidents with cars is impossible... something which light rail suffers from). Derailment is near impossible as the train is wrapped around the rail, and because they run on rubber tires they require much less maintaining costs than light rail or metro (and this makes them quiet, too).
-Environment: Monorails run on electricity and have minimum impact on the surrounding environment, as they are: quiet, are elevated, and they have a small footprint (i.e. the supporting pillars don't need to be very big, and they block out less sky than traditional elevated rail). They could also significantly help Fresno's air as people start to ride, rather than drive (also saving gas!)
-The Rest: Tourism. Having a monorail system in Fresno could have many effects, one of them being tourism. Monorail is an instant tourist attraction, and could significantly increase the number of tourists who stay here before venturing into Yosemite. One of the proposed plans having a monorail station right at the airport, tourists would find it much easier to go straight from the airport to their destination, and would remove one more obstacle that many people visiting face.
Also, it would be a tremendous ease to our traffic problems (also helping the Valley's horrible air quality).
At any rate, I think it's a great idea, and it's sad to see that it seems the initiative died out. There was a planned route and everything. The website still exists, and can be found here:
http://www.skytrain.org
Let me know your thoughts on the matter. I'd love to see it come to life, and would be glad to help anyone who wishes to revive the initiative.
Firstly, the system has not been used yet (to my knowledge), and you know how people are about being first to try. Secondly, why would they advocate options that give them less money? That's a major reason monorail fails as a transit option, even though it is generally far superior to tram systems or subway systems (not always, but a lot of times)
Zoom Zoom Zoom...let's clarify...
High speed rail would not be high speed without the valley...meaning, the system will pick up its speed as it travels through the valley. Something the high speed rail system can't do as it's stopping several times in the bay area or L.A.
As for other, less expensive options, I'm all for it. But who is leading the way for these systems? Who is working to build these systems? If you believe there are better options, have you gone to the rail authority and made your suggestions known? They are accepting online comments.
That would be great.
The US should have high speed trains coast to coast and border to border. European Countries and Japan have them with good success. People can get places fast and reasonably priced.
If the "Big Auto" companies have their way we will never have them in the US.They are the reason the trains were removed from many cities to begin with. If people have faster,safer, and cleaner means of travel available, they will not need to buy as many cars. A move which cuts into the "Big Auto companies pocketbooks.
Yes, I had heard about this technology (I read something about the LA-NY). I was a bit skeptical about the price tag of the intial build and the maintanence costs. What makes it so cheap? If so, would be a bloody good alternative. But, it doesn't surprise me that older technology is generally what gets pushed to the forefront.
I'll have to keep poking around with Google...
...china...
hmmm...
well, they do have the manpower, sheckles, and tech...
(just don't eat the thing, you know,,,
lead paint and all...)
...okay,
that was bad...
-but fer cryin' out loud...
they're recalling freakin' elmo's, barbies and freakin' hotwheels these days...
...hotwheels, being recalled...
that's just so,
so
wrong...
(I've stopped chewing on mine, just to play it safe...)
-you know you can get the 'red-line,' classic ones at the dollar store, (very cool candy colors,)
--I like the 'thunderbolt,' and 'cuda funny car' one's m'self...
-Though the real beauts are these total 'dork,' rides being put out by, (I think it's Johnny Lightning?)
Pacers, Chevettes, Matadors, and Pintos... (Wal*Mart's gottem...)
It's a sick world...
fast
Door to door service, Fresno to SF in 15 minutes includes the loading and off loading time. Speeds exceed 1,000 mph on two different proposed systems at a fraction of the cost of the old technology electric train systems currently being considered by the CA High Speed Authority. One of these proposed systems has computer simulated the top speed at mach 6: NY to LA in 45 minutes.
Very fast, very convenient and economically feasible.
The only place this is currently being worked on is in China.
Fresno to SF in 15 minutes...
hmmm, as I live under the flightpath of FAT, and have F-16's ripping out three times a day, fast moving things are not new to me...
(this is going to involve math huh...)
If Fresno to SF is 4 hrs by a car doing 60 mph (I'm rating slower because most 'drive times are three and a half, -but folks average something like, 70+, --except that stop in LosBanos to hit the head...
--- that puts SF at, what...
240 miles away??? (as crow flies?,) (and that's city limits... not 'downtown...')
I'm guessing here...
To go 240 miles in a quarter of an hour...
That means that the train is going to go...
er...
hang on.....
double 240mph to make it there in a half hour...
480...
-throw on another what...120?
600mph... ?
(I do this right?)
(ahhh, math and dyslexia... don't mix the two.)
This thing rolls at 600 mph?
-that's faster than most airliners currently cruise, right?
-We have any of these things up an running anywhere on the planet yet?
(I'm curious.)
hun?
High speed rail would not be high speed without the valley? This doesn't make sense. Are you saying the train shouldn't bother to stop in the Valley?
The massive visual intrusion and environmental disruption that the TGV type electric train would create isn't worth price tag of $40billion.
The general population needs to encourage innovation away from the stale thought process of the political process. There are alternatives that need to be considered. There is a fully sustainable system technology using maglev inside an evacuated tube that provides no environmental impacts at a very high speed. This system is extremely efficient, causes zero visual impact, no sound intrusion and no wind shock. Plus the technology is available at $3.5billion instead of the $40billion AND has the ability to deliver riders from Downtown Fresno to Downtown SF in 15 minutes.
This is the 2000s lets begin to act like it; modernize our mobility.
Zoom zoom zoom
I would encourage everyone to check out the California High-Speed Rail Authority website at www.cahighspeedrail.ca.gov
I have participated and attended several of their public forums recently. While there is huge support for high speed rail throughout the state, funding it has been an issue. Fortunately, the Governor did not cut what little funding they had from the budget which was just passed.
For those of us who truly believe in high speed rail, we are going to have to make sure this item stays on the ballot for 2008 and is approved by the voters. And remember, high speed rail, would not be high speed without the valley.
High Speed Train
Definitely. This song I've sung for a long time. I know, I certainly, would take the train in a heartbeat (and anyone who has had to deal with the rush hour into LA or SF probably would, too). The one the shocks me, is that you can't get to LA in a train. Nope. You gotta transfer to bus. BUS! To get from a major city in California, to an even BIGGER major city in California!
At any rate, I just think of the economic possibilities of having better mass transit throughout Fresno, and California as a whole. It's amazing. For me, environmental needs come second (I am an environmentalist, but only as far as it makes sense economically... see my Wasted Potential blog). But it would have a ton of benefits.
I really hope the initiative picks back up again in Fresno....
Good idea
I checked out the website, looked like a great idea to me. I am all for it. I would use the monorail to get around. The current transit system here is sad. The buses stop running to early at night, and there is not enough stops. The closest one to me is a couple of miles, but unaccessable due to an overpass without a pedestrian walkway or sidewalk. The way people drive on this particular road(W.Herndon)their is no way I am walking on there.
I agree that the air quality here is terrible. A monorail would help with the air quality. We also need to get the high speed train built. A lot of people could commute to the Bay area and LA area to work. If people could hop on a high speed train to get there, the air quality and traffic congestion would both get better.
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