Baltimore rail transit lines vs. population densitySubmitted by Left-Indication t3_zi0wf0 in baltimore
Desertortoise t1_izp4x5a wrote
We need the Red Line for east-west transit and another, faster north-south line that connects the densest areas north to Downtown and South Baltimore, maybe Camden Yards.
HumanGyroscope t1_izpzao7 wrote
I would love to see a tram line on Greenmount/York Rd in addition to the redline.
Salty_Sun_6108 t1_izq85pj wrote
That was the old trolly line
DfcukinLite t1_izubi0h wrote
All bus lines were old trolley lines before hogan messed it up
Salty_Sun_6108 t1_izuh3hk wrote
Interesting! I never knew that.
ThisAmericanSatire t1_izsazsa wrote
They should put a North/South subway underneath York Road from Towson to 33rd, then go under 33rd to Charles St, then go under Charles St. south (with a station underneath Penn) all the way to Fort Ave, and end the line at the front gate of McHenry.
ElectricStar87 t1_izpsvsz wrote
Express buses would accomplish this just as easily.
sit_down_man t1_izpy96r wrote
They would not. I love a good BRT line but a light rail or subway would be preferable for sure. The main difference is that BRT could be ready to go within months, versus a subway line taking almost a decade to complete.
ElectricStar87 t1_izq0g29 wrote
“Preferable” is a subjective term, and not a dimension that really bears much emphasis unless it’s accompanied by data.
Subway and light rail are not remotely in the same category.
ThisAmericanSatire t1_izsbjku wrote
The biggest problem with busses is that they have to share the road with cars. This has two pitfalls:
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busses get stuck in traffic
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BRT infrastructure (i.e. Bus lanes) can easily be given back to commuter cars if some elected rep thinks happy drivers are better than happy bus riders.
Trains don't have these problems, especially if they are grade-separated.
ElectricStar87 t1_izsfcet wrote
Trains simply have other liabilities. Route permanence, high cost of implementation, single points of failure, etc.
They also have to negotiate traffic crossing, even if you plan to have light preemption that actually works.
To be clear, I am not fundamentally opposed to the red line — the argument simply seems insufficiently made so far, and bus options, both for the short and long term, and as a quick half-measure for hypothesis testing, does not seem to have been considered. Also note that the red line targets 50K riders per day. The existing light rail targeted 33K per day, never really reached that, and is currently at 9K per day (there are other issues with that light rail obviously, including the fundamental logic of its placement and route).
The red line also doesn’t address the needed last mile issues that will still only be possible through bus; red line is not a magic transportation panacea in and of itself, but that’s what it’s often portrayed as.
The dedicated bus lanes in the city are operating quite well. My understanding is that this has increased average speed from 9 miles an hour on average to about 12 miles an hour (apologies for lack of source). I suspect the relatively high frequency of stops for buses also contributes to lower speeds. Note that the red line claims a targeted 18 MPH. Unclear what this specifically means and broadly that’s achieved through the length of the route.
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