Indianapolis is the latest city to jump on the light rail bandwagon. They recently selected a route for the city's first rapid transit system, according to the Indianpolis Star. And while the technology hasn't officially been finalized yet, the choices are BRT, Light Rail, or Automated Guideway Transit. Given that we know just how effective AGT is (sing along with me now..."Monorail. Monorail. MONORAIL!"), and that BRT is often the choice only when funding is completely gone, we're left with light rail -- again.
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amg | 12:50 PM |
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Well, they can't build 'em fast enough in China, but then again, they're filthy godless communists who wouldn't know the value of a Chevy Suburban and eight lanes of blacktop cutting through a forest if it hit them in the head...
Yes, I was about to jump in and say that heavy rail subways are being build in immense numbers in Hong Kong, China, and other places in Asia, but Randolph beat me to it. Certain cities in southern Europe (eg Lisbon, Athens) that did not have the money for subways before now are presently doing a fair bit of building, too.
I don't believe that Indianapolis is high enough density to make heavy rail subways cost effective. Very few cities in the US are really very dense, and pretty much all the large ones do have subways. (I'm trying to think of one that doesn't have one that could use one... Philadelphia, maybe?)
Philly has a heavy-rail subway, but like most things related to Philadelphia, it's crappy. There are two lines, one that goes E-W across Center City and then curves up to roughly follow 95 headed Northeast. The other one goes N-S right up Broad Street. There is also a 5, or so, line trolley system that's subway with stops from City Hall (15th) to around 40th Streets, and then goes above and acts like a surface light rail. Of the 4 termini of the subway lines, 3 of them are at bus hubs and the other is at the Sports Complex. What's interesting about transit in Philadelphia is that many areas in the city are served by SEPTA commuter rail. The system is on a general hub-and-spoke system, and while some spokes extend as far as Trenton (R7) or Newark, DE (R2), there are a few branches that remain entirely within the city limits (the R7 and 8 to Chestnut Hill East and West, respectively). It's doubtful that any cities in North America that don't yet have heavy subways would have the density to support any new construction.
