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Friday, October 16, 2015

Transpo

Washington Post
Trains are iffy. Cars go down the road at one every 2 seconds, or 30 a minute, and that's if everyone is being polite, which only happens in academic studies and fairytales. 177 cars would take 6 minutes. I think Max (our local light rail commuter train) runs every 5 minutes during rush hour, every 10 minutes during the day, less frequently at night and not at all at late night.

Buses are a little better than trains, but both are unpleasant, uncomfortable, inconvenient public transportation. Uber might be okay in cities without enough parking spaces.

A multi-level city, where mechanical transportation is relegated to the lower levels is the One, True Solution. All hail the Great and Benevolent Pergelator!

Inspired by defiant daughter.
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2 comments:

  1. LloydOctober 17, 2015 at 7:36:00 AM PDT

    Buses and trains are useful if everyone is going the same place, the problem is the last mile or two from the stop to your destination. Trains are worse then buses, to inflexible, too many stops. Years ago when I had jury duty in Portland, I could take an Express bus from Tanasbourne straight downtown, no stops between Tanasbourne and downtown. Now Max stops at every station, makes for longer trip. Most days now I commute over the Marquam bridge, where I can see the new transit only bridge, Tillikum Crossing. While the Marquam is most always full of cars, I have not once seen a bus, train , bike or pedestrian on the new bridge, so the Marquam must be tranaporting many many more people. And how did they get to build the new bridge so low, even the old Ross Island bridge looks taller, I remember the flap over the hieght of the new Columbia river bridge, so what gives here?
    Another somewhat related thought, if you want to reduce car/bike or car/pedestrian conflict, then build EVERY Max line to incorporate bike and pedestrian corridors, get them away from cars

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  2. Chuck PergielOctober 17, 2015 at 10:16:00 AM PDT

    Why is the new bridge so low? I suspect politics.

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