interurbans

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 11:22:27 -0800

What is with Snoble and the MTA anyway? It seams whenever they have a decision they make they make the wrong one. Electric is much less expensive to operate than diesel (which keeps us dependent on Arab oil) and not that much more expensive to build. This half thought out idea would require passengers to transfer and wait between trains. A LRT operation lends itself to frequent service and high capacity which this route will generate. MetroLink as good as it is will be expensive to operate any more than hourly service. If the Gold line is built efficiently with out all of the MTA Gold Plating it can be built for well under 50 million and closer to 30 million dollars a mile. Let the Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority build the line and keep it away from the MTA. The LRT cars are have been paid for and are already being built and will be here well before any construction will start on the Gold Line Foothill extension. With all of this in place, why would the MTA even seriously consider let alone recommend MetroLink service over LRT service in this dense corridor?

benh57

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 17:08:26 -0800

More 'cost-effective' in the short term perhaps. 50 years out, we'll be wishing we built heavy, electric rail. (ie: subways, red lines, elevated trains) Light rail, metrolink, busways etc are such short-term thinking.

LAist: One Plan Suggest to Replace Gold Line Ext. with Metrolink

interurbans

benh57