Electric Modern Streetcars in Houston

[DaTrain]

I don't know but this was hardly suggested at all for the city. If Houston can't have light rail like we really wanted and are stuck with Bus Rapid Transit (which is no such thing IMO but Limited Stop bus routes in disguise), then I beleive METRO should try something else it hasn't: electric streetcars. Only this will be a resurrection of the now-defuct system years before ourtime somewhat. But we don't have to have an old fashioned streetcar with early 20th century model streetcars like they do in New Orleans, San Francisco, Memphis, Charlotte or Philadelphia. Nope, why not just use 21st century European styled streetcars like they do in Tacoma and Portland.

The city's layout is already too spread out for the typical LRT car that carries 200 people, so let's try something else: a 60 foot streetcar running on Houston's streets and railroad ROW carrying 60 people. Plus construction will be minimal since the streetcar tracks for this type are lightweight so we can build in 6 months or less. Forget BRT: it's kinda rediculous to built LRT tracks and bury them underneath the rubber tires of a bus and wait years for the LRT to come thru. Instead let's just take the modern streetcars; that way Houston can still have a rail system regardless of the density, only the trains are smaller and holds the right amount of spread-out density of riders, just like METRO Buses carry 40 people on a 40 footlong bus.

Share your thoughts and opinions. It may seem like I'm dreaming in that Houston-state-of-mind like some HAIFERS but it may work. U never know.

Edited December 14, 2006 by DaTrain

[RedScare]

Umm....what do you call that big silver thing running down the middle of Main Street?

EDIT: Actually, from reading your post, you are talking about electric trolleys, which have very limited capacity. However, you posted pictures of light rail transit.

Edited December 14, 2006 by RedScare

[GREASER]

Just wait...on the east side instead of light rail we will have buses dressed up like light rail....they will take the place of the ones currently dressed like vintage trolleys

[CE_ugh]

Umm....what do you call that big silver thing running down the middle of Main Street?

EDIT: Actually, from reading your post, you are talking about electric trolleys, which have very limited capacity. However, you posted pictures of light rail transit.

Actually those are pretty much trolleys. The track they run on is pretty much the same grade as the Galveston trolley.

[RedScare]

Actually those are pretty much trolleys. The track they run on is pretty much the same grade as the Galveston trolley.

I'm not sure how you can see the track in those photos, but Light Rail is merely the modern adaptation of the streetcar, or trolley. They run on the same tracks. One of the main factors that distinguish LRVs from streetcars is the size, as LRVs are longer, and usually articulated, as are the ones pictured above. DaTrain even differentiated in his post the difference between 200 passenger LRVs and 60 passenger streetcars. The difference in passenger capacity also happens to be why you do not see streetcar lines built anymore, as cost versus capacity is prohibitive.

http://www.heritagetrolley.org/defLightRail.htm

[TheNiche]

I'm not sure how you can see the track in those photos, but Light Rail is merely the modern adaptation of the streetcar, or trolley. They run on the same tracks. One of the main factors that distinguish LRVs from streetcars is the size, as LRVs are longer, and usually articulated, as are the ones pictured above. DaTrain even differentiated in his post the difference between 200 passenger LRVs and 60 passenger streetcars. The difference in passenger capacity also happens to be why you do not see streetcar lines built anymore, as cost versus capacity is prohibitive.

http://www.heritagetrolley.org/defLightRail.htm

Baby Gays is on the mark.

[DaTrain]

I'm not sure how you can see the track in those photos, but Light Rail is merely the modern adaptation of the streetcar, or trolley. They run on the same tracks. One of the main factors that distinguish LRVs from streetcars is the size, as LRVs are longer, and usually articulated, as are the ones pictured above. DaTrain even differentiated in his post the difference between 200 passenger LRVs and 60 passenger streetcars. The difference in passenger capacity also happens to be why you do not see streetcar lines built anymore, as cost versus capacity is prohibitive.

http://www.heritagetrolley.org/defLightRail.htm

THIS is what I was talking about, thus the topic. Modern day streetcars are not LRVs, and the ones I posted are half the size of your average LRV.

http://www.heritagetrolley.org/defStreetcarCirculator.htm

[MidtownCoog]

I've rode these in Prague.

Other than no pollution, how do they beat a bus?

[WesternGulf]

This is basically BRT isn't it?