Monthly Archives: April 2012

Where Should Streetcar Corridors Be?

Posted on 2012/04/30 by

At a meeting of some of the Greater City people about the Providence streetcar proposal, many of us had severe criticism of the current plan. The line is too short; it is S-shaped; it detours to serve a hospital that’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Providence, Transportation, Urban Transit | 41 Comments

Quick Note: How Much Tunnels Really Cost

Posted on 2012/04/20 by

New York is currently building a 3-kilometer tunnel between Brooklyn and Staten Island, using the same EPB method that Madrid uses to build subway tunnels. The cost of the single-bore tunnel is $250 million, and the project will be completed … Continue reading →

Posted in Construction Costs, New York, Transportation | 55 Comments

What’s a Subway/El?

Posted on 2012/04/16 by

The rapid transit built in New York beginning with the first els codified two characteristics that spread to the rest of the US, and are often seen in other countries’ rapid transit networks as well. First, it is separate from … Continue reading →

Posted in New York, Regional Rail, Transportation, Urban Transit | 60 Comments

One-Way Pairs: the Bad and the Ugly

Posted on 2012/04/08 by

One of Jane Jacobs’ prescient observations about bus service in The Death and Life is that one-way pairs, as practiced on the avenues in Manhattan, are bad for riders. Her argument was that one-way pairs require people to walk too … Continue reading →

Posted in Incompetence, Israel, New York, Transportation, Urban Transit | 21 Comments

Amtrak Expects 10 Billion Passengers

Posted on 2012/04/01 by

April 1, 2042 Washington – the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (AMTRAK) expects ridership in fiscal 2042 to top 10 billion and net profit to top $8 billion, after an aggressive program of expansion. Ridership in fiscal 2041 was 9.8 billion, … Continue reading →

Posted in Transportation | 21 Comments