For sure, but we are also getting more and more people who arenāt having kids and want to live an urban or semi urban lifestyle without them.
This is also accurate for public transit too though. People are less likely to take public transit during bad weather and they arenāt picking their kids up from school either.
I love the idea of personal mobility but rain heat and cold are real deterrents. I love riding my motorcycles but itās tough once temps hit certain levels. I canāt count the number of times in spring and summer ive gotten home totally soaking wet.
A more neutral climate would make that a much better year round travel option.
Colorado also in planning stages of resurrecting passenger rail service on the Front Range between Fort Collins (Colorado State U) and Boulder (Univ of Colorado) north of Denver on down south through the Mile High City to Colorado Springs (US Air Force Academy) and Pueblo and possibly Trinidad. Would initially be 6 trains a day (3 each direction) with expansion to a dozen or more. Long range could include extension north to Cheyenne and south to Santa Fe, which would mean also working with the states of New Mexico and Wyoming. Former already running commuter trains between Albuquerque and Santa Fe.
clt says bring back the smoking cars on trains
To be fair, Denver Regional Transit has a few issues of its own. But they took the bold step. I canāt say that has worked great for them but their transit has had a positive impact. Here the Blue Line was carrying approx 19k or so at its peak before Covid and maintrenance issues. That was primarily before the north line got going. It is reasonable to think that the Blue. Line in future could carry 40 k or more per day. If you have six lines like that then 240k per day. Plus the numbers may go up with connectivity. But it will take time. With density along lines and congestion, people will ride.
The north corridor up to the Lake has so much potential for ridership. That is a miserable slog in a car. Itās even a bit stressful if you are paying for the toll lanes.
The north with 77 limitations around the lake and the west with the bridge constraints and airport.
Ive seen the silver line plan at the town of Mathews city planner office. They are already making development decisions based on it. Belmont and Mount Holly trolly is also being developed with an eye towards where the silver line will run. Hopefully gaston county, gastonia, belmont, Mount holly will all be role models for surrounding counties.
God forbid Cabarrus county and Kannapolis get in on this action
Lots of population. Destinations of the track, concord Mills, Kannapolis inner loop area, Eli Lilly and the rest of that industrial area and the Amtrak station.
Not to mention the music pavilion which super close to the county line.
Etc.
Line should have gone to 485 at min
clt says light rail to the pavilion would be fetch, parking is a nightmare
āwE donāt wAnT aLl tHe cRiMiNaLs!ā
Yes, because people take stolen plasma TVs in the train.
Also, the surrounding counties donāt want to pay for it. Last I heard, even the silver line, planned for now to go into Gaston, had zero funding secured by the county or the Gaston localities. Thatās just not going to cut it.
Belmont I know chipped in a couple hundred grand on the planning phase as did Gastonia and MH - dont recall if that total was separate or combined.
I donāt think funding talk has gone any further until CATS does what they need to - hard for Gaston or any city to make a hard request or plan until CATS and Meck do the majority of the heavy lift.
clt says this happens with greenways as well. people break into your house and steal your tvs
So Charlotte passes a sales tax so residents of davidson, Cornelius, and Huntersville get to ride the rail? Iām pro transit but thatās stupid as shit.
I think it should be a local tax in those areas