Opposition Website to Clairemont Trolleys?
Decatur Metro | October 23, 2007Decatur Metro wonders what the motivation is behind an opposition website to the “long term” transportation option of light-rail on Clairemont Road found in the Community Transportation Plan (page 23). The site says its authored by “a group of concerned citizens who believe that railed transportation on our historic and pastoral streets is not in the best interests of our neighborhood.” But their concerns seem quite scattered…trolleys are unsafe, trolleys drive inflexible routes, trolleys are costly, trolleys may hurt mature trees. I never knew the terror trolleys caused! Also don’t miss the sensational YouTube videos of trolleys smashing into cars!
Here’s a hint to those who are afraid of being hit by a trolley…don’t step/drive in front of it. It’s the same rule as with the MARTA buses that scream down Clairemont, refusing to stop at crosswalks.
This excessive use of scare tactics always makes me suspicious. What’s the real impetus of this?
Hattip: In Decatur – who deftly points out that trolleys ran in Decatur through the late 1940’s.
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I laughed out loud at the soundtrack on the murder-trolley video.
Having said that, I think small, clean, comfortable buses could be deployed more quickly and at a fraction of the cost of rail.
We are all so in love with rail and so appalled at the idea of riding the bus. I think we need to get over that prejudice.
Because buses suck, and rail rocks.
Uh…beautifully argued Open&Transparent.
For those that are worried about keeping the mature trees along the street…don’t the trees already have to be trimmed back for the powerlines?
And maybe if there was light rail in the right lane, it wouldn’t look like they had been molested by Uhaul trucks.
[...] Decatur Metro points us to a site that opposes a trolley in Decatur. [...]
Found this post through the Carnival.
Quite simply, rail-based transportation has a higher capacity at a lower operating cost per passenger.
As Mary points out, the capital cost for buses is lower. But that is about as far as the bus advantage goes. If you want a solution that is going to attract more passengers, attract more appropriate development, remain stable over the long-term, and do it all at a lower overall cost, streetcars are the way to go.
[...] Streetcar Named Decatur 4 12 2007 Remember that opposition website to streetcars in Decatur as proposed in the Community Transportation Plan, which threatened [...]