Charles Allen killed the EOTR Streetcar

[Anonymous]

I agree that the initial idea was to revive H street by depending on the people who would ride the metro and then hop on the streetcar, rather than the people who would ride the bus.

However, in today's world, with plenty of people living near the H street neighborhood, it would make more sense to make the street accessible and safe for the neighbors who will bus or walk over to H street, rather than focusing on the people who need a streetcar to get to it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Retrofitting light rail makes no sense. For the same price, you could dedicate a bus lane and buy electric busses.

Light rail makes no sense if your only concern is cost per rider.

Light rail makes perfect sense if you are also concerned with economic development along the rail corridor.

The fact is, affluent people prefer rail to bus, and businesses prefer to serve affluent people. The streetcar was never about efficient transit, is was about redeveloping the area it served. There's a reason the Wilson Blvd corridor is massively developed and Columbia Pike isn't despite it being well served by bus lines.

Affluent people also prefer a streetcar which operates well and efficiently, and without a dedicated lane, this street car does not.

Everyone prefers a streetcar that operates well and efficiently, except for people who just hate all public transit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Retrofitting light rail makes no sense. For the same price, you could dedicate a bus lane and buy electric busses.

Light rail makes no sense if your only concern is cost per rider.

Light rail makes perfect sense if you are also concerned with economic development along the rail corridor.

The fact is, affluent people prefer rail to bus, and businesses prefer to serve affluent people. The streetcar was never about efficient transit, is was about redeveloping the area it served. There's a reason the Wilson Blvd corridor is massively developed and Columbia Pike isn't despite it being well served by bus lines.

Hasn't done anything for Springfield or Tysons.

Are you joking or have you not been to Tyson's in the past 15 years?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree that the initial idea was to revive H street by depending on the people who would ride the metro and then hop on the streetcar, rather than the people who would ride the bus.

However, in today's world, with plenty of people living near the H street neighborhood, it would make more sense to make the street accessible and safe for the neighbors who will bus or walk over to H street, rather than focusing on the people who need a streetcar to get to it.

Translation: "I got mine on H St, we better pull up the ladder before those dirty poors east of the river get theirs!"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Retrofitting light rail makes no sense. For the same price, you could dedicate a bus lane and buy electric busses.

Light rail makes no sense if your only concern is cost per rider.

Light rail makes perfect sense if you are also concerned with economic development along the rail corridor.

The fact is, affluent people prefer rail to bus, and businesses prefer to serve affluent people. The streetcar was never about efficient transit, is was about redeveloping the area it served. There's a reason the Wilson Blvd corridor is massively developed and Columbia Pike isn't despite it being well served by bus lines.

Hasn't done anything for Springfield or Tysons.

Are you joking or have you not been to Tyson's in the past 15 years?

Yes, and Springfield too. I don't see massive development except for building the light rail.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Retrofitting light rail makes no sense. For the same price, you could dedicate a bus lane and buy electric busses.

Light rail makes no sense if your only concern is cost per rider.

Light rail makes perfect sense if you are also concerned with economic development along the rail corridor.

The fact is, affluent people prefer rail to bus, and businesses prefer to serve affluent people. The streetcar was never about efficient transit, is was about redeveloping the area it served. There's a reason the Wilson Blvd corridor is massively developed and Columbia Pike isn't despite it being well served by bus lines.

Hasn't done anything for Springfield or Tysons.

Are you joking or have you not been to Tyson's in the past 15 years?

Yes, and Springfield too. I don't see massive development except for building the light rail.

DP. The Silver Line is heavy rail.

[Anonymous]

Unfortunately now the money will probably be redirected to more useless violence interrupters and other bogus pet projects of Charles Allen. Better to have spent it on an imperfect streetcar.

[Anonymous]

Good. Allen should finish the job and kill the entire streetcar, period. He'd be my hero.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Retrofitting light rail makes no sense. For the same price, you could dedicate a bus lane and buy electric busses.

I would rather ride light rail a million times over...

Why?

because it's cool

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Good. Allen should finish the job and kill the entire streetcar, period. He'd be my hero.

Even better drive him out of town on a rail

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Retrofitting light rail makes no sense. For the same price, you could dedicate a bus lane and buy electric busses.

Light rail makes no sense if your only concern is cost per rider.

Light rail makes perfect sense if you are also concerned with economic development along the rail corridor.

The fact is, affluent people prefer rail to bus, and businesses prefer to serve affluent people. The streetcar was never about efficient transit, is was about redeveloping the area it served. There's a reason the Wilson Blvd corridor is massively developed and Columbia Pike isn't despite it being well served by bus lines.

Affluent people also prefer a streetcar which operates well and efficiently, and without a dedicated lane, this street car does not.

Everyone prefers a streetcar that operates well and efficiently, except for people who just hate all public transit.

and wouldn't use it anyway

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Even better drive him out of town on a rail

I love Charles Allen. I hate the streetcar. Biggest transportation boondoggle in DC history. If they won't enforce a street car only road lane, it's completely useless.

[Anonymous]

Isn't the streetcar basically a slots machine where if it hits your parked car you get a random amount of cash from the city? No one uses it anyways

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Isn't the streetcar basically a slots machine where if it hits your parked car you get a random amount of cash from the city? No one uses it anyways

What? It's on fixed rails, it is literally physically impossible for the streetcar to hit a car that isn't illegally or improperly parked.

If it hits your parked car you get a ticket and a tow from the city.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
What? It's on fixed rails, it is literally physically impossible for the streetcar to hit a car that isn't illegally or improperly parked.

If it hits your parked car you get a ticket and a tow from the city.

Exactly. And the Streetcar holds all the riders up because they have to wait for the car to be moved. Total idiocy.

I'm not anti-developer but the Streetcar was such developer grift it was embarrassing. Cancel it now and double the bus capacity and install real enforced bus lanes. NOW.