Alon Levy, co-lead of the transportation and land use program at New York University’s Marron Institute, has spent years studying why some countries are able to build transport infrastructure cheaply and others aren’t.
Though the preliminary business case of the expansion of Gold Coast light rail includes few details, Levy estimates that the project may ultimately cost as much as 10 times more than comparable European infrastructure.
Those include, Levy says, a lack of contracting transparency, over-engineering, politicisation, poor allocation of cost risk – and above all, contracting out to the private sector.
I agree that light rail is vastly preferable to buses where appropriate, but I think you’re going too far in the other direction.
Yes it is. That’s why, for example, we’re able to have special event buses take you from Chermside to Lang Park or the Gabba when there’s a game or concert on.
Of course, @Tregetour@lemdro.id underestimates the degree to which rail can be scaled, too. It’s quite easy to add a car or two to a particular light rail engine when peak use demands it.
It can suck if done badly, like in the situation you describe. It doesn’t have to suck. It’s important to clearly communicate and make allowances when rerouting though. For example, you might have to completely abandon several stops, which needs to be clearly announced ahead of time, and if it’s a decision made en-route, you should give the opportunity for people to get off outside of a scheduled stop, if appropriate.
Bus stops cost effectively zero. They can be just a sign post at a minimum, and even a shelter costs almost nothing compared to the significant infrastructure costs of rail.
Bus lanes are optional. They should be used. And frankly I don’t think we should ever have 3 lanes in the same direction without at least one of them being either a bus lane or a separated bike lane/bike path. But most buses run most of their routes on entirely normal roads.
Honestly the parent comment is just straight-up wrong here. Maintenance costs for buses (btw, buses, not busses) and trains are night and day. Train maintenance costs are so much less than buses it’s not funny.
Do elaborate =o
Did you reply to the wrong person, or?
Tell us how bus maintenence far exceeds that of train carriages. Just seems highly counterintuitive.