MontroseNeighborhoodCafe Posted October 23, 2004 Share Posted October 23, 2004 Oct. 22, 2004, 10:46PMExperts offer 4 light rail alternativesBut forum closes with no consensus on a system to use for the next routesBy LUCAS WALLCopyright 2004 Houston ChronicleAn expert panel concluded Metro's three-day technology forum Friday by identifying four modes as potentially feasible alternatives to light rail for development in future transit corridors.The 11-member group, made up of local and national experts in transportation and related fields, selected Automated People Mover, Mini Metro, monorail and urban magnetic-levitation trains as systems that could compete with expansion of the existing light rail line on Main Street. Eight other modes were presented Wednesday and Thursday as the Metropolitan Transit Authority, under new leadership, reconsiders whether light rail is the best form of rapid transit in the Houston region.People-movers are small, automatically driven vehicles commonly used to connect terminals at major airports, including Bush Intercontinental in Houston. Mini Metros, used in medium-size European cities such as Copenhagen, Denmark, are smaller-scale subways that operate short trains on a frequent schedule.The other methods, monorail and maglev, are both trains that glide along an elevated beam. A monorail has wheels underneath that drive along the beam's side while a maglev uses electromagnetic suspension to float the train along an iron rail.All four modes operate either above or below ground, removing conflicts between cars and trains Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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