158 replies to this topic

[camay2327]

 

He's been traveling back east the past week for his job.  Email him for a faster response ChadforFolsom@gmail.com

 

My wife and I have sent him private emails and have not received a reply.

 

We do not want the train coming from Old Town over Blue Ravine, Riley and E. Bidwell.

[FolsomEJ]

Can someone give me the bullet points for why a local train is better transportation in a local setting like Folsom?  We could compare the option to existing or future bus lines.

[4thgenFolsomite]

I much prefer hopping on light rail rather than a bus. The same way I prefer the train to greyhound. Some things are hard to explain.

[Chad Vander Veen]

Sorry Chad.  After not answering my question.  You lost my vote.

I'm sorry about that. I was in New York with my wife on a mini-vacation for our tenth anniversary. I'd still like to answer your question though. I'm not against bus at all. I propose a streetcar because the infrastructure is already there. I also support improved bus service. Transportation isn't a challenge that is solved with one thing or the other, it's about providing people with multiple options that together make our city cleaner and safer. Having a robust transportation system in our city is, I think, a very high priority especially when trying to meet the needs of a growing Folsom.

 

My wife and I have sent him private emails and have not received a reply.

 

We do not want the train coming from Old Town over Blue Ravine, Riley and E. Bidwell.

I'm sorry Camay - your email got sent to my spam folder. I am responding now.

[Chad Vander Veen]

Can someone give me the bullet points for why a local train is better transportation in a local setting like Folsom?  We could compare the option to existing or future bus lines.

 

Hi FolsomEJ - I don't think one thing is better than the other. I think a city with multiple transportation options for residents is ultimately a better place to live. There is a something called Bus Rapid Transit that some cities are exploring. Basically it amounts creating a special bus-only lane that have infrastructure designed to quickly load lots of people at once and signal prioritization that lets the bus through intersections. These BRT systems require a lot of new building though. In the near future, however, we'll see something called vehicle-to-infrastructure (or V2I) networks that allow cars and buses to digitally communicate with roadside systems such as traffic lights. Such systems would allow buses to operate as if they were in a BRT lane but without the need to actually build them because the buses and the traffic lights would be in constant communication. We're already in the early stages of this as automakers are building in vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) technology that helps your car know where all the other cars on the road are, which direction they're going and how fast they're moving. I was recently at a connected vehicle conference in Detroit and got to experience first hand how this stuff will work. It's really cool!

 

Here's a an article on connected vehicles I wrote: http://www.futurestr...Are-Coming.html

 

Here's a video on a BRT system in the works in Albuquerque: http://krqe.com/2014...-moves-forward/

 

Here's a video on how connected vehicle technology works:

[tony]

...Transportation isn't a challenge that is solved with one thing or the other, it's about providing people with multiple options that together make our city cleaner and safer. Having a robust transportation system in our city is, I think, a very high priority especially when trying to meet the needs of a growing Folsom.

 

Chad:

 

That was an excellent answer. The problem we have now is that for 75 years we've been putting all of our transportation (and land use planning) eggs in one basket and only recently have we begun to figure out that that wasn't such a bright idea. Sof50 is a great opportunity to move in a better direction, but I think the current plan makes only baby steps in that direction. 

[Steve Heard]

A clean, modern bus line from the Palladio area, down East Bidwell, with stops along the way would be an excellent, low-impact way of getting residents and tourists through town. 

 

Seattle used to have it for free. It was pretty fun on a Saturday night.

[mrdavex]

A clean, modern bus line from the Palladio area, down East Bidwell, with stops along the way would be an excellent, low-impact way of getting residents and tourists through town. 

 

Seattle used to have it for free. It was pretty fun on a Saturday night.

 

Yes, and it should be extended to any new S50 development too.  Otherwise, the intersection of Iron Point and E Bidwell will only get much worse

[4thgenFolsomite]

since South of 50 came up, how about planning a line down there now?  so its in place and in the correct non-intrusive alignment before everything gets built out?

[ducky]

since South of 50 came up, how about planning a line down there now?  so its in place and in the correct non-intrusive alignment before everything gets built out?

 +1

[camay2327]

A clean, modern bus line from the Palladio area, down East Bidwell, with stops along the way would be an excellent, low-impact way of getting residents and tourists through town. 

 

Seattle used to have it for free. It was pretty fun on a Saturday night.

Steve, I would a lot rather have the bus system than having the train from Old Town to Palladio as Chad is suggesting.

I really wonder how much it cost to keep that old train up and running from year to year. And we do not want the

noise from the darn Whistle when it goes across Blue Ravine at Riley. I thought the city council had turned that down

anyway.

[Steve Heard]

Steve, I would a lot rather have the bus system than having the train from Old Town to Palladio as Chad is suggesting.

I really wonder how much it cost to keep that old train up and running from year to year. And we do not want the

noise from the darn Whistle when it goes across Blue Ravine at Riley. I thought the city council had turned that down

anyway.

 

Chad has said that he's not opposed to a bus sytem.

 

Tony estimated $60million to get the train up and running. I don't think it will happen any time soon.

[camay2327]

 

Chad has said that he's not opposed to a bus sytem.

 

Tony estimated $60million to get the train up and running. I don't think it will happen any time soon.

I personally hope it doesn't happen at all....

[4thgenFolsomite]

Lightrail goes right through downtown Sacramento through tons of neighborhood areas and no one seems bothered.  Its a great asset and would be as the community grows too.

[Chad Vander Veen]

To clarify by Streetcar I don't mean a train. I mean something like this that exists in cities the world over.