tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2670068894315511969.comments2023-05-18T19:26:01.203-05:00Chicago Streetcar RenaissanceJohn Krausehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01435741006756910862noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2670068894315511969.post-26364417017040626712023-05-18T19:26:01.203-05:002023-05-18T19:26:01.203-05:00If you edit Obesity to Inactivity so I can share m...If you edit Obesity to Inactivity so I can share more freely.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2670068894315511969.post-32813544778046172612015-12-04T14:54:40.437-06:002015-12-04T14:54:40.437-06:00Cars have been preferred over street cars because ...Cars have been preferred over street cars because of profits for GM, oil companies, etc. The average person doesn't think about it, they just buy their SUV and do what they are told. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2670068894315511969.post-26370799694914188152014-01-15T15:09:13.891-06:002014-01-15T15:09:13.891-06:00The 11 bus also ran down LaSalle and on Saturday.S...The 11 bus also ran down LaSalle and on Saturday.Since being eliminated,quite a few hi-rises have been built on or near LaSalle and needed more now thern ever before.Jerry Pritikin aka The Bleacher Preacherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07540899434941104842noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2670068894315511969.post-11480526119803664362012-12-03T08:40:57.135-06:002012-12-03T08:40:57.135-06:00I agree wholeheartedly there is and will always be...I agree wholeheartedly there is and will always be a role for both buses in rail. In fact, except in places where population density, transit ridership, and traffic congestion are very high, buses will play a much more important role. <br /><br />But statistically, people do like streetcars better. In the era when we were replacing worn-out generations-old streetcars with brand-new modern buses with more frequent service, ridership immediately dropped 30-40% in many places when we switched to buses. If you're making public policy, and you want to grow the city and its economy and reduce congestion, you want a transit mode that can attract those who can afford to drive to take transit instead. In that case, it really does matter that people tend to have a strong preference for rail over bus. <br /><br />I didn't add the classism--we've been attaching status to mode of travel for a long time. Cars, buses, streetcars, commuter trains all have meanings in the popular mind (just watch a few car commercials), and it would be foolish to ignore those established meanings. But I don't want to further undermine the status of the noble and ubiquitous bus by propagating its image as the last resort of the desperate.<br /><br />Is it ugly for me to acknowledge the status difference between bus and rail? I think you're right--it is. <br /><br />But here's the thing: the status of the bus is much higher where people take all forms of transit. The best way to elevate the image of the bus is to get more people to take transit instead of driving. And this seems to happen everywhere they replace bus service with modern streetcars. <br /><br />One more thing: the subtext is to point out the irony that people sit in traffic in high-status cars to show they belong to the "business class," while if your time is really valuable and you need to get some work done while you travel, it's much better to be on a streetcar or a commuter train. John Krausehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01435741006756910862noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2670068894315511969.post-15180663688349431052012-12-02T23:52:03.153-06:002012-12-02T23:52:03.153-06:00I actually thing there is nothing wrong with the b...I actually thing there is nothing wrong with the bus. I think this is counterproductive in fact. Can we not have both? They serve separate, unique needs and serve them better that the other could. Why add a layer of classicism to how we get around? Djronanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14376693505632941381noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2670068894315511969.post-37652947766956003152012-06-23T18:41:26.163-05:002012-06-23T18:41:26.163-05:002 pictures.
3 words.
All the difference.
Nice wor...2 pictures.<br />3 words.<br />All the difference.<br /><br />Nice workChris Mileshttp://work-bench.orgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2670068894315511969.post-18358474954540027962012-06-15T16:48:42.235-05:002012-06-15T16:48:42.235-05:00Completely agreeCompletely agreeScotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05305234794558735561noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2670068894315511969.post-45673785134003582482012-06-06T09:13:36.627-05:002012-06-06T09:13:36.627-05:00Thanks Scott! Hope's not going to do it, thoug...Thanks Scott! Hope's not going to do it, though: why don't you join us and help make it happen? Membership is free: http://johncharleskrause.wufoo.com/forms/z7x3x5/John Krausehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01435741006756910862noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2670068894315511969.post-85029582575046419762012-05-31T12:55:02.122-05:002012-05-31T12:55:02.122-05:00This is a genius idea. Here's to hoping it ha...This is a genius idea. Here's to hoping it happens!Scotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05305234794558735561noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2670068894315511969.post-8354583868212980912012-05-18T14:01:10.245-05:002012-05-18T14:01:10.245-05:00I'm a big fan of Jarrett Walker, and I agree w...I'm a big fan of Jarrett Walker, and I agree with his point that we should focus on the quality and frequency of service, not the technology. It's not irrelevant, though, that the technology impacts the perceived quality, which is what actually attracts riders: even when old streetcars are replaced with new buses providing more frequent service, ridership usually falls by 30% immediately. People prefer streetcars, for whatever reason, and if they have the option to drive, that preference really matters. <br /><br />If you look at the two pictures in his article, you'll notice the difference in capacity between the long streetcar and the shorter bus. 3 times the capacity means 1/3 the drivers, who represent 75% of the operating cost. Long, modern streetcars cost a lot less to operate than the buses we now have, which are operating at a big loss (subsidy).<br /><br />Of course, switching to high-capacity modern streetcar system pays off most in a place like Clark Street, where you have very high population density (the four most densely-populated zip codes in Chicago) and very high ridership (replacing 70,000 boardings a day onto buses that are stuck in traffic). <br /><br />A place like Portland doesn't need streetcars for the capacity. They have smaller streetcars with capacity and operations more like articulated buses. For them streetcars were a smart choice because they sparked billions of dollars of development along the line--and enough tax revenue to pay for the streetcars. No one's going to move their family from Naperville to the city or their company from Houston to Chicago to be near a bus line.<br /><br />The qualitative difference between streetcars and buses matters most when you're talking about a narrow street like Clark and you've given transit priority over the lane. With streetcars running predictably on rails, you get the safest street in town to bike on, and you get the most pedestrian-friendly shopping street in town. Sitting in an outdoor cafe, I'd rather have a long electric streetcar come by every six minutes than a short diesel bus every two.John Krausehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01435741006756910862noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2670068894315511969.post-49612592374829720782012-05-18T11:33:25.004-05:002012-05-18T11:33:25.004-05:00I do agree that there is a big public perception/m...I do agree that there is a big public perception/marketing reality of streetcars versus buses, but you might find this article interesting: http://www.humantransit.org/2009/09/what-im-seeing-in-europe-service-before-technology-1.htmltomtakthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11918080266003537176noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2670068894315511969.post-13794863411088919752012-05-16T08:10:38.514-05:002012-05-16T08:10:38.514-05:00Thanks for the picture, Lachlan. Do you know Lewis...Thanks for the picture, Lachlan. Do you know Lewis Lesley?<br /><br />For people who don't know the system, here's a note:<br />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.<br /><br />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.John Krausehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01435741006756910862noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2670068894315511969.post-31710300902747938632012-05-16T05:23:43.822-05:002012-05-16T05:23:43.822-05:00http://www.flickr.com/photos/portfoliodragon/72057...http://www.flickr.com/photos/portfoliodragon/7205778840/in/photostream<br /><br />Hello 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.<br />Lachlan Main.Lachlan Mainnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2670068894315511969.post-30974801455818260272012-05-10T08:27:41.997-05:002012-05-10T08:27:41.997-05:00I've often thought about streetcars after ridi...I've often thought about streetcars after riding them extensively in Oslo a few years ago. And I think you're right in pointing out Clark St. as an excellent candidate for streetcar. In this corridor, it is vital to make sure density is always there; that the neighbors don't down zone like they did in Lincoln Park and that people could see how streetcars can make a big difference in the urbanism of the city. I think your arguments and the photos on your site make that case very well.Ryan Richterhttp://transportnexus.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2670068894315511969.post-65802804837398596442012-04-12T07:24:39.209-05:002012-04-12T07:24:39.209-05:00Thanks for your input, Cody.
1. The Clark Street ...Thanks for your input, Cody.<br /><br />1. The Clark Street streetcar is planned for an area not well served by the Red Line--the area where there are over 70,000 daily boardings onto buses stuck in traffic because it's too far to walk to the Red Line. It replaces buses, not trains. It's not meant to compete with the train, but with the driving and parking. As the only realistic way to get a significant number of drivers to take transit, it will bring the Red Line more riders.<br /><br />2. First, there are in fact substitute routes for the Clark Street traffic on the grid. But the strategy is not to push drivers onto other streets, but rather to pull them from other streets onto the streetcar. We're trying to increase the number of people living and working downtown without increasing congestion, and we can only do that by transitioning to a more efficient transportation infrastructure than one in which everyone drives--starting with the most densely populated and heavily congested streets. Second, modern streetcars in Europe run along lines that vary wildly in density, connecting satellite communities through open countryside, through the near suburbs, and down the main shopping streets of the central business district. Third, we're not suggesting that Clark Street be entirely pedestrian only along its entire length. As long as it's great for pedestrians in the shopping blocks where it matters most and discourages through traffic generally on the street, the exact configuration can and should vary--from one area to the next, and from one decade to the next as the city evolves.<br /><br />3. Deliveries will of course be allowed. Also local access. And emergency vehicles, which will now be able to move through the neighborhood safely and quickly even at rush hour.<br /><br />4. Not following you on this one. Say more.<br /><br />5. We don't know the ROI for Clark Street yet, but there are certainly other streets in Chicago where there's more underdeveloped land but still a lot of potential ridership. Remember, the benefits to the city's taxpayers go beyond increased tax revenue from new development. They include lower operating costs than the buses we now have, more tax revenue from people shopping locally instead of driving to suburban malls, and the ability to grow the economy without taxing and spending more and more on the most expensive and inefficient transportation option on the menu--more cars and roads.John Krausehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01435741006756910862noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2670068894315511969.post-62472064496152597002012-04-12T06:04:30.141-05:002012-04-12T06:04:30.141-05:00There is a very effective transportation policy op...There is a very effective transportation policy option involving zero public expenditure and offering enormously improved transportation effectiveness throughout Chicago -- end the ban on share taxis, originally lobbied for by the streetcar companies in the years before 1920 when they started to become popular and threatened to hurt the streetcars' bottom line. <br /><br />Share taxis are the primary transportation solution throughout much of the world, and are incredibly well suited to Chicago's particular needs, especially the need to effectively and flexibly serve truly vast areas of thinned out poor populations on much of the city's South and West sides. There is no way that any amount of street car investment could cover these areas as well as private share taxi operators seeking the most passengers possible.<br /><br />The city could even trade the right to operate on a profitable route, such as the Clark route you speak of, in exchange for the requirement to serve less profitable routes, such as Marquette Rd on the Southside. To maximize public benefit from this policy the licensing fees should be minimum, enough to cover installing a GPS device on all licensed share taxis so that these agreements can be enforced.<br /><br />In order to see this solution's effectiveness, simply visit any number of cities around the world.<br /><br />Share taxis offer the public the ability to discontinue the most empty CTA bus service AFTER it is being effectively served by entrepreneurs from those very communities. The reason -- share taxis allow flexible entrepreneurs to use smaller vehicles which come more often to more precisely match traffic patterns all over the city. Like breaking an image in to more pixels to more precisely match the real thing. And they can responsively and iteratively shift to match changing transportation and population patterns as time goes on.<br /><br />I think that skeptical analysis will reveal that there is no more obvious solution for such a large problem, which would benefit the public so indiscriminately, that remains unimplemented. Most solutions have many costs and benefits and reside within a gray area. This one offers the rare unequivocal home run.<br /><br />It doesn't even break any policy precedent that should scare people -- the precedent is, well, taxis, and the fact that share taxis operate all over the world, in some US cities, and even previously in Chicago.Codyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16887639186484634723noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2670068894315511969.post-56212243379824252042012-04-12T04:55:23.270-05:002012-04-12T04:55:23.270-05:00Unfortunately there are several problems with this...Unfortunately there are several problems with this plan.<br /><br />1. Clark is already well covered in this area, excepting from around Fullerton to Armitage, making 30 million a mile a hefty price for double coverage on almost the whole route. Much of the rest of the city needs a project like this more, if the city had the money at all, and this project would negatively impact the financial sustainability of the only existing fiscally responsible CTA line, the Red line.<br /><br />2. The successful projects like this in Europe have properties that Clark does not. First, there are substitute routes for the traffic, whereas Clark has no parallel streets for this. Second, the density there is more consistent along the street than along Clark. Third, the area you're suggesting be ped and streetcar only is HUGE compared to these others. If you're searching for comparables, Chicago's own failed experiments with this fit more closely. See S State and 63rd/Halsted.<br /><br />3. Due to Clark's diagonal path, the businesses along it will need product shipments to be delivered on the road itself.<br /><br />4. The most succinct example of the difference between where this has worked in Europe and the Clark Rd location is the buildings on the E side of the block just N of Fullerton. There is a stretch of buildings that have undergone a facadectomy which turned them in to a long, two story parking garage. The density Chicago had on parts of Milwaukee, for example, or all throughout Bronzeville and Grand Boulevard, has been largely eradicated.<br /><br />5. The greatest argument against this is that as bad as the return on investment is, being that it's measured in speculations of supposed developmental benefit, there are far more effective means of using policy to greatly improve transportation throughout Chicago. If that is the main goal here, there are better ways.<br /><br />All that's required is the repeal of a previous law lobbied for by the street companies around a hundred years ago -- the ban on share taxis. Details to follow below.Codyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16887639186484634723noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2670068894315511969.post-73413054952980580372012-04-11T18:40:09.948-05:002012-04-11T18:40:09.948-05:00A streetcar line along Clark is a really compellin...A streetcar line along Clark is a really compelling idea, especially a modern streetcar line. We are a huge advocate of well crafted design that reconnects people to the community, and removing cars from Clark would be a monumental step in that direction!Kaper Designhttp://kaper22.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com