Rail Service Still A Dream? (Norfolk, Richmond: employment, construction, light rail) - Virginia (VA) - Page 6 - City-Data Forum

cityboi757 · 09-01-2009, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 540_804

Yeah, thats true but it makes sense.
If you look at the proposals, the LRT proposed in Richmond isn't like the LRT you see in HR or Charlotte. The proposals for Richmond are more of a commuter transit option vs the intra-city options which probably makes sense for a city like Richmond.

I think Richmond should stick to BRT articulated buses for downtown use, regular buses for the areas outside of the city core and LRT for commuter options. I just don't see LRT as practical within the city of Richmond. Now now anyway..

I really wish GRTC already had the articulated buses in service. The VCU Campus connector could benefit from it. The two (sometimes 3) dedicated buses they use now are often standing room only. I would guess its probably the most used route in service.

Yeah, Hampton Roads has plans to build commuter rail to connect to the light rail. That's the best way to do it for both Richmond and HR. Light rail and commuter rail are different though. Commuter rail is heavy rail and relies on suburban park and rides to commute to the city.. They only stop like every 2 miles or so.

Nebat · 09-01-2009, 04:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 540_804

Yeah, thats true but it makes sense.
If you look at the proposals, the LRT proposed in Richmond isn't like the LRT you see in HR or Charlotte. The proposals for Richmond are more of a commuter transit option vs the intra-city options which probably makes sense for a city like Richmond.

I think Richmond should stick to BRT articulated buses for downtown use, regular buses for the areas outside of the city core and LRT for commuter options. I just don't see LRT as practical within the city of Richmond. Now now anyway..

I really wish GRTC already had the articulated buses in service. The VCU Campus connector could benefit from it. The two (sometimes 3) dedicated buses they use now are often standing room only. I would guess its probably the most used route in service.

I think it's a shame for Richmond not to have some kind of rail service at all, even right now. Considering that trolley's were pioneered here leading the way for other forms of rail transit. When I was in San Francisco I made a point to ride a trolley, you know just to say I did, anyway, in the middle of downtown SF where you board the trolley in a very busy area is a info marker telling the story of the trolley's and it even mentioned how Richmond was the first place to use them successfully. It was a wtf moment as I never knew that. Funny as I had to go all the way to SF to find out. For as historic as Richmond is, it is a shame to not have that one aspect of its past still around.

540_804 · 09-01-2009, 05:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nebat

I think it's a shame for Richmond not to have some kind of rail service at all, even right now. Considering that trolley's were pioneered here leading the way for other forms of rail transit. When I was in San Francisco I made a point to ride a trolley, you know just to say I did, anyway, in the middle of downtown SF where you board the trolley in a very busy area is a info marker telling the story of the trolley's and it even mentioned how Richmond was the first place to use them successfully. It was a wtf moment as I never knew that. Funny as I had to go all the way to SF to find out. For as historic as Richmond is, it is a shame to not have that one aspect of its past still around.

Funny you mention trolley...I was actually gonna respond to cityboi757's post about the Tide with "Richmond had light rail in 1888"

but didn't want people to misinterpret the joke as trolling...

There have been talks of restoring the trolley system in Richmond (and Roanoke actually) but nothing has come of it...The last serious proposal for Roanoke was 2007 and I think Richmond was even more recent than that.

Roanoke in the past:

Quote:

A proposal to build a light rail transit (LRT) streetcar line is gaining momentum in Roanoke, a city of 95,000 people, where streetcars once carried up to 24 million riders a year before they were shut down and the tracks torn out in 1948

cityboi757 · 09-01-2009, 07:44 PM

Hmm guess what?! Norfolk had light rail in 1898! What's the big deal lol. Many cities used to have trolleys until the birth of the automobile. You act like Richmond was the only city with them back in the day!

Dowtown Norfolk.

540_804 · 09-01-2009, 09:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cityboi757

Hmm guess what?! Norfolk had light rail in 1898! What's the big deal lol. Many cities used to have trolleys until the birth of the automobile. You act like Richmond was the only city with them back in the day!

Dowtown Norfolk.

LOL..it was a joke.
But Richmond was the first to do it on that scale and to do it successfully.

By the way, is the building on the right side of that pic still standing?

Nebat · 09-01-2009, 10:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cityboi757

Hmm guess what?! Norfolk had light rail in 1898! What's the big deal lol. Many cities used to have trolleys until the birth of the automobile. You act like Richmond was the only city with them back in the day!

Dowtown Norfolk.

Wow, I just can't believe other cities had trolley's other than Richmond?! Who would have guessed?

Nah, I was just saying that Richmond is known for pioneering the trolley. I know full well that other cities had them too. Hell, even my little town had a couple back in the day. I just focused on Richmond for said reasons and it's the closest major metro to me. It's still a shame they're gone though. Those fake ones don't count that are busses in disguise. Looking forward to Norfolk's system when it's done!

richmondpics · 09-02-2009, 07:19 AM

Richmond's hilly terrain was the perfect place to show the effectiveness of a large scale trolley system. It's a shame it was the first place anywhere to have a streetcar system, only to have little to show for it now. Many of the tracks are still in place under the asphault pavement, set in some great brick pavers.

cityboi757 · 09-02-2009, 10:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nebat

Looking forward to Norfolk's system when it's done!

Our trains are on the test track in Sacramento and being shipped to Norfolk this month!

540_804 · 09-02-2009, 01:33 PM

Maybe if we send the mayors of Roanoke and Richmond to Norfolk when the LRT system is done, that will convince them to do it in our cities as well..

You know how Virginia's cities like to try to 'one up' each other whenever possible. Some friendly competition would be good for us all...
BUT..given the track record of both Roanoke and Richmond, the city governments will probably spend $5 million on studies and then do nothing.

cityboi757 · 09-02-2009, 01:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 540_804

Maybe if we send the mayors of Roanoke and Richmond to Norfolk when the LRT system is done, that will convince them to do it in our cities as well..

You know how Virginia's cities like to try to 'one up' each other whenever possible. Some friendly competition would be good for us all...
BUT..given the track record of both Roanoke and Richmond, the city governments will probably spend $5 million on studies and then do nothing.

I think our leaders where convinced when they took a trip to Charlotte

We've ordered the same LRV's Charlotte has and it's being built by the exact people.

Now that Norfolk has light rail, local leaders around hampton roads (VB, portsmouth, newport news, etc) are jumping outta their skin to be next.

Eventually we will have a very nice transit system!