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Not sure that I believe the 800-1200 people a day. My bet that number is for one way so they are double counting people, that assumes of course that most if not all want to return from where they came. So $100 million to benefit 400-600 per day.
Thursday, August 18, 2005
Top Ten Light Rail Myths
We just ran across the report from the Cascade Policy Institute regarding the top ten myths mentioned here the other day. This was published in 1998, yet is apropot now considering that Spokane is about to dive into the abyss.
Top Ten Light Rail Myths:
What We’ve Learned From 12 Years of MAX in Portland
By John A. Charles
1. Light Rail will reduce traffic congestion.
Eastside MAX went on-line in 1986. Yet between 1986 and 1992 Portland area traffic congestion grew faster than other Western cities, including Seattle, which has no light rail. Between 1986 and 1995, traffic counts on the Banfield freeway increased from 117,928 to 162,254 (measured near Lloyd Center), despite the adjacent light rail line and free parking for MAX riders at the Gateway Transit Center.
The Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the proposed South/North light-rail extension predicts that traffic congestion on I-5 will actually worsen with light rail. The most likely explanation for this prediction is that the alignment will destroy two lanes of road capacity on Interstate Avenue, shifting traffic to the already congested I-5.
2. Light Rail will improve air quality.
The DEIS predicts that N/S light rail would reduce regional nitrogen oxide emissions by about one-tenth of one percent (1/1,000th). We will see greater improvement than that in the near future just from older cars being retired from the fleet.
Moreover, there is no reason to spend $1.6 billion on any single air pollution strategy, because Portland does not have an air pollution problem. Last year, EPA re-designated the Portland region as an ”attainment“ region under the Clean Air Act — meaning that every Oregon city now complies with federal standards.
3. Building light rail is cheaper than building highways.
At more than $100 million per mile, the south/north light rail will cost more than any highway ever built in Oregon....Click here for more viewing pleasure.
I can't help but think that it is significant that all they have is estimates of ridership. It would not have been impossible to actually count riders. They benefit apparently, from the estimates.
And let's be sure to draw the parallels between this debacle and the Mayor's proposed downtown trolley system. The money that would be spent on that would be able to fix the intersection of Paseo and I-25, which is used by over 100,000 commuters per day and is on the back burner due to a lack of funding.
Go figure.
The train will NEVER work well, because we might be the only commuter rail system in the country with only one track, and no passing tracks. We all know the story of a backup at a one lane bridge. This entire system is one way only, so if you miss the first train, it's almost an hour until it returns to the station.
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