Comments

You must log in or register to comment.

TouchDownBurrito t1_iycxlif wrote

Space Karen would remove the trains and pave the tunnels so cars can drive in them, then get pissy when people point out he only made things worse.

47

transferStudent2018 t1_iycxthj wrote

At least the project would still be delivered late and over budget, as is tradition

14

Squish_the_android t1_iycy7dv wrote

I've always thought that removing the trains and just running buses on the rails would be better.

Car breaks? Drive it off/tow it off to fix it.

Easy to replace.

Run a bunch of them all the time.

Edit:

I feel like I should clarify that I was specifically thinking about the commuter rail when it came to this comment and just didn't translate that from my head to my post. I'm not going to spend all day talking about the validity of this idea because I don't really care, but that's where this thought originated from.

−12

therealcmj t1_iyd274q wrote

Busses carry fewer people.

Busses require more drivers per unit of passengers.

Busses would need to go slower to safely navigate the tunnels.

Busses have higher maintenance cost.

Busses burn fuel, the exhaust will need to be removed from the tunnel.

I could go on but busses in tunnels is worse in every way than trains in tunnels.

24

ch1ck3npotpi3 t1_iyd1xxn wrote

All trains already have the ability to tow and push other trains. That's what the couplers on the front and rear are for. The train behind the disabled train simply connects to it and pushes it to the yard.

Buses don't have that ability. When a Silver Line bus breaks down in the Waterfront tunnel, the buses in front of it have to clear the tunnel, and a mini tow truck has to back into the tunnel. It takes way longer to remove a disabled bus from the tunnel than a train.

The problem isn't the technology. Trains are already proven to be more efficient than buses in other first world countries. It's that the MBTA's operations are shit and they manage to make both trains and buses wildly inefficient.

12

Squish_the_android t1_iyd31ut wrote

I guess this is kind of my point. The MBTA has proven that they simply can't manage trains and don't seem to care to change that. At least buses are cheaper and swappable.

−9

NoMoLerking t1_iyd2o6v wrote

Nah. You’d either have to go v-e-r-y slow or risk buses smashing into the side of the tunnel every time the driver got a text.

5

SkiingAway t1_iyd4l2m wrote

  • Fixed-guideway services can run in a narrower right of way (or tunnel) at higher speeds without crashing.

  • Capacity/bunching - A bunch of separate smaller vehicles is much worse. Passengers don't/can't distribute themselves efficiently and leads to heavy delays and varying loads between cars. This is part of why the Green Line is going to much longer vehicles on the Type 10's.

  • A broken down bus in a narrow tunnel/right of way isn't really any easier to remove.

  • You still can only get to it from the ends of that tunnel/corridor, so it's not like it can just pull over out of the way or have others go around it.

  • A bus long enough to handle the capacity loads of a train, is not a bus that's going to be easy to just remove via city streets.

  • If anything it's probably harder, because you still need to steer it.

  • Operational costs - More operators needed. If you think full automation is possible, you're still talking a lot of duplication of guidance systems/sensors with more lower capacity vehicles.

And if you try to solve all those problems while not running "on" rails - your concept will eventually just turn into a rubber-tire metro, like you see in Montreal. They work fine and have some pros/cons, but there's nothing about them that's easier in the senses you're talking about.

5

tandemtuna t1_iyd2crk wrote

  • Shows off one of those fantasy T maps that show up on this sub periodically, and announces plan to bore tunnels
  • Launch of overnight service, thereby allowing "hard-core" staff members to sleep on the train
  • Total chaos, just like usual
18

itsonlyastrongbuzz t1_iyd081p wrote

Lead-up to takeover: Make outrageous request for performance and threaten to purge unenthusiastic staff via social media hype campaign.

Week 1: Initiates Pie in the Sky ideas. Immediately learns about the maintenance backlog and that the employees are Union.

Week 2: Turns to social media again to: A) Undo everything he did, and B) Have someone teach him the basics on how to run a transportation agency.

16

vhalros t1_iyd9lmm wrote

He would make it collapse on purpose, then pave the tunnels in an attempt to sell more Teslas. He would them tweet that traffic congestion was solved.

16

VeterinarianRich5986 t1_iyd86j2 wrote

He would dismantle the MBTA so people would buy more Teslas. Musk famously hates public transit and basically would appeal to suburbanites saying, “Riding the train is for poor people, but buying a Tesla would enable you to show off how rich you are!”

15

Chippopotanuse t1_iyd1mxb wrote

The Patriot Front would have a reserved dining car on the Orange line with a taxpayer funded open bar in order to celebrate “free speech” while they rode back to their piece of shit Honda Accords with out of state plates parked at Oak Grove.

11

UltravioletClearance t1_iyd8cen wrote

Don't forget the cops arresting all the counter protestors while Musk proudly proclaims free speech on the T is restored.

5

Logical-Error-7233 t1_iyd54ju wrote

Union would strike and he'd cry about how unfair it is to him on the one remaining Twitter server that's still running.

3

Reasonable_Move9518 t1_iydbosr wrote

Space Karen charges everyone $8/mo to be able to get OFF commuter rail (regular passes and tickets still work to get on them, you need a special “blue check” ticket to get off them).

3

Outrageous_Bag9327 t1_iydzpb8 wrote

Charge $8 to leave the train when it catches fire. Lay off 50% of MBTA essential employees then alienate the remaining 50% by asking them to join his cult. Then beg the 50% he layed off to come back.

3

DamonsBloodBank t1_iyd4349 wrote

All the trains would be solar based(not thinking about them in tunnels so they would barely run)….And also $10 a ride and the monthly passes would go away….

So new trains but they wouldn’t be running so I’ll take the current system I guess?

2

dapooopman t1_iyej7lt wrote

train fires except more expensive this time

2

willzyx01 t1_iyd55r2 wrote

He'll start selling his TSLA shares, so my portfolio goes down from -20% to -45%.

1

DooDooBrownz t1_iydcyxh wrote

embedded subdermal chips as part of the verified rider program

1

Dukeofdorchester t1_iydnajv wrote

Charlie card changed to "untalented Chinese violin guy card"

1

TurnsOutImAScientist t1_iyf3mxj wrote

Fires 75% of the staff, hooks robots up to the T conductors stations and outsources the jobs to Tesla self driving AI. Feds shut the whole thing down in 2 weeks after several mass casualty incidents. Companies flee the city and home prices crater, leaving an epidemic of underwater mortgages. Mass & Cass expands to half the city.

1

bbc733 t1_iyd3psz wrote

Fare evaders would be publicly tarred and feathered and would also be streamed live on Twitter

−1

phlukeri t1_iycy7d6 wrote

At least he would have spelled the title correctly and with proper English grammar

−7

CplFrosty t1_iycz5uj wrote

Depends on how much diet, caffeine free coke he had right before bed.

3

coldsnap123 t1_iydbc0k wrote

He’s already built a transit network in Las Vegas and it’s expanding. You can judge his capabilities by following that project.

−7