needless to say i'm pretty excited

>20 meter cars

>>191448
better than the alternatives

You can thank Portland, OR for helping to keep them alive.

But really, I'm glad that DC is getting them. I envy DC's subway system. So much better than our light rail.

>>191403
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ipc pbpkzeawsyayy vppm l z ne jgkue

>>191520
they don't have much of a choice on the Metro, DC literally fills up and empties between 9 and 5, the Federal government would literally be unable to operate without the Metro

>>191503

the alternative to this tram would be buses
Don't get me wrong, I favor trams whereever possible, but I don't see the point in running trams with a similar low capacity as a bus.
On the other hand, I don't know DCs traffic flows and where the line will be build, so meh

>>191606
>On the other hand, I don't know DCs traffic flows and where the line will be build, so meh
They are building it instead of a proper heavy rail line.

Aussie Train Guy here, several questions:
Is it going to operate on the streets/roads or on a dedicated lightrailway kind of thing?
Is the stops going to every ~500 meters or at a dedicated station kind of stop further apart?
Is it complementing the existing trains or are they using it as a cheap alternative to expanding an existing line/building a new?

>>191609
they HAVE a proper heavy line for DC, and also an extensive bus system actually

the tram is basically being used as a supplemental, subtle-replacement for the bus

i think the way DC is thinking, if we can get one or two tram lines, we can get more, and more, then RAILS, RAILS EVERYWHERE

it's the same way GM destroyed the rail industry, now the tide is turning

besides, the way DC traffic is, they almost don't have a choice but to try and replace auto traffic with rail, auto traffic has peaked in DC

>>191611
>Is it going to operate on the streets/roads or on a dedicated lightrailway kind of thing?
street/roads, they don't have much of a choice atm
>Is the stops going to every ~500 meters or at a dedicated station kind of stop further apart?
probably some set distance apart
>Is it complementing the existing trains or are they using it as a cheap alternative to expanding an existing line/building a new?
complimenting the bus system really

why aren't they green?

>>191646
>they HAVE a proper heavy line for DC, and also an extensive bus system actually
I know; I live here.
>the tram is basically being used as a supplemental, subtle-replacement for the bus
If this was the case, and DDOT was really into long-term thinking, K Street wouldn't be a proposed bus rapid transit thoroughfare.

>so apparently Washington DC is bringing back street cars
Well that's nice if you are willing to live in a shithole.

>>191651
>>191652

wtf they're putting the rail on the side too
what is wrong with you Americans, even trying you still fail
>>191652
does this look like a shithole?

>>191520
Why is that on the side of the road? It should be in the centre
>>191646
Well this guy here >>191609 says its in lieu of a train.
Trams/Streetcars/Lightrail do not have the volume or range of a train, places that try to use them instead of a train quickly find they fuckedup.
Its best use is being placed where population starts getting dense complementing a train network - you get off the train, walk outside and hey presto theres trams on the streets going all over the place.
Look at Melbourne: the gray lines are the commuter railways the white circles the stations. So in the city/inner-urban area you can get off and on a road nearby will be a tram - 11 routes+City Circle go past & 3 terminate beside the central terminal Flinders St Station.

Saying "fuck it-well we're not gonna spend the money on a train, just bang a lightrail in" creates a complicated network, confuses things, degrades the ability to travel, etc

>>191680

past few years in the inner-city area they've been merging close together stops and building 'super stops' in the centre of he road
consists of raised platform allowing smooth roll on/roll off of the low floor lightrail vehicles, under cover seats, maps, and automated displays
This the one Swaston St out the front of Flinders St besides Flinders St Station
Rest of the network though you still just wait on the sidewalk or a traffic island kind of thing

>>191651
No, you see, BRT is relatively easy to retrofit from existing bus operation. It's eaaasy. DC is getting a whole new streetcar operation, and to deploy it well starting small is important. You see, you can have all kinds of problems starting from fundamental design and deal with it without paying through the nose, as the first line is not a large effort to rebuild or improve. Not so much for a city full of defective streetcars.

In short, it really makes sense to introduce streetcars gradually, even if it means building BRT in the meantime.

Leapfrogging BRT straight to LRT is meaningful for smaller metropolitan areas, as there'll only be need for one or two lines, at most three. Normal bus operation can work it meanwhile.

>>191749
bus sucks: few people, resources, noise, fumes, wear on roads, etc

>>191749
>you can have all kinds of problems starting from fundamental design and deal with it
>implying nobody has ever operated a Tram/Streetcar/street operating Lightrail before in the history of mankind
>deal with it without paying through the nose
plenty of people use it, who cares if it is profitable

>>191754
Operations isn't simple. Design is not either: City areas are different and political climates among others will impose design decisions and implied requirements that may conflict. That's why rolling out the streetcar all at once may well be a large disaster.

Starting with one line means the disaster is small enough to be dealt with. The next lines can be then built without the stupid decisions.

Of BRT, ideally it's just a line reorganization from random lines to trunk-branch lines. A trunk-branch line layout is simple to upgrade to streetcars later on. BRT may not require any special rolling stock nor unusual construction. It's very easy to implement compared to a streetcar because of that. On top of that, a well implemented BRT will speak for itself for the eventual streetcar upgrade: bus capacity holds up only so long, and streetcar can replace that line 1:1 without sacrificing the very properties that made the line popular in the first place: many stops with short distances to where people want to go. Can't have that with a subway: just the level changes from the platforms to the street kill any speed benefit.

>>191678
>does this look like a shithole?
Looks like the rare gem in a nigger infested shithole.

We don't know how it's going to be powered in the historic districts because of a law goes back like 100 years saying that you can't have overhead lines there, and also because of NIMBYs bitching about how overhead lines are "outdated technology".

>>191923
See the picture in >>191648. That third center rail is for power.

>>191926
What happens when it rains/snows?

>>191926
So that's how they get around that prohibition against overheard wires! But what happens if DC get's hit with a snowstorm?

>>191916

I think the fact that it's a bureaucrat-infested shithole is worse, myself.

>>191936
>>191929
>But what happens if DC get's hit with a snowstorm?
It snows so infrequently in DC, and when it does, it is 2-3" at a time.
>What happens when it rains?
Take a battery, some wire, and a lamp. Make a circuit. Now, make the circuit so a connection is in fresh water. Observe the results and get back to me why rain is not a problem.

>>191942
What happens if there is a blizzard (read:Snowkill 2010)?

>>191942
>It snows so infrequently in DC
Are you fucking kidding me?

>>191945
>Why do we not design projects to handle 100 year events?
Come the fuck on man.

>>191948
>Average Snowfall 15.2 Inches
In 2-3" spurts, maybe 6" at a time, 2010 notwithstanding is hardly frequently. It's not like the capability to remove 6" of snow on the ground is non-existent.

>>191942
It's not a problem if the current running through there is DC.

>>191942

rain can very well be a problem for third rail, shortcuts and stuff. Especially during fall, with wet leaves.

As for snow, buses get stuck in snow as well. You just have to hope that the city clears the roads.

Normal trams also have the problem of overhead wires being iced over, they need to be used frequently to prevent that (24/7 service or empty runs during the night).
If a tram is important to a city's transport system, there are ways to keep it running, though you can expect smaller cities to close their trams for a few days/weeks in winter.

>>191952
>It's not a problem if the current running through there is DC.
It's not a problem is the current is AC either.

Also, glorious third rail tram in France, granted they have less problems with snow.

Though in the beginning they had massive problems with the electronics that switch on the third rail if a tram comes, but it seems to work now.

>>191929
>>191936
>>191945
>>191948
>>191951
>>191952
>>191953
They had 3rd rail electrification for Streetcars in DC once as this: >>191648 demonstrates and must not have had any problems operating it
If they cant figure out how to do it again then they've got a lot bigger problems than operating in bad weather.
>>191923
looks fine in most of Melbourne, you can barely see it.

also these things electrification will be 750v DC
Quite a bit less than a regular train

GET OUT OF HERE S.T.A.L.K.E.R.

with a special sage from /k/.

Fuck you.

>>192056

NJT rolled out a nice fleet of light rails some time back.

Muni in San Francisco has the old style cars and the new ones. I love riding the street cars!

>>191648

Also we have the old D.C ones like this!

>>192110

If you wan't to see the old school street cars in action come to SF!

http://www.streetcar.org/streetcars/1076/

>>192089
thats a streetcar trying to be a train
>>192110
>old D.C ones like this
That is called a PCC

>>192110
its too bad the SF muni blows when it comes to service and reliability

>>192116
>thats a streetcar trying to be a train

Okay, but it’s still a street car.

>>192089

Fuck yeah, I love NJT's light rail. rode it for the first time in Newark and loved it.

>>192031

Were the third rails in DC (or also other third rail trams, I think London had them as well) always powered, because seeing how hard it was for Bordeaux >>191958 to get their's running?

stalker dropped out of the bus service

>>192089
>>192116
that is the joke, Newark uses them for both subway and light rail operations, thats why they have train like bodies, they are functionally veeeeerrry light subways

>>192240
Yeah, but the metal at the surface was just for the opening for the channel that actually held the rail.

>>192267
does not have the volume or range of a train
trying to use it as a train is fail