People look at picturesque images of European cities with families walking together on pedestrian shopping streets, businessmen stepping aboard sleek electric trams, and well-dressed women biking to work in heels. They say, "It's just completely different there. There must be some good reason why we can't have that. We're too spread out, our cities were made for cars. We can't afford great public transit."
What if, in fact, every street in Chicago was originally designed for streetcars and pedestrians? What if it turned out that we had more population, more density and more traffic congestion--more reason to invest in walkable, transit-optimized streets--than they do? What if the every-man-for-himself approach to transportation planning turned out to be the most expensive option on the menu, and we ended up spending more time and money getting where we need to go than everyone else?Strasbourg has one-tenth our population and less density. In 1994 they fixed their urban congestion problem and boosted their economy by replacing cars and buses on many downtown streets with modern streetcars that also connect commuter suburbs to the core. These light-rail vehicles rocket through the countryside like wind-powered bullet trains, then glide slowly and safely through the city's residential and shopping streets.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/portfoliodragon/7205778840/in/photostream
ReplyDeleteHello there, sorry to drop into your blog un announced, I found your Blog via Steve Vance, via flickr, the above is an image of the Manchester Metrolink system, as you will see they have manged to get the tram into some fairy tight spaces. The system is undergoing a massive expansion with routes out into the suburbs and airport and a second crossing for the city centre.
Lachlan Main.
Thanks for the picture, Lachlan. Do you know Lewis Lesley?
ReplyDeleteFor people who don't know the system, here's a note:
The overhead lines that power the trams are normally attached to very fine span wires that span across the street, bolted into buildings on either side. The big black poles you can see in the space between the trams in your picture don't run down the middle of the streets of Manchester. They're only there because the picture is taken from a huge plaza, where the poles are necessary because there are no buildings to mount span wires into.
I agree with Steven: the new trams look a lot more friendly to be around. That really matters if you're going to put big trains in narrow streets.