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fusion260 OP t1_ixhwl5x wrote

Reply to comment by KazahanaPikachu in Richmond’s Pulse has been a surprise success. Other cities and states are taking notice. by fusion260

Richmond is unfortunately far too small to fund and support an underground metro system. In the current economy and crunch on heavy construction projects, those systems typically do well in planned cities with public transit in mind from the beginning so the infrastructure is built before anything is built above it.

The BRT is essentially an underground metro system but flexible enough to change its fleet, quantity of buses, and adjust its route to accommodate closures and detours. With the right initiative, the GRTC could easily test new routes before building out more-permanent stations and even explore seasonal rapid bus routes.

We're unlikely to see anything like Boston's Big Dig project nowadays without enough political and community will. Elon's Boring Company has yet to prove it's not a giant grift and PR stunt that puts individual small-capacity vehicles driven by humans in a tiny tunnel that only goes a mile or so underground.

ETA: formatting and context

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darockerj t1_ixiuld5 wrote

I keep seeing it suggested, but anyone who genuinely expects an underground rail system to come to Richmond is either naive or out of their minds.

I also come from NOVA and love to use the Metro up there, but it's made for a much bigger population (and much higher commuting population, at that) and famously comes plagued with its own delays. Much as I think trains are cool, a bus route is a much cheaper and suitable solution for Richmond. Love the Pulse for commuting.

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