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Posted: 4/26/2015 11:15:33 PM EDT
[#1]
Small world.
I was there also. Took the rail from the airport to target field and was impressed. Wish I lived close enough to get vikings season tickets... 
ETA: I have used the trains in Boston and was impressed there as well. |
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Posted: 4/26/2015 11:17:21 PM EDT
[#2]
Austins light rail is a joke.
And the city is hell bent on spending 2 billion dollars for about 9 more miles. |
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Posted: 4/26/2015 11:19:12 PM EDT
[#3]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Austins light rail is a joke. And the city is hell bent on spending 2 billion dollars for about 9 more miles. Doesn't Austin share the rails with freight? At least in Dallas it's dedicated rails for DART. |
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Posted: 4/26/2015 11:20:43 PM EDT
[#4]
I've taken the light rail from MSP to downtown Mpls a few times and it goes straight through little Mogadishu.
I've also taken it a few times from downtown Phoenix to PHX. In Phoenix it seemed to be packed with bicycles, seriously, bikes everywhere. All in all, convenient if you're headed to/from the airport but generally speaking, public transportation sucks. |
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Posted: 4/26/2015 11:20:48 PM EDT
[#5]
Pro - It helps you go to places where parking is expensive.
Con - It allows dirtbags to move in to nice areas and bring their bullshit with them. |
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Posted: 4/26/2015 11:21:30 PM EDT
[#6]
They are a waste of money.
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Posted: 4/26/2015 11:22:18 PM EDT
[#7]
It tends to be expensive/inefficient because it is run by the government.
Also it can serve as a criminal corridor spreading crime all around the city. |
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Posted: 4/26/2015 11:22:55 PM EDT
[#8]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Pro - It helps you go to places where parking is expensive. Con - It allows dirtbags to move in to nice areas and bring their bullshit with them. Bingo Doc prevents me from posting the names of what locals in nice areas call the rail systems that bring the ghetto into their areas . Some city's have very nice ones but it helps expand the range of shitbirds |
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Posted: 4/26/2015 11:22:59 PM EDT
[#9]
Con. No light rail in the country supports it self. All require massive local gov. money. Rider usage drops dramatically when the weather gets bad. They never go exactly where you need to be. Safety is becoming more and more an issue. I cannot think of any pro.
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Posted: 4/26/2015 11:23:46 PM EDT
[#10]
Our light rail system in Dallas runs very well except when the vibrant and lively culture denizens try to collect a paycheck while playing on the tracks
 And the fact that access to the cars without paying the fare us not restricted creates cash flow problemsThings are improving though slowly. Now possible to ride out to Love Field and DFW airport and not have to drive/pay for parking or deal with Hadji I know, 1st world problems and all that.
TL;DR If done right, it can be great (see DC METRO), if not it usually devolves into a corrupt shithole. |
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Posted: 4/26/2015 11:24:11 PM EDT
[#11]
When they were proposing to build the one in Denver, opponents claimed that it was going to cost 1M/mile/year to maintain it. Have not seen any numbers since they have built it, but I"m sure they are loosing on it. Anyone heard what the cost is to run in other cities? If so that is probably a con.
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Posted: 4/26/2015 11:24:48 PM EDT
[#12]
In Atlanta they have succeeded in routing light rail where it is not needed . The only thing they have done right is put a station at the airport , The problem is when you park your car it make be broken into when you get back . It works if stations are planned well . If it was successful a private company would do it .
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Posted: 4/26/2015 11:25:44 PM EDT
[#13]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Doesn't Austin share the rails with freight? At least in Dallas it's dedicated rails for DART. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Austins light rail is a joke. And the city is hell bent on spending 2 billion dollars for about 9 more miles. Doesn't Austin share the rails with freight? At least in Dallas it's dedicated rails for DART. No, they appropriated, stole, some track from Missouri Pacific for the current couple of hundred riders a day. They want to lay new track for the planned boondoggle. |
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Posted: 4/26/2015 11:27:34 PM EDT
[#14]
Pros: makes liberals feel good about themselves
Cons: costly boondoggle that few people actually use |
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Posted: 4/26/2015 11:31:34 PM EDT
[#15]
I don't understand light rail where they have put in TX. If they are hell bent on it seems like a faster train that only went from SA/Austin Dallas/Houston in a traingle would make more sense since people would use the hell out of it if it's fast enough. Don't need 40 stops.
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Posted: 4/26/2015 11:33:14 PM EDT
[#16]
Pro: it's a good way to move people around urban areas, comrade.
Cons: ....... |
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Posted: 4/26/2015 11:39:33 PM EDT
[#17]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
It tends to be expensive/inefficient because it is run by the government. Also it can serve as a criminal corridor spreading crime all around the city. This exactly. Tax payers pay far out the ass just to move thugs to where they don't belong. It will never pay for itself. |
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Posted: 4/26/2015 11:46:03 PM EDT
[#18]
Light rail would improve if they would install breathalyzers on the doors.
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Posted: 4/26/2015 11:49:57 PM EDT
[#19]
In Seattle, the subsidy per rider is about $70 per leg. It's a massive boondoggle.
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Posted: 4/26/2015 11:52:03 PM EDT
[#20]
I rode on the light rail in Norfolk once just to see what my tax dollars paid for. Took me 45 minutes go 7 miles and that didn't include the time to took me to drive to the damn station.
 Total waste of money imo.Virginia Beach is going to be very sorry if they extend the line to the resort area. |
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Posted: 4/26/2015 11:52:57 PM EDT
[#21]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Light rail would improve if they would install breathalyzers on the doors. How could I take the train down to go to the ballgame then? |
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Posted: 4/27/2015 12:06:24 AM EDT
[#22]
I don't mind riding the Dallas light rail to head downtown. Beats having to park. I used to use it to commut to work, but it got to be a bit of a hassle when I moved job locations.
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Posted: 4/27/2015 12:31:08 AM EDT
[#23]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I don't mind riding the Dallas light rail to head downtown. Beats having to park. I used to use it to commut to work, but it got to be a bit of a hassle when I moved job locations. It used to be the only way I'd take my kids downtown when they were little. It's easy to hit the DMA, Dallas World Aquarium, etc. Occasionally we'd head the opposite direction and play at that park by downtown Plano. Yes, DART sucks, but the kids liked it |
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Posted: 4/27/2015 5:28:21 AM EDT
[#24]
Quoted: just got back from spending the weekend in Minneapolis/ St Paul with the GF. Was really impressed with their light rail service. Aside from the Twin Cities area I've also used the light rail service in Baltimore MD as well and was pretty impressed with it. What are the pros and cons to this system? In other words, it's WAY too expensive to build and operate them to be at all practical. It's a pork barrel. I keep thinking how many school textbooks and raises for teachers that 1.5 BILLION would pay for. |
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Posted: 4/27/2015 7:16:50 AM EDT
[#25]
not a total disaster.
and they actually built a lot of it under budget and earlier than planned. . http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TRAX_%28light_rail%29 |
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Posted: 4/27/2015 7:44:26 AM EDT
[#26]
Baltimore's Light Rail is nicknamed: "Rob & Ride", "Loot Rail", and "The Felony Flyer".
I'll take it into the city because it's cheaper than parking, but it is probably only used to about 30% of its capacity. |
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Posted: 4/27/2015 7:46:38 AM EDT
[#27]
There is no mass rail transit system that is self-funding. They all operate at a loss, and they all require public funding to survive.
So enjoy your light rail. Because you already paid for it. |
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Posted: 4/27/2015 8:01:40 AM EDT
[#28]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I rode on the light rail in Norfolk once just to see what my tax dollars paid for. Took me 45 minutes go 7 miles and that didn't include the time to took me to drive to the damn station. Total waste of money imo.
Virginia Beach is going to be very sorry if they extend the line to the resort area. That stupid light rail line goes nowhere anyone wants to go. It might be marginally useful if it ran up to the Naval Station. |
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Posted: 4/27/2015 8:07:46 AM EDT
[#29]
In order to justify the expense, they change bus routes so anybody going in that direction gets herded to the train instead of straight down a bus line. Even if it means an extra hour to their commute. I know several folks this affected. I've never set foot on one or a bus.
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Posted: 4/27/2015 8:13:04 AM EDT
[#30]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Our light rail system in Dallas runs very well except when the vibrant and lively culture denizens try to collect a paycheck while playing on the tracks And the fact that access to the cars without paying the fare us not restricted creates cash flow problemsThings are improving though slowly. Now possible to ride out to Love Field and DFW airport and not have to drive/pay for parking or deal with HadjiI know, 1st world problems and all that.
TL;DR If done right, it can be great (see DC METRO), if not it usually devolves into a corrupt shithole. DC Metro is not light rail. Light radio typically runs only on the surface and is more like a bus - lots of stops, pay after you board. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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Posted: 4/27/2015 11:33:06 AM EDT
[#31]
They spent a bunch of money on one in Norfolk. No one I know has ever used it
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Posted: 4/27/2015 11:34:14 AM EDT
[#32]
The Light Rail in Charlotte has been quite successful.
I've used it a handful of times, but I know someone who commutes daily using it. |
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Posted: 4/27/2015 11:44:03 AM EDT
[#33]
pro: more energy-efficient, less vehicle emissions, less traffic (and therefore less congestion). very reliable.
con: mostly related to startup, which requires a very high initial capital outlay and a lot of infrastructure rework. personally, i like my car, but i'm a suburb and country oriented person. in the city, i much prefer rail to busses as public transit. |
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Posted: 4/27/2015 12:03:44 PM EDT
[#34]
Very high capital cost. Inflexible routes--they are, literally, set in concrete. Typically operated by public employee unions so operating costs are high. If there's a criminal element in town they'll start using it. The light rail interferes with street traffic and kills a fair number of pedestrians every year.
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Posted: 4/27/2015 12:51:01 PM EDT
[#35]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Bingo Doc prevents me from posting the names of what locals in nice areas call the rail systems that bring the ghetto into their areas . Some city's have very nice ones but it helps expand the range of shitbirds Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Pro - It helps you go to places where parking is expensive. Con - It allows dirtbags to move in to nice areas and bring their bullshit with them. Bingo Doc prevents me from posting the names of what locals in nice areas call the rail systems that bring the ghetto into their areas . Some city's have very nice ones but it helps expand the range of shitbirds Seriously, you don't know the plural of city? |
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Posted: 4/27/2015 12:56:33 PM EDT
[#36]
Quoted:
just got back from spending the weekend in Minneapolis/ St Paul with the GF. Was really impressed with their light rail service. Aside from the Twin Cities area I've also used the light rail service in Baltimore MD as well and was pretty impressed with it. What are the pros and cons to this system? Pro's, it's light rail. Con's, it's on a rail. |
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Posted: 4/27/2015 1:02:33 PM EDT
[#37]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
This exactly. Tax payers pay far out the ass just to move thugs to where they don't belong. It will never pay for itself. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
It tends to be expensive/inefficient because it is run by the government. Also it can serve as a criminal corridor spreading crime all around the city. This exactly. Tax payers pay far out the ass just to move thugs to where they don't belong. It will never pay for itself. I worked for a transit agency that had a large light rail and commuter rail component. Ours was probably THE premier system in the country but these posts are exactly right. The real dollar amounts are staggering. |
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Posted: 4/27/2015 1:04:52 PM EDT
[#38]
Light rail in Houston means the criminals, druggies, and bums can more easily get around to harass you.
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Posted: 4/27/2015 1:13:18 PM EDT
[#39]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
This exactly. Tax payers pay far out the ass just to move thugs to where they don't belong. It will never pay for itself. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
It tends to be expensive/inefficient because it is run by the government. Also it can serve as a criminal corridor spreading crime all around the city. This exactly. Tax payers pay far out the ass just to move thugs to where they don't belong. It will never pay for itself. This was the case in Tacoma from what I saw. For buses especially though. |
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Posted: 4/27/2015 1:27:53 PM EDT
[#40]
Crime, did I mention Crime. When they ran the Baltimore light rail out to the airport the homies would ride it out to the burbs to do there shoplifting and robberies. Could draw a one mile circle around the station and the crime jumped up. Cops started searching the homies at the station. One guy had a hundred packs of "D" batteries in his jacket. Then everyone claimed they where being harassed by the cops. DC metro is the same. Go out to the burbs and there is a pocket of crime one mile around the station.
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Posted: 4/27/2015 1:57:50 PM EDT
[#41]
At $200,000,000 per mile, no. Those are Portland, Oregon prices. In most cases, light rail is an overpriced transit solution that can could be handled much better with improved roads and buses. Liberal politicians love light rail because 1) It allows them to give something expensive to the "commoners" (wealth redistribution), 2) They show that they're "green" because it uses electricity, which apparently has no impact to the environment (??), and 3) It gives them a sexy project to attach their name to. No politician cares to have their name associated with bringing more buses and bus lanes into their city, even if it is more effective at addressing congestion.
In Portland, light rail has made virtually no difference in traffic congestion even though we've spent tens of billions of dollars on it. Yet they keep building more of it. One exception I can think of is the BART system in the SF Bay Area. There are really no other alternatives to moving people in that area, due to geography, water bodies, etc., than a rail system. |
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Posted: 4/27/2015 2:21:44 PM EDT
[#42]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
They are a waste of money. +1 It would take me 2 hours to to take light rail to work for a drive that I can do in 30mins. Complete waste of time. |
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Posted: 4/27/2015 6:52:47 PM EDT
[#43]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
There is no mass rail transit system that is self-funding. They all operate at a loss, and they all require public funding to survive. So enjoy your light rail. Because you already paid for it. And pray that it doesn't go the way of SEPTA (Septic) down in Philly. That has become a financial drag on the entire state to the tune of gas taxes being raised to subsidize the commuters in Philly who ride the system. We got lucky that Rendell didn't get his $.25/gal increase just to fund Septic, but taxes have still gone up and with Wolf in office it's a sure thing that more gas tax money will get sucked into the black hole of Septic and its thug union. |
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Posted: 4/28/2015 5:04:09 AM EDT
[#44]
here is a funny from when they opened the airport line.
nothing like making the thieves job easier. . http://fox13now.com/2013/04/26/airport-bag-thefts-spike-trax-used-as-getaway-vehicle/ |
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Posted: 4/28/2015 6:21:50 AM EDT
[#45]
It cost tons of money and in most cases will not make money.
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Posted: 4/28/2015 6:34:16 AM EDT
[#46]
No expert here but:
1) Helps reduce congestion. 2) Helps improve the parking situation. 3) Helps reduce pollution as you don't have cars sitting downtown idling at stoplights. Cons, as in, wanting to build a new one? 1) Start up costs are a bitch. Right of way, construction, purchase of the trains and other equipment needed. Cons, as in, operation? 1) Maintenance and upkeep on the infrastructure. If the system doesn't make enough to pay for itself, then it has to be subsidized. Not sure how many across the US are in category A) or B), but, just a consideration. 2) Can be noiszy (I always think of the scene in blues brothers) 3) Unsightly (doesn't really matter, but, I guess some people care). I'm sure there are others, but that's all I could come up with off the top of my head. |
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Posted: 4/28/2015 7:50:52 AM EDT
[#47]
Well the MN legislature just voted to raise the gas tax another 11¢ and ironically the estimate to extend the SW corridor came in 2 BILLION higher than expected! Interdasting to say the least
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Posted: 4/28/2015 8:29:34 AM EDT
[#48]
Quoted:
just got back from spending the weekend in Minneapolis/ St Paul with the GF. Was really impressed with their light rail service. Aside from the Twin Cities area I've also used the light rail service in Baltimore MD as well and was pretty impressed with it. What are the pros and cons to this system? cons - establishing it is extremely expensive. unless you're in a city that has had rail for decades, it's nearly cost prohibitive. even Chicago's system is nearly bankrupt and they've owned the property for decades.. (property would be the biggest chunk of change, initially) |
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Posted: 4/28/2015 9:04:13 AM EDT
[#49]
Austin metro rail is rediculous. Why the fuck do you have light rail that doesn't even go to the airport??? Huge freakin waste of money. Portland Oregon has a great system. I only used it a few times but it's full almost always because it goes where people need to go. I'm not sure why Austin can't model their system after a successful one. No they need to reinvent the wheel instead. people in Austin will never pass any light rail bond now because all they know is metro rail which has always sucked.
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Posted: 4/28/2015 10:23:43 AM EDT
[#50]
Con-Super expensive to build and maintain, inflexible to changes in the city, operates as a shithead express service.
Pro...... |
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