Comments on: Portland WES Opens; BART Signs up for Wi-Fi; L.A. Gold Line Nears Completion; Milwaukee Studies Streetcar

By: Don

Don — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 23:09:43 +0000

Fantasic system, a few trips in the morning and a few in the afternoon. Millions of hungry people all throughout Portland, Oregon, USA and the world, but we need a rail system costing millions of our dollars for a few morning and afternoon trips.

God Bless America and God Bless Central Valley Bapist Church

By: Jarrett

Jarrett — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 00:01:51 +0000

Yonah, I think you can afford to be a little more opinionated about the Milwaukee debate. If a debate has gotten framed as steetcar vs BRT, then the situation’s already deeply confused. These technologies have completely different purposes and are suited for completely different types of corridors.

A more rational approach to their debate would be to as first, what kind of mobility do we need in each corridor (as measured in speed, frequency, reliability, capacity) and then, what technology is best suited to provide that mobility.

By: Jarrett

Jarrett — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 23:58:42 +0000

Sorry, Allison. A few token WES trips a day won’t motivate anyone to go to Fry’s without their car, expect maybe as an excursion for transit-addicts. It’s been shown repeatedly that if you want transit to really support transit-dependent lifestyles, the service needs to be there at reasonable frequency all day, which WES will probably never be.

One serious risk presented by WES is that by creating a “line on the map,” it will give elected officials the impression that the Beaverton-Tigard-Tualatin corridor now has adequate rapid transit service. As it stands, the local Route 76 bus is still the only way to travel this corridor at most times of day.

By: Allison

Allison — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 18:04:36 +0000

I take a bit of a exception to the criticism of WES’s limited service. The idea is that the WES will provide an alternative to the clogged Highway 217….which isn’t clogged on the weekends anyway. The current transit alternatives are paltry for that route and I get the sense many people are just dying to get out of their cars. Furthermore, it’s reaching areas of very cheap commercial real estate and I do believe they’re expecting transit-oriented development as there has been along the Hillsboro – which will also continue because it gives access to relatively cheap residential real estate.

It’s super cool – reaching 60 mph between stops and there are expected network effects from the way easy connection to TriMet’s Light Rail and by 2020, the network will be even larger which should improve ridership through out the network. MAX is adding a new arm this fall and there is another one in the planning phase to be opened 2011.

My hope is that as the suburban corridor continues to fill in with population and development (and man is it growing) they will expand service to at least a few on the weekends.

Because then I can go to Fry’s Electronics without my car!!!

By: Spencer A.

Spencer A. — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 17:14:44 +0000

Another interesting point about the new TriMet commuter rail is that it will operate with equal number of “reverse commute” trains as peak direction. Check out the schedule: http://trimet.org/schedules/r203.htm

By: Charlie D.

Charlie D. — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 14:14:21 +0000

Cool story about the new line in Portland. However, a small correction: The MBTA has been offering free Wi-Fi on their commuter rail lines since last year:

http://www.mbta.com/riding_the_t/wifi/