Quote:
Originally Posted by Cirrus
Streetcars would obviously still be stuck in traffic just like the bus, but streetcars can have massively more capacity.
A simple illustration:
Photo by Keith McGilivray |
Yes, but there are more factors at play. Simply building a tram / streetcar along Broadway is not feasible. First, it would require an unnecessary transfer from the M-line to the tram (currently the M-Line skytrain will simply be extended under Broadway asa subway).
Also, Broadway has extremely short blocks, making traffic cueing and station spacing far more difficult.
The road is also relatively narrow, and is the main artery for all forms of traffic in that area. Nearly all street parking would be gone, there would be turning restrictions on 90% of intersections, thats right, 90%, making traffic chaos.
Also, sidewalk (pedestrian) and bike lane space would be severely restricted.
Another factor is the speed of travel would not see any major improvements, and ridership would still be limited.
The only true solution is skytrain under Broadway as a subway. That way, Broadway will not be restricted for vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists, ridership will have room to more than triple, the speed of travel would more than double I believe, and there would still be the local #9 bus for short block to block stops.
Skytrain is the only sensible long term solution along the Broadway corridor. In fact, developers are already anticipating subway rather than LRT in their new tower proposals along the route (for example some new office projects are already being designed with subterranean subway access points).
There is also the factor that if LRT is built, it would require a new OMC, and building any such facility along the Broadway corridor where land values are sky high would be incredibly expensive, not to mention new rolling stock, paying drivers, delays caused by accidents, etc...
Building a grade separated automated metro system is the best decision that was ever made for Metro-Vancouver.