drbubb Posted April 29, 2008 Report Share Posted April 29, 2008 Images of Good public transport - post them here ===================== This thread was triggered by the following comment, first posted on the LOHAS thread. If you have seen public transport that you like (or hate!), please post an image here Very promising, hopefully this will be more common in future. For now it will only be the reasonably wealthy that can afford to live in these specially designed live-in parks I imagine! The problem is realistically people will still want to go to places outside their little area quite often hence rather than just doing away with cars we need an advanced alternative. I think a great alternative can be a mix of something like Bangkok's sky train and Shenzhen's metro. The sky train could be for shorter distances so have more choice of where to go and the metro can be for longer distances. But the sky trains tracks should split out a lot. There is a good aesthetic reason for having a sky train and that is you can look over the city as you are going past and it's highly visible so you can easily see where it's going. Also if the system is good enough we wouldn't even need roads, they could be converted into green park like walkways, like a whole city that is also a park! I think I'm really onto something here, if only I knew how to draw I could do an artistic representation I believe public transport could really flourish as a great solution once people are weened out of their cars. At the moment people choose to use cars because public transport isn't good enough yet the reason it isn't good enough is because there isn't enough demand to expand it- chicken and egg situation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drbubb Posted April 29, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 29, 2008 Bangkok's sky train ... map Shenzhen's metro ... map : map2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saberu Posted April 29, 2008 Report Share Posted April 29, 2008 Great pictures, I think that second one is Shenzhen's monorail as opposed to it's metro- Google images can be missleading sometimes. I didn't know that off by heart I just checked the page with that image and it said the monorail was a seperate line to the metro mainly for tourists. Just found some great videos- Shenzhen metro inside: Shenzhen metro outside: Bangkok sky train outside: Bangkok sky train inside: I had the pleasure to ride both when I went on holiday to Asia last year Do Invizion Power Board support embedding youtube videos? I couldn't find a way to do it. I've seen people embed videos in posts before on other forums but I still haven't worked out how to do it on my Discuz forum either, oh well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drbubb Posted April 30, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 30, 2008 The Shenzhen train is quieter than London (see below)- I wonder how they manage that? And the last part of the Shenzhen announcement is in English. ("The door is closing!") 1/ London, departing tube train 2/ Paris, departing metro train Paris looks and sounds very old fashioned 3/ Helsinki, departing metro train Helsinki is London-like to me 4/ Rio de Janeiro, departing metro train Rio puts Paris to shame. But how much do the Brazilian spend on decoration? 5/ Hong Kong Metro Hong Kong's efficient metro is putting Kowloon Motor bus into financial difficulties HK is understandably proud of its Metro. In fact the SAR's 2030 plan (which I saw a copy yesterday) happily talks about continuing it's "rali transport led development." Build teh MTR somewhere, and the propert development, and the people will follow. In fact. MTR has been mainly a property play, and property profits have helped to fuel an expansion of the system. But the HK government is now pressuring the public traded MTR Corp to back its own development plans. Recentlt the MTR Corp took over the old Kowloon Canton Railway Company (KCR) in order that HK could integrate its own local MTR system with China's growing railway system (more on than below.) Thery produced some adverts for television to help promote support amongst the public. The advertisement of the new MTR Company http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rcsx9VuUGqU News Report (in Cantonese) about the Merger of MTR and KCR http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OL1T8auMBI crazyball8e (4 months ago) : Kowloon-Canton Railway (KCR) had been in service in Hong Kong (and Guangzhou) for 97 years (1910-2007) with excellent reputation. Now, we, along with us who have been on the train but currently living overseas, had to say goodbye to KCR and, sadly, will not witness centennial celebration of KCR in 2010. I will never forget the innovative 12-car train with a red double-arrow symbol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drbubb Posted April 30, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 30, 2008 HIGH SPEED LINK COULD BOOST WEST KOWLOON's FUTURE in Hong Kong and China New Rail line to join HK to nation's high-speed network - from SCMP Government to build hk$39 billion border link, ease it to MTR "Hong Kong will become the southern gateway to the nation's high speed rail network with the approval yesterday of a hk$39.5 billion plan to build a high speed rail link to the border." Points: + Transport Service to begin in 2015, halving the journey time to Guangzhou to 48 minutes. Time to Shanghai will be 8 hours, and Beijing just 10 hours + New HK terminus in West Kowloon to be linked to the MTR. New station to be in the WK Cultural district, where theatres, concert halls, museums, and more offices and shopping are planned. (Note just an Arts hub, but a Rail & shopping hub too. With a link to the HK airport.) other MTR maps : HK only : Kowloon Southern 2009 : 2006 Yearbook + Trains will operate at average speed of 200 km/hour + Work for 15,000 people, and a new 26 km underground line to the border. + To be built with government money and leased to the MTR. + Existing fare HK-G is hk$190. New fares will be higher. Govt expects 100k passengers by 2020, 120k- in 2030 FUTIAN STATION may become an important hub, with possible links to: Shenzhen airport, and HK's airport at Chek Lap Kok NOTE: As you can see from the MAP above, the distance from the airport in Lantau to Central, is similar to the distance to Shenzhen. Will there be stronger links in the future? So Shenzhen based people can use Lantau's airport? If so, Chek Lap Kok airport may get alot bigger. It was judged the World's top airport in 2007, and I rather like it the way it is, not overly crowded. (I see this view - as part of a wider panorama- outside my window.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drbubb Posted May 17, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 17, 2008 The EuroTram in Strasbourg, a modern urban rail vehicle One of the cornerstones of the carfree city is a transport system that provides faster and cheaper movement of passengers than the urban automobile http://www.carfree.com/pax_trans.html Congestion Those accustomed to suburban living may find the proposed densities too high, and it is certainly true that not everyone wants to live in a dense urban core. Historically, the densities I propose are not unusual, and the low suburban densities now common have only developed since the automobile initiated the process of urban sprawl. The perceived congestion of modern cities is largely a consequence of trucks and cars. On a sunny afternoon, Venice probably has the highest population density of any city in the world, yet it does not feel oppressively crowded. When streets are dedicated to human uses, the perception of congestion is considerably reduced. Some families with children prefer to live in the suburbs because of some of the disadvantages of city life. However, many of these disadvantages disappear once the danger, congestion, noise, and pollution of the automobile have been removed. In addition, the presence of large, nearby open space provides an outdoor environment superior in many ways to the suburbs. Finally, the removal of the automobile makes cities safe for children /MORE: http://www.carfree.com/objection.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wren Posted May 18, 2008 Report Share Posted May 18, 2008 Maybe it won't come to this. In Antwerp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drbubb Posted May 18, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 18, 2008 LOL. But old fashioned walking still works Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mabon Posted May 27, 2008 Report Share Posted May 27, 2008 http://blog.wired.com/cars/2008/05/half-bus-half-t.html Story from Wired about a dual train/ bus (Those devilishly clever japanese are at it again) What do you get when you cross a bus with a train? A dual-mode vehicle that has the versatility of a bus, the speed of light rail and fuel economy vastly better than either. Toyota and its truck-making subsidiary Hino Motors have signed on with Japan Rail Hokkaido to develop the vehicles, which carry 25 people and reportedly burn one-fourth the amount of diesel fuel required by conventional buses. Japan Rail started testing them about 18 months ago, and bringing Toyota aboard could speed up development and commercialization of what may be the mass transit vehicle of the future. Dual-mode vehicles have four rubber tires for road use and four steel wheels for the rails, and it takes less than 15 seconds to go from road to rail and back again. It drives just like a bus on the road, and a hydraulic system raises the tires and lowers the steel wheels as the driver guides the vehicle onto the tracks. Japan Rail provides rail service for the island of Hokkaido, and about one-third of its lines carry less than 500 people. It developed the dual-mode vehicles as a means of cutting costs on those lines without reducing service. The vehicles use a Toyota microbus body and axles built by Hino. The two companies will help Japan Rail refine the technology and increase passenger capacity with an eye toward commercial production. "Our contribution is expected to be another step toward more practical use of the dual mode vehicle," company spokesman Kenichiro Baba told AFP. Combing the versatility of a bus with the speed of a train has allowed Japan Rail to tailor routes and services to the communities it serves. Rather than scuttling service on under-utilized lines, Japan Rail has simply switched to smaller vehicles. Dual-mode vehicles would be a great addition to America's mass transit infrastructure. It would make rail transit feasible in those areas that don't have the population density to support a lot of stations, and make mass transit a more viable option for exurbs. Riders could simply hop on at a bus stop in their neighborhood, then ride the rails to their destination. (Have lost the ability to put the accompanying pictures onto this page.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wren Posted May 29, 2008 Report Share Posted May 29, 2008 I doubt whether steam locomotives will come back into use in developed countries. But here's a nice video of one near Buenos Aires. The sound effects of the approaching train are good. I like the bit later in the video where it crosses a level-crossing and you get a sort of cha-choog-cha-choog sound effect. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cS2OIyM-JIQ Steam trains sound almost alive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drbubb Posted May 29, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 29, 2008 http://blog.wired.com/cars/2008/05/half-bus-half-t.html Story from Wired about a dual train/ bus (Those devilishly clever japanese are at it again) What do you get when you cross a bus with a train? A dual-mode vehicle that has the versatility of a bus, the speed of light rail and fuel economy vastly better than either. (Have lost the ability to put the accompanying pictures onto this page.) Very interesting Have you got a link to a photo? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mabon Posted May 29, 2008 Report Share Posted May 29, 2008 Very interesting Have you got a link to a photo? http://blog.wired.com/.shared/image.html?/...05/27/dmv01.jpg http://blog.wired.com/.shared/image.html?/...05/27/dmv02.jpg http://blog.wired.com/.shared/image.html?/...05/27/dmv03.jpg http://blog.wired.com/.shared/image.html?/...dmv_graphic.jpg Pretty freakin cool huh??? I soooooooo want one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drbubb Posted May 30, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 30, 2008 Pretty freakin cool huh??? Very cool indeed! This is exactly what the world needs. Especially in a period of transition (post Peak Oil). A shame that the US is not coming up with innovations like this, beating the Japanese. Instead its top mind are on Wall Street, trying to figutre out how to make billions by packaging and reselling garbage securities; or how to promote a lip-stick smeared teenager to sub-teens with too much weekly allowance. The price of this mis-focus for America will be very high indeed! The America standard of living is shrinking towards third-world status, as the more "Serious cultures" in the BRIC countries spring forward. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newbear Posted May 30, 2008 Report Share Posted May 30, 2008 Lots of pictures of the Copenhagen Metro: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copenhagen_Metro I lived happily in CPH without a car for many months using a combination of the Metro and the S-tog (urban railway), which are integrated. Many urban travellers also use one of these: http://copenhagengirlsonbikes.blogspot.com/ "...36% of the citizens ride their bike each day on an advanced network of bike lanes." This bike lane network provides a safe separate space for bike users - the result of decades of infrastructure investment. One key to the success of the CPH public transport system is the clarity and accuracy of information available at every S-tog and Metro station. Of course this is also the nation that pioneered this: http://www.vestas.com/ Do I seem a bit nuts about Denmark? Not really, there are lots of problems but also a great track-record of looking a bit further ahead than the UK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drbubb Posted May 31, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 31, 2008 I lived happily in CPH without a car for many months using a combination of the Metro and the S-tog (urban railway), which are integrated.\"...36% of the citizens ride their bike each day on an advanced network of bike lanes." This bike lane network provides a safe separate space for bike users - the result of decades of infrastructure investment. One key to the success of the CPH public transport system is the clarity and accuracy of information available at every S-tog and Metro station. Here's a photo .. Timely Expansion "Plans for the new line were approved by the Danish Parliament on 1 June 2007.[9] The future line will include a total of 17 stations, twelve of which will be new constructions and an additional three will be conversions of existing railway stations to dual railway/metro use.[10] Construction of this line will increase the number of metro stations to 37. The Ørestad Development Corporation predicts that the lines M3 and M4 will carry about 275,000 passengers per day. About 25% of these should be people who do not currently use public transport. " Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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