Trae Posted November 26, 2007 Share Posted November 26, 2007 Some photos of opening day on Saturday: Bike racks 485 Station: The CTC/Arena Station Mayor of Charlotte: 485 Station: The Sharon Rd West station The Tyvola Station The Woodlawn Station: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trae Posted November 26, 2007 Author Share Posted November 26, 2007 More photos and summary from SouthernUprise.com: From 10 AM outside of the CTC/Arena station. This was the car with Mayor Pat and some other notables. Further down the line the former Dr. Traffic joined this train. Large crowds and confusion at the I-485 station. Someone pulled an emergency door release lever on the train on track 1, this caused major delays to getting people on/off that train and off the platform. One of the 20 buses CATS brought out to serve as a bridge between the stations. At the height of operation, CATS moved a reported 67,000 people on 20 buses and 16 light rail vehicles. I spoke with Ron Tober and he described the crowds as 'overwhelming.' The bridges at the Tyvola Road Park and Ride Station. You can actually see South Park from this station. Quite an amazing sight! I found this inside of a port-a-jon at the Tyvola Rd. Station More crowds trying to get on already packed trains at the Woodlawn Park & Ride Station. Scaleybark Station with the skyline in the background. This is closer to 3PM, the crowds at 7th street, CTC/Arena, 4th Street and Stonewall were very large. Overall it was a wonderful experience. It took a lot of patience from everyone, but the line was simply not made to handle this number of people, or the nature of traveling. The line was made to bring people from Uptown to 485 or from 485 to Uptown. The major problem was that people were tying to use it to go from Uptown to 485 and then straight back, so then long lines formed due to the high volumes of people. This is a major step in the right direction for Charlotte. Everyone I heard on the trains loved what they saw and wanted it for their corner of Charlotte. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trae Posted November 26, 2007 Author Share Posted November 26, 2007 Charlotte's new rail line is much better organized and put together than METRO's first. They can accomodate up to three trains at all of their stations. Also, Charlotte's citizens really support it. 70% have voted "yes" to keep the transit tax. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
citykid09 Posted November 27, 2007 Share Posted November 27, 2007 Nice, those trains look like METROs, only better. You can tell its an upgrade. And the over all design of there rail tracks, and stations run circles around METROs. Before METRO builds new lines, they should take a look at what Charlotte has done. Very Nice! Looks more like something you would see in a "world class city." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houstonmacbro Posted December 2, 2007 Share Posted December 2, 2007 Charlotte is a really nice town. I loved it on the several times I visited.Why can't Houston get its mass transit together?!?No ... I'm serious. What prevents Houston from getting with the times? NIMBY? Money? Politics? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trae Posted December 2, 2007 Author Share Posted December 2, 2007 Charlotte's system is miles ahead (in design) to Houston's system. Overpasses, underpasses, big parking structures next to rail stations to improve ridership. It also goes through many new TOD's. And Charlotte residents want it. 70% voted yes to keep the transit tax and expand the rail line. The Feds also funded half of Charlotte's first line, and will fund the others. Almost all stations have bike racks and many have bike lockers, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted December 2, 2007 Share Posted December 2, 2007 Charlotte is a really nice town. I loved it on the several times I visited.Why can't Houston get its mass transit together?!?No ... I'm serious. What prevents Houston from getting with the times? NIMBY? Money? Politics?One must first agree that Houston is not with the times. Trae's statements are merely his opinions, not necessarily supported by fact. I don't think you can look at a few photos and make the decision that one system works better than another. Not to mention the Charlotte system just opened. In a year or two, let's see what ridership is.BTW, I enjoyed reading citykid's statement that Charlotte's trains are an "upgrade", when in reality, they are the same Siemens S70s that METRO uses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trae Posted December 2, 2007 Author Share Posted December 2, 2007 Well, so far the line is well received. Have been standing room only ever since it first started its full (real) day of operations. What I said wasn't an "opinion" but fact. I am getting this from Charlotte residents who ride the train. They are already halfway to their 18,500 per day ridership numbers (which they expected to get in 2025, but will obviously get there sooner). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted December 2, 2007 Share Posted December 2, 2007 They are already halfway to their 18,500 per day ridership numbers (which they expected to get in 2025, but will obviously get there sooner).So, they have 9,250 daily ridership. METRO has 45,000 daily ridership. Please explain how this equates to "miles ahead" of Houston. Even at maximum projections (18,500), it is only carrying 41% of METRO on a LONGER line. Again, how is that "miles ahead" of Houston? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trae Posted December 2, 2007 Author Share Posted December 2, 2007 You do realize it just opened up last Monday right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted December 2, 2007 Share Posted December 2, 2007 Sure I do. That is why I asked you to explain your statement that it is "miles ahead" of Houston. Houston's numbers its first month were double Charlotte. Now Houston's numbers are 5 times Charlotte. Again, may I ask you to explain how you arrived at your opinion, other than "everyone is always better than Houston"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houstonmacbro Posted December 2, 2007 Share Posted December 2, 2007 One must first agree that Houston is not with the times. Trae's statements are merely his opinions, not necessarily supported by fact. I don't think you can look at a few photos and make the decision that one system works better than another. Not to mention the Charlotte system just opened. In a year or two, let's see what ridership is.BTW, I enjoyed reading citykid's statement that Charlotte's trains are an "upgrade", when in reality, they are the same Siemens S70s that METRO uses.Well, I feel that Houston, with more than 600 square miles is kinda behind the times to have only about 10 miles of rail. Also the bus system here sux ... and that is pretty much agreed by all.No? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted December 2, 2007 Share Posted December 2, 2007 Not, according to those who rate these things.But hey, knock yourself out. I know it is trendy to trash government and transit. It is also apparently trendy to say things without ANY evidence to back it up. I'll be the first to point out screwups, but at least I try to back it up with SOMETHING.This thread is nothing but unsupported garbage. I have decided to dedicate this thread to pointing out all of the crap that people post without anything to back it up. I realize it is off-topic, but it is the off-topic posts that I am responding to. I personally have nothing against Charlotte's new line. So....macbro, what is your proof that the bus service sux....you heard it from a couple of chronic complainers, or an actual study?Trae, still waiting for you to explain your statement.citykid, how can you tell that the EXACT same train from the EXACT same manufacturer is better...because you like the paint job from a photo? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houstonmacbro Posted December 2, 2007 Share Posted December 2, 2007 I've tried riding it and takes forever to get anywhere because the lines do not have buses that run frequently enough, no express lines (or very few), and it generally is not very fast. That is what sux.That is MY evidence! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trae Posted December 2, 2007 Author Share Posted December 2, 2007 Can you not wait 20 minutes RedScare?Sure I do. That is why I asked you to explain your statement that it is "miles ahead" of Houston. Houston's numbers its first month were double Charlotte. Now Houston's numbers are 5 times Charlotte. Again, may I ask you to explain how you arrived at your opinion, other than "everyone is always better than Houston"?Okay, Charlotte's numbers grew by 2,000 by its second day. Give it a month like Houston, and ridership will be up. You also have to remember that Charlotte is a metro area of 1.7 million. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houstonmacbro Posted December 2, 2007 Share Posted December 2, 2007 I've lived in cities with great rail and bus systems (DC, NYC, and Angeles). I can say that they are miles ahead of Houston.When I lived in Los Angeles (Leimert Park) I could catch a bus in the a.m. (several in fact ran back to back all during rush hour) and could get downtown in 20-25 minutes.Try that in Houston.It has to do with PLANNING the routes, FILLING them with buses that people want to get on get their quickly, and having some that express so that people are not stopping at every single stop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houstonmacbro Posted December 2, 2007 Share Posted December 2, 2007 More on their rail line ... about the same length as Houston's current line if I am not mistaken:http://www.lightrailnow.org/news/n_cha_2007-11a.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted December 2, 2007 Share Posted December 2, 2007 Can you not wait 20 minutes RedScare?Okay, Charlotte's numbers grew by 2,000 by its second day. Give it a month like Houston, and ridership will be up. You also have to remember that Charlotte is a metro area of 1.7 million.Is THIS your "proof"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trae Posted December 2, 2007 Author Share Posted December 2, 2007 Also, Charlotte's system has many overpasses and stays in its own ROW. This means the trains can sustain higher speeds (not running on city streets). Can you not just look at both systems in realize which one is better organized? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jfre81 Posted December 2, 2007 Share Posted December 2, 2007 Newer systems should be more thought out, as designers should learn from previous flaws in other cities' systems. Charlotte is similar to Houston in that it is sprawled and somewhat decentralized, though neither quite to Houston's degree. Still, finding the best and most cost-effective way to introduce rail in a city like that is no small task at all.I don't particularly care for the METRO organization itself, but nobody can honestly say we don't need more transit in Houston, and I can't wait until we have our new rail lines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trae Posted December 3, 2007 Author Share Posted December 3, 2007 ^^If that is the case, METRO should have followed DART's model on how the system is designed (stations, own ROW, and overpasses, etc.). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houstonmacbro Posted December 3, 2007 Share Posted December 3, 2007 Just what IS taking us so long to get moving on the other lines? It just seems things are at a standstill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jfre81 Posted December 3, 2007 Share Posted December 3, 2007 ^^If that is the case, METRO should have followed DART's model on how the system is designed (stations, own ROW, and overpasses, etc.). I did say "should be" rather than "are" - there's a difference Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C2H Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 I like Charlotte's new line personally. And yes, judging from the photos, it looks better planned out than Houston's current line. I also agree that their lightrail cars look just like Houston's. They're no better, they're just newer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidtownCoog Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 They can accomodate up to three trains at all of their stations.What did you expect Houston to do? One city block in the CDB grid equals two trains max. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trae Posted December 4, 2007 Author Share Posted December 4, 2007 Yeah, sucks. Downtown and I believe Midtown are the two areas where I think Metro could not go with three trains. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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