Transit Updates for Greater Grand Rapids

[John E]

Controlling the minds of the masses is a piece of cake for them these days. They have created an incurably ignorant mass.

This world is truly hopeless. In the physical that is.

Thank God we will win in the spiritual!

Don't miss the bus, Don't take the big black train!

~John

"The most important key to life is: Understanding. With understanding, we can be the best we can be!"

[John E]

Thanks for the laugh, I needed that. You are right on target. It's more than that but we are getting off topic. Back to the big black train... lol

~John

[dragt]

I think I'm going pack my camera and drive down to Cleveland. Their BRT line is up and running and I want to film what it's like, how it works and maybe even interview some regular riders. Anything in particular you'd like me to capture on film? Anything in particular you'd like me to ask the riders of the "Health Line"?

[fotoman311]

I think I'm going pack my camera and drive down to Cleveland. Their BRT line is up and running and I want to film what it's like, how it works and maybe even interview some regular riders. Anything in particular you'd like me to capture on film? Anything in particular you'd like me to ask the riders of the "Health Line"?

If you spot people using it as multi-modal transit with bicycles, either by allowing bicycles on board or having bicycle parking at the stations, I'd be interested in seeing that.

[Rizzo]

I think I'm going pack my camera and drive down to Cleveland. Their BRT line is up and running and I want to film what it's like, how it works and maybe even interview some regular riders. Anything in particular you'd like me to capture on film? Anything in particular you'd like me to ask the riders of the "Health Line"?

I'd like to see you get some footage at different points in the route. Not just downtown Cleveland, but out in other areas of the route such as East Cleveland. Maybe footage of speculative development in the suburban areas so that we can get a feel for the kind of spin off development on Division Ave. Maybe ride adjacent routes to the Euclid in the Cleveland's Rapid system to get a few impressions from riders.

Edited March 18, 2009 by Rizzo

[suydam]

I think I'm going pack my camera and drive down to Cleveland. Their BRT line is up and running and I want to film what it's like, how it works and maybe even interview some regular riders. Anything in particular you'd like me to capture on film? Anything in particular you'd like me to ask the riders of the "Health Line"?

I'd be very interested to see if people are driving to the BRT terminals (or as I call them "bus stops") and taking the BRT (or "bus") to work (as opposed to walkers). I'm hoping the system is efficient enough to justify leaving your car "out there" and taking the bus into the core.

Great idea for a video by the way!

[John E]

The March 2009 issue of the Rapid Reporter featuring the Silver Line is available for download in PDF format:

http://www.ridetherapid.org/includes/modul...d+CU_winter.pdf

~John

Edited March 19, 2009 by John E

[Rizzo]

Mr. Varga goes to Washington. Edited March 19, 2009 by Rizzo

[Rizzo]

The Silver Line has an official home on the web. Have a look see. www.rapidsilverline.org

Edited March 21, 2009 by Rizzo

[John E]

Thank you very much Rizzo! I appreciate the information.

~John

[Quercus]

The Rapid has launched a beta website: http://beta.ridetherapid.org/

Sign up and take a look at the "new tools" section which, amongst other neat additions, has real time bus information.

[LA Dave]

The Silver Line looks very much like the LA MTA's Red Line buses, which run on a limited run faster schedule than the regular MTA orange buses. There are no dedicated bus lanes, so the buses need to run on city streets, which makes them not a lot faster than the orange buses in traffic.

The Red Line is popular, as is the Orange Line, which is a dedicated bus route on an old railroad right of way. The Orange Line travels from the Warner Center business park in the Western San Fernando Valley to the North Hollywood Red Line (subway) station. It has been very popular, though the ride from North Hollywood to the West Valley is still pretty slow; the buses have to obey cross-traffic signals, and the dedicated line goes through a heavily residential area near the North Hollywood station, which slows it considerably.

However, the Orange Line's paved right of way is already starting to deteriorate, just a few years after opening; too bad that light rail wasn't installed instead, with grade crossings and thus a faster travel time.

[John E]

The Rapid has launched a beta website: http://beta.ridetherapid.org/

Sign up and take a look at the "new tools" section which, amongst other neat additions, has real time bus information.

Thank you very much. Very cool!

~John

[fotoman311]

The Rapid has launched a beta website: http://beta.ridetherapid.org/

Sign up and take a look at the "new tools" section which, amongst other neat additions, has real time bus information.

That is pretty cool. And signing up is really easy.

[d8alterego]

Interesting read, although not new to most.

I'm not sure which is worse:

The acknowledgement by President Obama that, comparative to other nations, our passenger train services are "put to shame"

His exact quote from the news article:

"Railroads were always the pride of America, and stitched us together. Now Japan, China, all of Europe have high-speed rail systems that put ours to shame."

...or the activist Ross Capon's statement in the article:

"The reason why high-speed rail has never taken off is because this country is determined to live on cheap gasoline and airplane travel."

I think I loath the second more.

The article mentions that one of the main reasons why high speed rail often fails, among many reasons, is because of suburban population densities. So what that means is that, because we are so spread out, we have eminent domain and safety concerns?

It's a horribly sobering article about the realities of high speed rail. I honestly don't ever foresee a US high speed rail line in my lifetime, and I'm only 26.

Maybe the silver lining is that the president acknowledges it and will do something about it. He did mention Michigan.

[Veloise]

...It's a horribly sobering article about the realities of high speed rail. I honestly don't ever foresee a US high speed rail line in my lifetime, and I'm only 26. ...

Chin up there, sonnie. I am 52, twice your age. Some quick takes on changes I've experienced:

--Smoking is no longer allowed on airplanes, buses, in meeting rooms, classrooms

--Female athletes do not need to purchase their own uniforms and provide their own transportation to events

--Fast food places no longer wrap their stuff in paper, then encase it in styrofoam

--Leaded gas

--Recycling

--Car pooling

--Urban revitalization. I grew up in the 'burbs of Detroit, and most of the outer ring seemed to have this "we're crossing Eight Mile! Lock your doors!" mentality. Today, Michigan's two largest cities are seeing DT condos and residential living, no longer acting as 9-to-5 M-F office parks.

There are more...I think the $4 gas acted as a tremendous wake-up call.

[Rizzo]

A commercial for the Silver Line.

Personally, I think using 'light rail' in promotional material is bad strategy.

[aowwt]

I thought they would have done a better picture of the silver line run. That looks like uhm Burton st or some other street that is small and cramp. The Division corridor is actually quite wide and it would have been nice to see the what it would look like with the new development among other things like the center median taken out with just a grass median instead.

[John E]

The video uses a regular size bus (which may be used, I don't know) and it doesn't show the wider doors with people entering the rear door. It also should show the ease of entry and exit with level platforms.

To help the Silver Line to be successful they should have a couple free park and ride lots close to the station.

~John

[aowwt]

I agree that video was not the best. I do think the showing of some of the technology was nice but frankly the street view was horrid. As for the busses I am not too sure. I know they have done a few of the design studies for diffrent stations so it would have been easy to just use google earth with the 3D buildings along with the grassy medians.

[GRDadof3]

I think you guys are a little harsh on that video. It accomplishes its goal, by showing people the basics of the Silver Line.

Here's a cool video of Norfolk's new light rail line. Larger project budget, larger video budget.

http://www.ridethetide.com/video/flash/thetidevideo.html

As far as the buses shown, I think they've always been that style whenever the new BRT line has been covered by the press. I don't think I've ever seen them talk about the long articulated buses (if that's what you were thinking of JohnE).

[Rizzo]

On the website illustrations are conceptual only and 'do not represent final design of vehicles or stations.' Also, you might want to check under the 'What is the Silver Line?' page for more details.

Don't know how to ride The Rapid?

Edited March 30, 2009 by Rizzo

[fotoman311]

Andy Dragt's new video on Cleveland's "Euclid" BRT line is up.

[John E]

Thank you very much and thanks to Andy for going to Cleveland to make this awesome video!

~John

[aowwt]

Now thats what the Rapid needs to post on their website as the main video for the Silver Line. That is an awesome video!