Posted on behalf of Ken Orenstein:
Jim, Richard, I think Jim’s notes and the format that he put them in is excellent.
Regarding my concern about a fixed rail trolley circulator is that a fixed rail system has significant physical, operational and budgetary consequences to the city, traffic and service delivery consequences along the streets that it would run and to the trolley itself that I don’t think we are ready for. If the goal is to create a high frequency, efficient and effective core area circulator transit system, that takes the ridership off the multiple private jitney/shuttle systems (Brown’s Hospitals etc.) and puts those riders and other users on it, I’m all for it. If the theory is that it will lead to increased density/new development by the fact that it exists, I’m all for it. If a sign is needed that only a fixed rail system does this and shows the public’s long term commitment to the system, sort of “if they build it, they will come” that requires a fixed rail system; I’m dubious. If the availability of fed funds for a fixed rail is the driver for a fixed rail system then I’m more than dubious.
If one looks at Boston for a model-then a “Trackless Trolley” system has all the benefits (including environmental) at lower development & operational costs and perhaps most importantly operational flexibility on the street. (It can swing left or right about a half lane to go around a vehicle where a trolley would be halted cold until the obstacle moves.) The lines out of Harvard Square have for years worked and worked well and MBTA’s new Silver Line which runs across the city on city streets then goes underground at South Station and surfaces at the airport and runs on an overhead catenary when underground and natural gas (I believe) above and provides 3.9 minute frequency at the airport to South Station’s trains & buses and the rest of the MBTA system. It also provides for future flexibility, which include plans to extend the overhead catenaries in the future.
PS I looked for but could not find anything about the circulator on the city’s website.
----Ken Orenstein