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Originally Posted by SecretAgentMan
I think you must mean Colorado rather than Rio Grande. The latter dead-ends into Shoal Creek.
The vehicles contemplated to be used (60' modern streetcar rather than 90' LRVs) is precisely because of the need to turn 90 degrees in multiple locations downtown. A 90' LRV can just barely turn in an 80' ROW, but only leaves about 5' for sidewalks on corners. The City is already committed to 18' Great Streets sidewalks everywhere possible downtown.
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Colorado is one street west of Congress, on the opposite side of Congress where the streetcar enters downtown Austin from the north and south. Why suggest it instead of Trinity or Rio Grande? I recommended Trinity or Rio Grande to avoid making four 90 degree turns.
Just because you buy trains that can make 90 degree turns doesn't mean you should build more 90 degree turns than absolutely necessary. DART's south portal to the Central Expressway tunnel once had three sharp turns attempting to stay in city streets because of a reluctant property owner - and it didn't take DART long to abandon those sharp curves once they acquired the block needed to straighten out the tracks. Sharp curves are okay when necessary, but they do slow down system operations. For a streetcar to make 90 degree turns at downtown intersections, turning through multiple traffic lanes, all other traffic on both streets must be stopped. Ever tried to turn left from the right lane, or turn right from the left lane? Streetcars are asked to do that all the time when making 90 degree turns. You don't necessarily need to run streetcars down Congress to service its business.
Additionally, a decision that will have to be made soon is whether to run the streetcar tracks down the center of a street or along the curbs? I recommend curbs on one-way streets, and the center on two-way streets. Another decision to be made for one way streets, do you use the right or left lane, and do you go with or against regular traffic flow? You can only go against with dedicated lanes.
I'll admit I do not know how steep the grades are on the various streets in downtown Austin, but I am aware that there are devices that trains can use to overcome grades, costs will certainly play an issue.