which of the following (if any) does you city/metro have:

• light rail

• rapid transit

• commuter rail

when were the systems built?

how would you gauge their success and degree of usage?

are there any plans for future expansion?

pictures?

Light rail that does not operate on city streets is actually considered rapid transit, so in that case, St. Louis has both light rail rapid transit. MetroLink functions as if it were heavy rail in that it is completely separate from street traffic by running on elevated tracks, bridges, separate rights of way and in subways. The first line opened in 1993, the most recent opened last August.

MetroLink is a very successful system. In the 1990s it was ranked America's Most Successful light rail system. It continues to exceed ridership projections by significant margins.

http://urbanrail.net/am/slou/saint-louis-map.gif

http://www.pbase.com/jivecity/image/41483364.jpg

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c283/jeffvstl/P1010053.jpg

http://web.presby.edu/~jtbell/transit/images/StLouis/Viaduct.jpg

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c283/jeffvstl/P1010030.jpg

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c283/jeffvstl/P1010054.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/jivecity/image/25113191.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/jivecity/image/21093795.jpg

Future expansion plans:
http://www.ewgateway.org/MetroLink/SysMap-2006-GIF/SysMap-2006-GIF02.gif

http://www.artic.edu/~rmoran1/metro.gif

The next lines to be built will be the North Side/South Side corridor, which, unlike the existing lines, will run on city streets:

http://www.northsouthstudy.org/images/SPW-LRS-Comp2.jpg

The first map is an overview of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area rail. Heavy Rail is in dark blue, commuter rail is in light blue and light rail is in the middle blue. It includes the longest heavy rail system in the country after NYC: the Washington Metro (and it's growing quickly!).
http://beyonddc.com/features/compare/maps/washington-baltimore.jpg

This is a map of the Washington Metro with the Silver Line which is just beginning construction. A new Purple Line connecting the 4 branches on the North will begin within 5 years I expect.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a7/WMATA_Silver_Line_system_map.png

The Baltimore Metro Subway (Heavy Rail).
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e0/BaltimoreMetroSubwayMap.png

The Baltimore Light Rail Map:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/71/BaltimoreLightRail.png

The MARC commuter rail transit map:
http://www.mtamaryland.com/images/services/marc/systemmaps/mtatrain1.gifhttp://www.mtamaryland.com/images/services/marc/systemmaps/mtatrain2.gif

The VRE commuter rail transit map:
http://www.vre.org/graphics/systemmap.jpg

There is talk of connecting the Washington Metro to the Baltimore system via a Green Line extension to BWI. I'm fairly certain that will happen in the 10 year range.

The 2030 outlook for the Washington Metro:
http://beyonddc.com/features/transit/system04a-2030-big.gif

The best looking subway stations in the country:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/143/321584613_84e5255935_o.jpg

You should all check out http://beyonddc.com/features/compare.shtml It's a great website which provides TONS of great info on transit all over the country (with maps) as well as info on the DC area.



The Washington Metro began construction in the late 60s. It is truly a culturally defining aspect of the city. It has been very successful and has surpassed ridership expectations. I think the system has added 2 stations since its inception; however, it's poised for a massive addition over the next few years. One new line is beginning construction. Another major line connecting the 4 northern spokes of the system is currently a huge topic of local debate (we're at the point where they're arguing about where to put the line rather than if the line should be built). Finally, discussion of a heavy rail connection between Washington and Baltimore is in the works.

BW, does the northern of the two Metro Potomac crossing use a bridge or a tunnel?

I saw the southern crossing on a boat ride from G'town but never was north enough to see if the other line used tunnel or bridge.

Being a small metro with an auto-centric way of life...none.

A commuter rail has been approved however...but I personally would like a LRT network instead.

Boston's subway system was the first and the fourth largest in the nation. It contains light rail, heavy rail, commuter rail, and a Bus Rapit Transit (BRT) line, the Silver Line.


http://www.johnleonard.com/about/images/GIFSubway.gif

You should all check out http://beyonddc.com/features/compare.shtml It's a great website which provides TONS of great info on transit all over the country (with maps) as well as info on the DC area.

Great Website!

Really impressed by DC's Metro system. How was it funded?

Well LA's metro/transit system is infamous but not bad at all, in fact it's decent we just need much more of it. By the #'s LA ranks #3 in the nation in average daily ridership for all modes(excluding interagency buses which would rank the overall system at #2 but I'm not arguing). A new system by most standards at 17 years old it boasts now 73 track miles and will have over 90 once the perforated lines are completed at the end of the decade.

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q138/tmaxx6/los-angeles-mapwithpurpleline.gif

LA boasts some of the more eccentric stations(and they're all different) that I've ever seen:

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q138/tmaxx6/losangmetrohighlandstation.png

Note: Thousands of film reels on the ceiling

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q138/tmaxx6/losangvinestation.jpg

This line and Chinatown station opened 3 1/2 years ago. They have since added more cars to the trains (the famous City Hall building[Superman, Hall of Justice] in the background):
http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q138/tmaxx6/losangchinatownstation.jpg

Post World War II culture had a significant impact on LA as well as the rest of the "newer" cities. Bringing with it car culture, detached single family homes and drive thru's. At the turn of the last century the entire LA-Long Beach-Santa Ana region boasted no more than 250, 000 people. Today it tallies at over 12 million. With that has come traffic, traffic and more traffic. Making for longer commutes and an outcry for better and faster and more extensive coverage of rapid rail transit. So what's old is new again. Here is a TOD(a brand new concept in LA)that allows the train to go directly through the heart of the complex. In fact this is in Pasadena a suburb of LA:

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q138/tmaxx6/TODGoldline.jpg


The famous LA freeway system, truly a work of art. But transit is ever so steadily creeping into the fabric of the "new Los Angeles". Note in the middle of the freeway you see a shelter for the 100% grade seperated Green Line and further below at ground level you can see criss cross lanes for freeway running Bus Only alignments:

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q138/tmaxx6/losangelesfreeway.jpg

http://www.transitchicago.com/maps/maps/fwebmaptrain.gif


Overall the CTA runs the second busiest transit system in the country. However, Chicagoans use the CTA's busses at a 2:1 ratio over the "L"

The pink line was added in 2006 and as of right now is still a temporary line; however, it should become permanent.

Talks of a "Circle Line" being constructed would link all CTA lines with metra lines. Hopefully, it will be constructed in the next few years.

CTA Blue Line:

http://www.orenstransitpage.com/otpchipics/ctasta9.jpg
http://www.orenstransitpage.com/otpchipics/ctasta2.jpg

The best looking subway stations in the country:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/143/321584613_84e5255935_o.jpg

Is that an actual photo or computer image? I swear those people look fake. haha

Also, I like how the DC stations show estimated time of arrival nice touch!

Is that an actual photo or computer image? I swear those people look fake. haha

Also, I like how the DC stations show estimated time of arrival nice touch!

That's an actual photo I found online. Here are more:

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/35/122689131_55a9af52b4_o.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/6/10936735_9a1a765359_b.jpg

^^

That is one of the most amazing stations I have ever seen!!!!

In addition to the CTA service, millions of Chicago residents also depend on the METRA system that transits them back and forth in 6 counties on a daily basis.

http://www.metrarail.com/System_map/index.html

http://www.transitchicago.com/maps/maps/fwebmaptrain.gif


Overall the CTA runs the second busiest transit system in the country. However, Chicagoans use the CTA's busses at a 2:1 ratio over the "L"

The pink line was added in 2006 and as of right now is still a temporary line; however, it should become permanent.

Talks of a "Circle Line" being constructed would link all CTA lines with metra lines. Hopefully, it will be constructed in the next few years.

http://www.transitchicago.com/maps/maps/fwebmaptrain.gif



Overall the CTA runs the second busiest transit system in the country. However, Chicagoans use the CTA's busses at a 2:1 ratio over the "L"

The pink line was added in 2006 and as of right now is still a temporary line; however, it should become permanent.

Talks of a "Circle Line" being constructed would link all CTA lines with metra lines. Hopefully, it will be constructed in the next few years.

edit

in ny of course we got the subway

and very extensive commuter rail in the tri state area

and light rail in jersey

and the air train

I don't have the energy to go find maps

The model for the nation, IMHO: DC Metro

No transit system in the nation accomplishes what it does so well: blankets its city with service and connects huge portions of the suburbs (VA & MD) with the city. The only fault I can find with the system is that it isn't design to provide intrasuburbia service.

Contrast that with other major, successful systems:

BART does a great job of moving people throughout the Bay Area (save for areas like Marin and South Bay) but it offers no in-city system for San Francisco where all lines run on one set of tracks from DT to Daly City.

NYC transit throughly covers the city's four large boroughs but offers no service to NJ, Westchester, SI, LI (realizing, of course, that SI has its own rapid transit albeit with no connection to the rest of the city and PATH serves NJ-to-Manhattan travel).

CTA offers very good service to Chicago despite the too heavy emphasis on all lines converging downtown (CTA has no line in city that doesn't go through the Loop). CTA also serves some close in suburbs both north and west of the city and is the only system in the nation that connects with two major airports.

^Don't forget Boston!

BW, does the northern of the two Metro Potomac crossing use a bridge or a tunnel?

I saw the southern crossing on a boat ride from G'town but never was north enough to see if the other line used tunnel or bridge.

If you were in Georgetown you were actually north of the Orange/Blue line. You didn't see it because those lines go under the Potomac in a tunnel rather than over it in a bridge like the Yellow Line.

wow does baltimore have heavy rail like dc? i need to make a trip to that area

I couldn't find #'s for Baltimore in the latest ATPA stats. Anyway I agree with "Edge" the DC metro is quite fantastic and its ridership #'s are through the roof for such a "young" system. If you exclude commuter rail service my findings for average daily boardings(rail only) has:
NYC-5844.6
DC-954.0
Boston-741.4
Chicago-659.8

If you would include commuter Chicago comes up to #2 but just edges out DC by a literal hair:
Chicago-969.6
DC-967.1

I prefer not to include commuter rail because of the cross-wash of populations coming from too many divergent origins. So if we're just counting rail my tally reads:
NYC (of course)
DC
Boston
Chicago
SF
Phili
Atlanta
LA
SD
Portland
For overall transit ridership I think the following are assumed by most:
NYC-8163.2
Chicago-1907.9(edges out LA because its commuter service does excellent)
LA-1872.8
DC-1405.9

The reason why DC doesn't do so well overall is because its bus and commuter rail #'s suck. Eventhough LA is never referred to as a "transit town" LA does well because its bus #'s are excellent making it the #2 in bus ridership in the country not even counting the interagency bus systems that overlap the MTA bus system although rail #'s suck.

http://www.apta.com/research/stats/ridershp/riderep/documents/05q2rep.pdf
*Some other #'s I didn't count like handicap services because the #'s are miniscule. Further these are my findings and my tallies, open for discussion.

^^ ^^
Do those numbers include Baltimore in the statistics of DC ridership? The two cities form one metro area.

wow does baltimore have heavy rail like dc? i need to make a trip to that area
Baltimore does have a one line heavy rail subway. It has two lines of light rail. We're planning a 2 line expansion to the Baltimore heavy rail subway. In the longer term there will be a connection between the Washington Metro and the Baltimore Metro Subway using heavy rail to make two subways systems one.

^^ ^^
Do those numbers include Baltimore in the statistics of DC ridership? The two cities form one metro area.


Baltimore does have a one line heavy rail subway. It has two lines of light rail. We're planning a 2 line expansion to the Baltimore heavy rail subway. In the longer term there will be a connection between the Washington Metro and the Baltimore Metro Subway using heavy rail to make two subways systems one.

is there a plan or website for this? timetable? id like to read more, i have been reseraching transit lately

is there a plan or website for this? timetable? id like to read more, i have been reseraching transit lately
The Baltimore area expansion project info can be found here:
http://www.baltimoreregiontransitplan.com/

^^ ^^
Do those numbers include Baltimore in the statistics of DC ridership? The two cities form one metro area.


.

I don't believe so........Balt would have its own seperate bus agency wouldn't it? Baltimore is not listed at all as far as I can see.

I don't believe so........Balt would have its own seperate bus agency wouldn't it? Baltimore is not listed at all as far as I can see.
Baltimore has its own seperate bus agency, but then again so does my county which borders the District of Columbia on its Western and Northwestern side. Did you include Montgomery County RideOn buses in your statistics? They're definately more commonly used than metrobus.

I recently rode the Baltimore light rail system for the first time to get to a Ravens game. The northern-most station at Hunt Valley's an hour from my house. Drove there, bought the ticket at a machine (3.20, I bevieve for the round-trip) and enjoyed it. Nice system. My only complaint was there needed to be extra cars after the game, as 70 thousand people left the stadium all at once. Not all wanted on to the rail, mind you, but many did. Again, overall, I liked the system a lot.

Isn't anyone else going to post? I'd like to see Detroit, San Francisco, Philly, Houston, Dallas, Miami and any other city with rail mass transit.

Agreed. This thread is not getting the participation it deserves.

Sorta like DC....except way smaller and, unfortunately, not as well maintained.

But they were designed to be compatable with trackage, so the systems could merge.

Shot Tower Metro Station in Baltimore is pretty cool looking, as is Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Nate

Let us not forget METRA. HEAVY RAIL DOUBLE DECKER.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/77/Metra-System.png

http://metrarail.com/System_map/images/new-system_map_2007.gif

http://metraconnects.metrarail.com/images/star_map.jpg

I found this website that has information, including route maps and photos, on all types of light rail, regional rail, street car lines, etc, all across the US: http://world.nycsubway.org/us/index.html

We're lucky in the Bay Area where I live in that we have lots of transit/rail options (except Marin County where they use buses and ferrys). I love taking the train to work and do it everyday on Bart from Dublin/Pleasanton to Oakland (Lake Merritt).

http://img503.imageshack.us/img503/1293/transitmapbartpu8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

When I lived in SF, I took both Muni (the SF city light rail) and Bart to my work in downtown Oakland. The connections between Bart and Muni downtown are great since they both run underground on Market Street. Muni doesn't cover the entire city (they need a line down the Geary corridor), but, it works pretty well for most travel and buses cover where the light doesn't.

http://img458.imageshack.us/img458/5171/transitmapmuniyx2.gif (http://imageshack.us)

I've also ridden on Caltrain, the commuter rail that runs down the peninsula between SF and San Jose, and VTA, which is the light rail in San Jose.

http://img509.imageshack.us/img509/4378/transitmapcaltrainwy6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/303/transitmapsjvtafb8.gif (http://imageshack.us)

We also have commuter Amtrak service from Stockton to San Jose (ACE) and from Sacramento to San Jose (Capital Corridor). I've never ridden on these, but, my cousin in Sacramento has come down many times on the Capital Corridor and like it. Though, like a lot of Amtrak service, it is frequently late.

When I lived in Sacramento, I worked downtown and commuted on the light rail there. I really like it as well and it was where I grew to love commuting to work on the train. It's been expanded (to Folsom) since I lived there and they have future plans to go to the airport and possible to Davis:

http://img458.imageshack.us/img458/4655/transitmapsachh2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Screw wimpy light rail, sharing the roads with cars.

Give me Big Heavy Rail. Double Decker Style any day.

http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:8fU12DySe-qAVM:http://www.nlfan.com/joliet/photos/MetraConductors.jpg

http://www.nrhs.com/railfan/2001-2002/metra.jpg

http://oldweb.uwp.edu/academic/economics/EconClub/images/F2000-Metra.jpg

http://www.digiconinc.com/images/Metra%20train.jpg

http://www.railroad.net/articles/railfanning/metra/media/metra_04.jpg

http://www.n-sharyo.co.jp/business/tetsudo/images/zusametra.jpg

http://www.nipc.org/images/snow4_99.jpg

http://www.readingtimes.com.tw/TimesHtml/authors/railroad/museum/trains/metra.gif

http://www.mrl.ucsb.edu/~yopopov/images/chicago/metra/MetraCar.jpg

http://www.geocities.com/televisioncity/set/5907/ts140MetraF40CatElgin-2.jpg

http://www.byrnes.org/railfan/transit/trans23.jpg

http://www1.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/79216/2/istockphoto_79216_switchyard.jpg

http://www.entenginc.com/whatwedo/images/chmet/metra4.jpg

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/cmaqpgs/amaq/metra.jpg

http://www.chicagoarchitecturalmetals.com/test_images/metra/cma_project_metra.jpg

Agreed. This thread is not getting the participation it deserves.


I hope you are happy now.

I prefer not to include commuter rail because of the cross-wash of populations coming from too many divergent origins. .


One should never disqualify commuter rail as a blank statement. Each city needs to be treated on a case by case basis. Metra is a major part of the Chicagoland experience. I have a brother that lives in Wisconsin, and works downtown and takes Metra to work.

The Cleveland RTA has a Heavy rail and light rail system called The Rapid, it is a rapid transit system

System overview:

http://img392.imageshack.us/img392/8376/untitled2aw8.png (http://imageshack.us)


Heavy Rail Cars:

http://img259.imageshack.us/img259/9384/clerapidsi0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)




http://img392.imageshack.us/img392/3812/clerapidcmt2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Light Rail cars:

http://img259.imageshack.us/img259/536/titleclevelandcl5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)


The blue and Green lines have been running strong since 1920.

The redline was put in back in 1956 and was the first rail transit system in the country to connect

the airport with a rail line.

Ridership has been going up for the last 4 years but is still at about half what it was in the late 1970's.


This is an older pick of the central rail hub, Tower City around the holidays. All the train lines except Amtrak stop here. The place is a shopping mall and has indoor walkways to The Federal Courthouse as well as Quicken Loans arena, and Jacobs Field.

http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/1833/theaveattowercitywb1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

There may be a commuter line from lorain a Western city/suburb that connects to the redline. If implemented it will use used equipment bought from Chicago's system. We are also currently building a bus rapid transit line.

Personally I think a line needs to be built linking Cleveland and Akron as I-77 is ridicoulous in between the two cities.

Screw wimpy light rail, sharing the roads with cars.

Give me Big Heavy Rail. Double Decker Style any day.
Wow. Lets make sure we keep our hands where we can see them.

steeper, is the Market-Embarcadero-P39-Wharf line with the vintage streetcars not considered part of Muni Metro? Is it a separate division of its own that is not part of Muni's busses, cable cars and Metro? I realize it differs from the others since it runs on grade level on Market (unlike the Metro and BART lines below) and stays at grade level up to the north waterfront loop, but I really thought it was included with the Metro cars.

this is another for steeper (or others who might know):

has muni metro ever considered a route to serve the richmond through service down geary to perhaps cliff house? areas north of the park (although not specifically richmond) were included in the original BART plans to cross the GG into Marin. However, today, there is no effective service through some of the most dense parts of SF due west of downtown....not only Richmond, but Western Addition, Marina, Pac Hts, etc. A Geary line would do wonders, IMHO, perhaps even as part of the Chinatown expansion of the T line.

Seems like a serious omission.

Screw wimpy light rail, sharing the roads with cars.

Give me Big Heavy Rail. Double Decker Style any day.


Those pics are of commuter rail, I think I rather have more light rail than commuter rail which is meant more for serving suburban areas. :)

Those pics are of commuter rail, I think I rather have more light rail than commuter rail which meant more for serving suburban areas. :)


I am not sure what you mean about commuter rail vs rail serving suburban areas. Most of the Metra stops and a majority of people utilizing it are suburban.

If you mean intra sububran; Metra is planing the STAR line, and you currently can go suburb to suburb with Metra.

To edsg25:

In regards to the SF street car, yes, it is considered part of Muni, they call it the F-Line. I don't know why they don't include it on a lot of the metro maps. Granted, it is a bit of a novelty line that is primarily for tourists to use to go from Embarcadero to Pier 39 and perhaps up Market to Powell/Union Square.

I don't know how efficient it is a true transit option compared to the other lines as, in reality, it takes approximately 10-15 minutes to get from Castro Street to downtown on the Muni underground (assuming no delay) whereas the F-train will take 30-40 minutes to travel the same distance with all the stop lights and traffic to contend with. But, I used to live near the Castro Muni station and the F train cars were always pretty full, they come on fairly regular intervals, and make a number of additional stops along Market the underground doesn't. And I remember using it myself on several occasions to get home from downtown when the Muni underground was not working. The travel time issue is a big hindrance, but considering the other lines often operate with only one car at a time, in terms of numbers, I think the F-line competes pretty well for what it is.

As far as the Geary/Richmond area, a light rail line is desperately needed and, yes, given the density, would be highly successful. Unfortunately, a Geary line has been in development hell for years and the current proposal is to develop a Bus Rapid Transit line as an alternative to doing light rail. I can understand how boring a tunnel all the way down Geary might be expensive. But, I can't see why if they want to build a grade separated BRT line, why they won't just go all the way and make it another light rail line. It would be well positioned to be connected via a shorter tunnel to the future underground portion of the Third Street/Central line

T I can understand how boring a tunnel all the way down Geary might be expensive. But, I can't see why if they want to build a grade separated BRT line, why they won't just go all the way and make it another light rail line.

Steeper, why would it need a tunnel? The ride from Union Square to the Cliff House area is hardly one of the hillier east-west routes going west from DT. Meanwhile, the lines that exit at West Portal basically run at grade level, often in the middle of a street. Why couldn't a line to the Richmond work the same way.

Dallas has a pretty good transit system called DART. It includes....

Light Rail(doubling in size over the next few years)
Buses- ultra low imession
Trolley-running in downtown and Uptown
Commuter Rail- Running from Dallas to Ft. Worth
and part of 1 line is a Subway with 1 underground station

here is the LRT map

http://www.renaissancetower.net/img/gallery/dart.gif

a picture of the trains

http://gilglover.com/dart10.jpg

a picture of the buses

http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/thumb/f/fa/300px-DART_bus.jpg

a picture of the commuter rail

http://www.trinityrailwayexpress.org/images/train@ITC_lores.jpg

and the trolley...

http://www.universityunited.com/UptownDallasTrolleyCirculator.jpg

also the underground station(Cityplace Station)

http://gilglover.com/DARTCP04.jpg

VTA tracks have sections which are both at-grade and grade-seperated (light rail/rapid transit)
http://urbanhabitat.org/files/images/vtacropped.jpg
http://www.lightrailnow.org/images/sj-lrt-tasman-east-ext-viaduct-20040825br_peter-ehrlich.jpg
http://www.lightrailnow.org/images/sj-lrt-open-vasona-ln-climbing-fr-diridon-tun-20050730br_peter-ehrlich.jpg
Caltrain (north to SF and south to Gilroy) and ACE Rail (northeast to the Central Valley) are both commuter rail
http://www.shovemedia.com/images/sanjose_caltrain1.jpg
http://ktransit.com/transit/uscalifornia/sanjose/commuter/Photos/sjc-cr-collegepark-062504-05.jpg
Amtrak has the Capitol Corridor which I guess acts as commuter rail, but it's a pretty long trip
http://www.trainweb.org/crocon/goodenow/SanJose.JPG

Those pics are of commuter rail, I think I rather have more light rail than commuter rail which is meant more for serving suburban areas. :)


Light rail is for lightweights. Heavy rail is meant for serving suburban areas. Light rail could never support the daily commuters that use Metra. In Chicago light rail, esp those sharing the road with cars would be obsolete in thought alone. Light rail could never do the heavy lifting that is required in a mature, dense Metro area. Chicago is lucky to have highly built up rail infrastructure dedicated to heavy rail.

Screw wimpy light rail, sharing the roads with cars.

Give me Big Heavy Rail. Double Decker Style any day.

http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:8fU12DySe-qAVM:http://www.nlfan.com/joliet/photos/MetraConductors.jpg

http://www.nrhs.com/railfan/2001-2002/metra.jpg

http://oldweb.uwp.edu/academic/economics/EconClub/images/F2000-Metra.jpg

http://www.digiconinc.com/images/Metra%20train.jpg

http://www.railroad.net/articles/railfanning/metra/media/metra_04.jpg

http://www.n-sharyo.co.jp/business/tetsudo/images/zusametra.jpg

http://www.nipc.org/images/snow4_99.jpg

http://www.readingtimes.com.tw/TimesHtml/authors/railroad/museum/trains/metra.gif

http://www.mrl.ucsb.edu/~yopopov/images/chicago/metra/MetraCar.jpg

http://www.geocities.com/televisioncity/set/5907/ts140MetraF40CatElgin-2.jpg

http://www.byrnes.org/railfan/transit/trans23.jpg

http://www1.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/79216/2/istockphoto_79216_switchyard.jpg

http://www.entenginc.com/whatwedo/images/chmet/metra4.jpg

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/cmaqpgs/amaq/metra.jpg

Aye Jive when do they plan on adding that north-south corridor lines

Dallas has a pretty good transit system called DART. It includes....

here is the LRT map

http://www.renaissancetower.net/img/gallery/dart.gif
[/IMG]

Can you tell me if they are building the line over to Pleasant Grove? If so when will they complete this?

This area is in dire need of rail service IMO. I have relatives in that neighborhood and when I visit I rather take advantage of public transportation instead of driving. There is a bus that goes downtown just a block from their home, but a light rail line would be so much better.

Indianapolis is using the Dallas and Salt Lake City systems as models for how we will implement/build our new system. We are focusing on Dallas because the two metros are very auto-dependent and hope to use their success' here in the Circle City. I can't wait until we get our first line U/C!!

IWe're lucky in the Bay Area where I live in that we have lots of transit/rail options (except Marin County where they use buses and ferrys). http://world.nycsubway.org/us/index.html
http://img503.imageshack.us/img503/1293/transitmapbartpu8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)http://img458.imageshack.us/img458/5171/transitmapmuniyx2.gif (http://imageshack.us)


Marin and the rest of the north bay look sadly unBARTed. What a shame. Marin was there from the start and bailed out. Today a golden gate or bay crossing north is too exhorbitant.

What BART would also have accomplished in the Marin link is that fill that most glaring of gaps in the Muni Metro map below: service to northern San Francisco, that incredibly important and wealthy section of SF that has none (the closest cuts to the Pacific south of GGP). Areas like Pacific Heights and Cow Hollow and even inner Richmond would have been aided by a BART link to Marin that went as far west as the GGB. Since Muni and BART can be used interchangeably witin city limits, a more complete light and heavy rail system would have been in place for SF.

What a shame the line was never built. Eventually the SF/Peninsula lines and the East Bay lines will join up around San Jose. If Marin had been part of BART, the same would have been true of the East Bay and Marin lines, thus completely encircling the bay.

Marin and the rest of the north bay look sadly unBARTed. What a shame. Marin was there from the start and bailed out. Today a golden gate or bay crossing north is too exhorbitant.

What BART would also have accomplished in the Marin link is that fill that most glaring of gaps in the Muni Metro map below: service to northern San Francisco, that incredibly important and wealthy section of SF that has none (the closest cuts to the Pacific south of GGP). Areas like Pacific Heights and Cow Hollow and even inner Richmond would have been aided by a BART link to Marin that went as far west as the GGB. Since Muni and BART can be used interchangeably witin city limits, a more complete light and heavy rail system would have been in place for SF.

What a shame the line was never built. Eventually the SF/Peninsula lines and the East Bay lines will join up around San Jose. If Marin had been part of BART, the same would have been true of the East Bay and Marin lines, thus completely encircling the bay.
1. the North Bay seems very much opposed to urbanization, thus no BART
2. the BART extension from Fremont seems iffy enough, let alone one on the peninsula side

Light rail is for lightweights. Heavy rail is meant for serving suburban areas. Light rail could never support the daily commuters that use Metra. In Chicago light rail, esp those sharing the road with cars would be obsolete in thought alone. Light rail could never do the heavy lifting that is required in a mature, dense Metro area. Chicago is lucky to have highly built up rail infrastructure dedicated to heavy rail.

Screw wimpy light rail, sharing the roads with cars.

Give me Big Heavy Rail. Double Decker Style any day.



Light rail is for light weights lol

I said I would rather have light rail is because the only place your going to find light rail is a dense urban area. I guess if you'd prefer to have lots of suburbs you'd want more commuter rail...?

^ I take it you haven't been on many light rail systems. Let me find Xing's picture of the STL Metrolink going through a cornfield!

Can you tell me if they are building the line over to Pleasant Grove? If so when will they complete this?

This area is in dire need of rail service IMO. I have relatives in that neighborhood and when I visit I rather take advantage of public transportation instead of driving. There is a bus that goes downtown just a block from their home, but a light rail line would be so much better.

Chris. http://www.dart.org/about/expansion/otherprojects.asp
I believe the green line will service Pleasant Grove and run NW towards Carrollton.
Here is a video about the new green line scheduled with some stations schedule to open in 2009. This is a great video for rail enthusiasts.
http://www.dart.org/video/flashvideo...ejune2007.html

The green line will be great for Dallas. However, the orange line that is also currently under construction will be better. It will break off from the green line at Bachman Station and then to the DFW. The DFW station will open in 2013. But Pleasant Grove will see service in the next 2-3 years.

^ I take it you haven't been on many light rail systems. Let me find Xing's picture of the STL Metrolink going through a cornfield!

lol ive only been on one but i ride it every day

What a shame the line was never built. Eventually the SF/Peninsula lines and the East Bay lines will join up around San Jose. If Marin had been part of BART, the same would have been true of the East Bay and Marin lines, thus completely encircling the bay.

BART will proabably never come down th ePenninsula to SJ. And that's fine, CalTrain is a great and serves the cities well.

This is what NYC has in terms of subway/rail lines.

Subway
http://subway.umka.org/maps/new-york.gif

Metro-North RR
http://mta.info/mnr/gifs/mnrmap.gif

LIRR
http://mta.info/lirr/images/lirr.gif

NJ Transit
http://images.nycsubway.org/maps/njtmap.gif

PATH
http://images.nycsubway.org/maps/calcagno-2003-path.gif

SI Railway
http://www.mta.info/nyct/images/sirmap.gif

^ I take it you haven't been on many light rail systems. Let me find Xing's picture of the STL Metrolink going through a cornfield!

I never understood why the metrolink went all the way out there when it doesnt even accommodate north and south st. louis city yet, but good point.

I never understood why the metrolink went all the way out there when it doesnt even accommodate north and south st. louis city yet, but good point.

Because Illinois funds the Metrolink and uses it as a development tool. Missouri ... well, things are done differently in Missouri. They don't really like paying for things.

Because Illinois funds the Metrolink and uses it as a development tool. Missouri ... well, things are done differently in Missouri. They don't really like paying for things.

also very true:lol: good point whosville

http://www.tuftslife.com/images/map_mbta.gif

The Green Line will be extended north from Lechmere into Somerville and Medford, adding 5 to 7 new stops. It is scheduled for completion in 2011.

http://www.somervillestep.org/files/GlobeGreenLineMap_051205.jpg

Additionally, the MBTA, Mass DoT and other state agencies involved are studying how to extend the Blue Line to Lynn and Salem.

http://www.mbta.com/images/rail-spider.gif

The Providence Line's extension to TF Green International Airport is scheduled for a 2009 completion. Studies are also underway on extending service to Fall River, New Bedford, and Nashua NH.

Also, the Fairmount Branch of the commuter line is currently being upgraded to what will be known as the Indigo Line. To cut and paste directly from one of the Boston-area's better known urban issues blogger vanshnookenraggen:

"The Indigo Line is actually the Fairmount Branch of the commuter rail that runs from South Station to Readville in Hyde Park. It only makes 5 stops, but it runs through a very densely populated area of Boston and Dorchester. The MBTA and local community groups have decided to upgrade the CR service and add more stops. This is where it gets interesting. Some people want the line to be fully converted to Rapid Transit while others (mainly the MBTA) want it to be just CR with more stops and more frequent trips.

Construction of Phase 1 of the Indigo Line is under construction now. This will rebuild Uphams Corner and Morton St stations so they are ADA compliant, high level platforms, and better shelter from the elements. Phase 2 will construct new stations along the route at Newmarket, Five Corners, Talbot Ave, and Blue Hill Ave."

http://www.swbcdc.org/Programs/Fairmount%20Indigo%20Line/Map-Indigo.gif

I found this website that has information, including route maps and photos, on all types of light rail, regional rail, street car lines, etc, all across the US: http://world.nycsubway.org/us/index.html

We're lucky in the Bay Area where I live in that we have lots of transit/rail options (except Marin County where they use buses and ferrys). I love taking the train to work and do it everyday on Bart from Dublin/Pleasanton to Oakland (Lake Merritt).

http://img503.imageshack.us/img503/1293/transitmapbartpu8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

When I lived in SF, I took both Muni (the SF city light rail) and Bart to my work in downtown Oakland. The connections between Bart and Muni downtown are great since they both run underground on Market Street. Muni doesn't cover the entire city (they need a line down the Geary corridor), but, it works pretty well for most travel and buses cover where the light doesn't.

http://img458.imageshack.us/img458/5171/transitmapmuniyx2.gif (http://imageshack.us)

I've also ridden on Caltrain, the commuter rail that runs down the peninsula between SF and San Jose, and VTA, which is the light rail in San Jose.

http://img509.imageshack.us/img509/4378/transitmapcaltrainwy6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/303/transitmapsjvtafb8.gif (http://imageshack.us)

We also have commuter Amtrak service from Stockton to San Jose (ACE) and from Sacramento to San Jose (Capital Corridor). I've never ridden on these, but, my cousin in Sacramento has come down many times on the Capital Corridor and like it. Though, like a lot of Amtrak service, it is frequently late.

When I lived in Sacramento, I worked downtown and commuted on the light rail there. I really like it as well and it was where I grew to love commuting to work on the train. It's been expanded (to Folsom) since I lived there and they have future plans to go to the airport and possible to Davis:

http://img458.imageshack.us/img458/4655/transitmapsachh2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)


SF Muni doesn't cover the densest parts of the city like North Beach and Chinatownm, but it extensive in the low density areas.

http://www.sfmta.com/cms/img/l4images/centralsub.gif

South Eastern Pennyslvania Transportation Authority

From Philadelphia you can go to places in PA, New Jersey, or Deleware on Septa:
http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/6552/septapa0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Suburban Trolley routes 101 & 102 (the brown lines) go from 69th street terminal at the city limits to Media (101) and Sharron Hill (102) in the suburbs:

www.subwaynut.com/septa/ photos:
http://img258.imageshack.us/img258/8411/drexelpark3dp6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

City trolley routes 10,11,13, 15, 34,36 (green lines) go from City Hall downtown to the parts of West Philadelphia, including Eastwick (near the airport) to border cities like Darby.

world.nycsubway.org photos:

A trolley underground in West Philly:
http://images.nycsubway.org/i45000/img_45065.jpg

Two trolley's meet at 40th Street portal (where they head underground to go through West Philadelphia and downtown)
http://images.nycsubway.org/i61000/img_61320.jpg

The Norristown High speed Line (Route 100, Purple line) goes from 69th Street Terminal to the city of Norristown.

photo from http://world.nycsubway.org/us/phila/:
http://img514.imageshack.us/img514/9025/img16758ke5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Market Frankford Subway-Elevated runs from Northeast Philly (Frankford) to West Philly (69th Street, city limits). It runs underground downtown, and on an elevated structure in West and Northeast Philly.

Photos from world.nycsubway.org/us/phila/market-frankford.html:

A train departs Frankfor for 69th Street:
http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/7866/img61377qs6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
From 1999, the old Budd M3 cars are seen next to a brand new Budd M4 train:
http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/9416/img69161bq7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
MbJHGfgXKr4

The Broad Street Line (orange line, only 4 Track express subway outside NYC, much faster express trains) runs from Fern Rock Transportation Center to Center City and South Philadelphia. Goes above ground at only one station, Fern Rock. Epress runs from Fern Rock to Walnut-Locust only. 8th-Market/Broad Ridge Spur runs from Fern Rock or Olney to 8th & Market Streets (the Gallery Mall).

etivs1HyKwE
lvzBDXrxNrE

Broad Street Line light markers explained:

Blue-Special train
Green-Express
White-Local Train
Yellow-Broad Ridge Spur Train (2 cars long)
Red-Back of the train

Patco High Speed Line runs from Center City Philadelphia to Lindenwald, NJ. It goes across the Ben Franklin Bridge to get to New Jersey. It's underground only in downtown Philadelphia and Camden, NJ:

ky4u6nPiGJ4
TVHaPtFB0hw

Regional Rail trains (Grey lines) Travel to the suburbs, go into the city, and then head back to the suburbs in a different direction:

fQzuI_peNps
Ih9ZwGw7ShQ