Re: Brisbane Light Rail,Briztram - questions

[McFergus@my-dejanews.com]

In article <36e53e79.5800979@bri-news.tpg.com.au>,
  qldspeed-spamisevil@geocities.com (qldspeed) wrote:
> On Mon, 08 Mar 1999 22:48:06 +1000, neumannc <neumannc@ozemail.com.au>
>
>
> With respect, Rob's comments below are laughable --- no traffic
> congestion relief from light rail anywhere and little improvement in
> transit ridership.
>
>

Ha, I wouldn't expect Wendell Cox to agree with me! Unfortunately he quite
misses the point when he says that there is "no traffic congestion relief from
light rail anywhere".

It never ceases to amuse and dismay me that there are still people who
believe that light rail should be constructed primarily to accomplish
congestion relief on the roadways, as opposed to being constructed for the
purpose of providing people with a convenient and efficient alternative to
the roadways. Colin Leech has stated this quite accurately many times on
m.t.u-t, but obviously the concept hasn't quite sunk in yet. Any space freed
up on roads by new light rail lines are likely to be filled by other people
who wish to use the roads who had previously been discouraged by congestion.
The effect of the light rail is to increase the total capacity of the
transport corridor, without the vulgar externalities that would be part and
parcel of net additional private vehicles.

As for "little improvement in transit ridership", there have been plenty of
credible rebuttles for this argument in m.t.u-t, I do not have the time to
revisist the issue now.

> compliment for a consultant or academic for their enemies to have to
> resort to the age old strategy of attacking the messenger. It is a
> good indication that the data stands on its own.

Or that the consultants/academics in question have a history of bias, and any
"data" should be taken with a liberal pinch of salt!

>
> Best regards,
> Wendell Cox
>

-----------== Posted via Deja News, The Discussion Network ==----------
http://www.dejanews.com/       Search, Read, Discuss, or Start Your Own