Two Interesting Articles

Why New York City's Transit Crisis Is Only Going to Get Worse by Nikolai Fedak


In New York (YIMBY),  Other articles, Google "Streetcar" & "Brooklyn" for news.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=newssearch&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwinzNSQ3sPVAhUkxYMKHa9_BmkQqQIIKSgAMAE&url=https%3A%2F%2Fny.curbed.com%2F2017%2F8%2F4%2F16094652%2Fbrooklyn-queens-connector-documentary-gentrification&usg=AFQjCNHFu2PAPR0aS8GRnIfwPIWe1hp6DQ


  Being very lazy,  I admit that I did not read both articles well but there seems to be two things that are emerging in New York City dealing with subways and the proposed waterfront streetcar line:

1. The subways are near collapse and something must be done and
2. The waterfront streetcar line will cause gentrification and cause many elderly and poor residents to loose their housing.

In the first article by Nikolai Fedak, Fedak takes a dismal view that the subways are just at the point of collapse and that very little can be done to prevent it.  Early 20th Century technology is what the system was built on and there is not enough money and time to upgrade the system.  Now comes the interesting point: Mr. Fedak is interested in re-establishing the elevated lines of Manhattan because they can be a backup to the failing subway system.  Elevated lines can be built at a fraction of the cost of an underground subway line.    In another series of articles, neighborhood activists state that the proposed waterfront line will not solve any transit problems and will just cause many poor people to loose their homes and way of life.  Besides, the present day "G" train and "R" train parallel the proposed route a few blocks away from the water.

In the near future, I will give you my thoughts:  Solution is  light rail on reserved rights of way at the end of some subway routes or on very busy bus routes with some sections elevated like formerly in Boston.  Light rail or streetcars should be brought back to New York City not for development but for being more efficient than buses.   Very heavy bus routes should be converted to light rail if certain engineering criteria are meet.

To be continued.

Philadelphia's Trolleybuses are in Danger?

Hi Folks:  This posting comes from BusChat by Transit ChuckG.  See below.  It looks like that Philadelphia's last three trackless trolley lines in north Philadelphia are about to come history in the next few years if the Proterra electric buses with strong batteries are successful.  This will leave only Boston as the only trolleybus operator in the Northeast.  The United States current trolleybus cities are:  Boston, Philadelphia, Dayton, Ohio, San Francisco and Seattle.  Indianapolis, Spokane Washington and Montreal Quebec expressed interest in setting up new systems but I do not know the status of these proposals.  It is sorry to hear bad news that a traditional trolleybus line or streetcar line is in danger.

Septa Trackless Trolleys

Posted by TransitChuckG on Thu Jul 27 06:44:30 2017 Latest rumor: News on the trackless General Overhaul program, there will be none. They are letting these play out here for 12 years, they have to, because they were bought with federal funds, and waiting to see how the Proterra electric buses work.If they work out well, they're buying them for the three NE. trackless lines, these trackless trolleys are history. The 59, 66, & 75 will be Proterras. Septa's first nail in the coffin was not buying enough trackless for the 29 & 79 back in 2007.