182 replies to this topic

[cw68]

I've never riddden light rail so I don't have personal experince to share.

Way back when as the original planning was being discussed, I was one of those in the minority that was pushing for the tracks to turn R onto Iron PT and continue all the way to E Bidwell. There could have been a stop at Intel and another at the Mall.

I'm still convinced this would have been a far better route! The park & ride lot could have been in the Mall parking lot, which could have encouraged many more to stay off the freeway.

If we ever build S50, its my understanding there are no current plans to extend light rail there so having the P & R lot at the mall, would also serve to accomodate those riders as well, thus making light rail more efficient.

Having it go up Iron Point would be good.

[wrabbit]

I think a community like Folsom, really has enough riders to fully support the use of the light rail.
If it were, say, Citrus Heights, then it would fare better. Every time I've been able to see the train moving, there hardly seems to be any riders.

One of the objections to light rail coming here is the fact that it could not support itself, and the tax payers feared they would end up supporting it more than the riders. I think this fear has now been realized. I hardly think with so few riders, it would pay to extend the hours of running.

I think the largest supporters of the light rail are the folks who got paid to build it. Those contractors got some pretty big, pie in the sky, ideas!

[Folsom Guy]

Are there ridership numbers to look at?? Personally, I would have no problem with it if it didn't cause such a fiasco with the traffic lights on Folsom Blvd. Just 02

it's practically empty eveytime I sit at the light and watch it go past - either way...but that happens mostly during non-rush hours....

Still empty trains....what a waste

[4thgenFolsomite]

I've never riddden light rail so I don't have personal experince to share.

Way back when as the original planning was being discussed, I was one of those in the minority that was pushing for the tracks to turn R onto Iron PT and continue all the way to E Bidwell. There could have been a stop at Intel and another at the Mall.

I'm still convinced this would have been a far better route! The park & ride lot could have been in the Mall parking lot, which could have encouraged many more to stay off the freeway.

If we ever build S50, its my understanding there are no current plans to extend light rail there so having the P & R lot at the mall, would also serve to accomodate those riders as well, thus making light rail more efficient.

YES!!! I also was in favor of the Iron Point route heading to Intel, the malls and offices down the road, and closer to the Junior College. But I believe they opted for the Folsom Blvd. route so they could get transit funding for the American River Crossing by saying it would be a light rail bridge, hence the ramp.

[dnell]

I've used light rail a few times...it's fantastic to use if you have jury duty or need to go downtown.
My boyfriend's work is a couple blocks away from a station downtown. He would use light rail more if the hours were extended. I think the last rail he needs to catch is 6:30pm, which drops him off in Folsom around 7. He usually needs to work later than that so he rarely takes LR.

I think it would be neat to have extended hours...it would be fun to be able to go downtown for dinner and drinks and then take light rail back home.

[Andrea V]

I wish it was easier to put your bike on it.

[doj_gal]

I have rode light rail for a little over a month...Its cool because I live right across the street from the station...I work late at night and wish the hours were extended. However I do not think I would ride it at night...It's scary enough to ride during the day...

Today when I got on...the entire bus smelled like cr@p and piss and not a hint of cr@p and piss...It smelled like the bus was washed in those places where the toliet water ends up!!! I had to get off and take a later train...

I really do not like taking it but I have no choice really and I have saved A LOT of money in gas...So I guess it works out!!!

[Warren G]

My wife rides the train from Folsom to 65th street almost every work day. During commute hours there are more than enough folks from Folsom on the train, and keep in mind that Folsom is the end, and beginning of the line. By the time the trains are west of Sunrise they are near standing room only.

When the train didn't come to Folsom there were far fewer people from Folsom on the train because of the hassle to drive to a station and then get on the train.

[Robert Giacometti]

I have rode light rail for a little over a month...Its cool because I live right across the street from the station...I work late at night and wish the hours were extended. However I do not think I would ride it at night...It's scary enough to ride during the day...

Today when I got on...the entire bus smelled like cr@p and piss and not a hint of cr@p and piss...It smelled like the bus was washed in those places where the toliet water ends up!!! I had to get off and take a later train...

I really do not like taking it but I have no choice really and I have saved A LOT of money in gas...So I guess it works out!!!

What in the world are you doing up at 2:36 am, responding to a post about light rail?

[wrabbit]

It's sad to think that people move so far from where they have to work. Folsom is much more expensive, when buying a house....then kick in the cost of gas to get to work, and one wonders what people are thinking of when buying here.

I'd never allow my wife to ride light rail, day or night. I know what happens on those trains and don't like to think about her on them. She has chosen a job here in Folsom, and although it doesn't pay as much as one she considered downtown, the savings in gas, makes it even. Plus, she is a short distance from home if she is needed by our children.

If one saves money on light rail, they lose time. A commute can take almost twice as long, and that makes for a longer extended day. I'd rather have that time with my family.

All in all, I'd say those who need light rail, should move closer to their jobs. If the train COULD support itself I'm sure the hours would be extended. But as we are having a budget shortfall, you probably won't see that happening too soon. There are always cabs for those who wish to go down town drinking...and it would cut down on that vomit in the trains, I'm sure.

The fact that someone had to leave a train, due to the foul smell, is pretty par for the course, with any public transit. It's not uncommon for vomit, feces and urine to be part of the ambience of light rail. But, this was all played down when in the planning stages. It was promoted like another Disney enterprise!

Enjoy!

[Darth Lefty]

It's sad to think that people move so far from where they have to work. Folsom is much more expensive, when buying a house....then kick in the cost of gas to get to work, and one wonders what people are thinking of when buying here.

For those at Intel or Aerojet, Folsom is an ideal place to live. My commute is about ten minutes on an average day, and about a third of that is waiting at lights and another third getting out of the neighborhood and into the plant. But it's certain I'm paying through the nose to live here. My rent back in Ridgecrest was about a third of what it is in Folsom, and it paid for a larger place too. The amount of money I'd save living elsewhere is substantial but, with the 9/80 schedule, I really value the time I get back. If I had a wife and kids to provide for it would make the money more important, and I might wind up in Elk Grove with a 45 minute commute. The light rail would be far more attractive then.

[chris v]

I'm all about getting another car off the road. So I am in favor of using light rail. While most days I ride my motorcycle to work, on nice days I will be riding the light rail and then riding my new road bike home. I don't live terribly far from where I work but every little bit helps especially when my truck only gets 13 mpg. Plus, when I'm commuting on my motorcycle and it's pouring rain people look at me funny.

[Warren G]

It's sad to think that people move so far from where they have to work. Folsom is much more expensive, when buying a house....then kick in the cost of gas to get to work, and one wonders what people are thinking of when buying here.

I'd never allow my wife to ride light rail, day or night. I know what happens on those trains and don't like to think about her on them. She has chosen a job here in Folsom, and although it doesn't pay as much as one she considered downtown, the savings in gas, makes it even. Plus, she is a short distance from home if she is needed by our children.

If one saves money on light rail, they lose time. A commute can take almost twice as long, and that makes for a longer extended day. I'd rather have that time with my family.

All in all, I'd say those who need light rail, should move closer to their jobs.

Lots of false information there.

Living close to one's work doesn't always put one in their preferred place to live. Live in Sac, or live on a one acre lot in the semi-countryside of Orangevale? Please.

The cost of light rail is about $4 per day. That is minimal considering car expense even for a short commute by car. My wife gets a subsidy from her employer (SMUD) to encourage use of RT to where her cost is less than $2/day.

What happens' on those trains...? Not much between 65th street and Folsom. And there are always lots of good people around. People taking their cars sometimes have accidents.

The commute time, you're wrong about that too. My wife's commute to 65th street is about 10 minutes longer by train, and faster than driving if there's an accident on the freeway or bad weather. During the entire train ride she gets to relax, read, nap, or chat with other folks who take the train from Folsom to where she gets off the train. She arrives home happier than if she had driven.

To sum up, it's cheaper than a car commute, safe, more enjoyable than a car commute, and takes 10 minutes longer.

And when the weather is reasonable during DST she rides her bike to work 2-3x/week.

[wrabbit]

Lots of false information there.

Living close to one's work doesn't always put one in their preferred place to live. Live in Sac, or live on a one acre lot in the semi-countryside of Orangevale? Please.

The cost of light rail is about $4 per day. That is minimal considering car expense even for a short commute by car. My wife gets a subsidy from her employer (SMUD) to encourage use of RT to where her cost is less than $2/day.

What happens' on those trains...? Not much between 65th street and Folsom. And there are always lots of good people around. People taking their cars sometimes have accidents.

The commute time, you're wrong about that too. My wife's commute to 65th street is about 10 minutes longer by train, and faster than driving if there's an accident on the freeway or bad weather. During the entire train ride she gets to relax, read, nap, or chat with other folks who take the train from Folsom to where she gets off the train. She arrives home happier than if she had driven.

To sum up, it's cheaper than a car commute, safe, more enjoyable than a car commute, and takes 10 minutes longer.

And when the weather is reasonable during DST she rides her bike to work 2-3x/week.

Lots of false information? I don't think so......

I basically believe tax payers are not responsible to provide for the transportation of a few hundred people. The amount of travelers on the light rail has proven it is not really needed that badly. The amount of cars taken off the roads has been minimal. Just go look at the amount of cars in those parking lots where riders park.

If where you work isn't the place you wish to live, is that the fault of the tax payers? If you can not afford the gas to get you to work, who's fault is that? After all, we all decide where we will live and work, right?
For people to move to Folsom, and then complain about how far they have to drive to work, just doesn't get my sympathy. I'm sorry.

People seem to look at the government to solve their problems, and that is what I have a problem with. Light rail has not shown it can support itself and that means the tax payers will have to fill in the gap. With a budget shortfall, it looks like taxes will go up....again. It's bad enough to pay for the public's transportation to their employment, but to pay for their transportation to entertainment is not right. If one has enough money to pay for entertainment, they should have enough money to get them to that entertainment.

What would be more fair is if we were given a tax refund for living within a certain distance from our employment...there by removing so much traffic from the highways and fuel emissions from the air. That would be an incentive for people to move closer to their work.
But, that is too logical a solution and the millions it took to build the light rail would not have been made by the contactors who wanted to put it in.

It always seems that the solutions for everything must be government provided with higher costs to the tax payers. The riders that take light rail are not footing the entire cost of that transportation and the amount of riders verses the amount of taxes per person, to pay for it, is not equal to the general population's benefit.

That is why it should not have been built. What are the people in Folsom......POOR, for Gawd's sake????

If you LIVE in Folsom!!!!! Find a job in FOLSOM, already!

[Warren G]

Ah yes, wrabbit...

I guess if you don't have kids of school age you should not have to pay taxes that go to subsidize the education costs for people who choose to have kids? Never mind the $7500 I had to pay the school district just to get a building permit for our house. All schools should be funded completely by those who use them.

And you know, I never go to a city park so I shouldn't have to support those either. If you like playing softball then buy your own place to do it or move closer to the fields at Watt Avenue.

And you know what, my house has fire sprinklers so I don't want to pay for a fire department either-I'll just take my chances and the cash. Same with the water department. I'll just drill a well. If you can't get all the water you need then move to a place that has water below it.

And those stupid bike paths and dog parks! I don't use them so why should I pay taxes so that somebody else has a place to walk their dog? Hey, if you've got a dog then buy a lot with a large enough place for it to get all of its exercise because I don't want to pay for a place for your dog to walk around.

And why should I pay the taxes that make the roads wide enough for bike lanes when I don't even have a bike? I say make the roads just wide enough for the cars and the bike riders can move closer to a gym so they can walk there.

And don't get me started on all the taxes I pay just so some some fat, lazy guys in ugly pants can save a few dollars off their greens fees on the public courses.

Privately-funded entertainment, recreation, and schools is the only way it can be done fairly. If you use it, then you pay your full share of its cost.

<sarcastic rant mode off>