Light Rail "bus stop" on Central Ave.
As a commuter to central Phoenix I have seen first hand the construction project that is the "Light Rail System". My office is on Central Avenue and we have a nice view of the railway running down the center of the street. Central Avenue already has driving challenges that include no left turns during peak hours. Trying to get from here to there sometimes forces you to go out of your way even though your destination is right in front of you.The rail system to me looks like an expensive glorified bus-line. I think mass transit is great and I hope it works for the city. With gas prices as they are this may be perfect timing for this project and perfect timing for those who are sick of handing over their whole paycheck just to fill up their tank.
I grew up in a town that had an excellent "electric' bus system. It used to be on rails, then overhead electric cables and then a mix of electric cable buses and regular buses. They came around every 15 minutes or so and were super convenient if you were headed to the downtown business district or any other part of town for that matter. It may not have been pretty and the patrons were not glamorous however, I have many RTA (rapid transit authority) memories as I took the bus to high school and even to a few of my jobs so I would not have to pay for parking.
I think the project has chosen some interesting "bus stops". They are artistic, modern and look like something you would expect in an uber-cool European city in say Sweden. They feature while sort of sails that I am assuming are for shade. I also think they look like shark fins. I like them but when I look at the square in downtown Phoenix with it's outdated 60's pop-art space-ball theme, I wonder how long it will take for this style to be dated also. I hope the canvas or whatever materials the sails are made of hold up to our wind and sun.
Shark Fins
When looking at the light-rail project in Phoenix I totally expect some issues with accidents. I see people walking in the path of the train and even cars accidentally turning right into the light rail paths as they have curbs on either side down the center of the road. It will be interesting to see how fast some yahoo causes an accident and then sues the system.
An accident waiting to happen. Cha-Ching $?
The Arizona Republic and Metro light-rail officials launched a contest last month asking readers to invent the best slogan to promote safety once the trains start moving in the Valley in late December.
They mentioned a few slogans that did not make the cut. I found them pretty funny.
1. Don't S*&% Your Slacks! Just Stay Off the Tracks!
2. Light Rail: We want you in it, not under it.
3. Light Rail: Help us run on time, not over people.
4. It might be named light, but it won't feel that way when it is smashing your bones on the rail.
5. Obey the rules when on your journey, or your next trip is on a gurney.
6. Light Rail: The little engine that could...run you over is you're not careful!
7. Metro Rail Light: "Great Pace / less Killing"
8. Silent , but violent
9. Trains don't kill people - that pay attention.
10. Abstinence: The Only Thing Safer Than Our Trains.
11. The new Metro system ... If Phil Gordon (our mayor) can drive it, how dangerous can it be?
2 comments:
Hard to tell how long it will be until the first accident. One thing is for sure, the media will love it. :-) Any bets on if the first accident is before or after the grand opening? - the "death bet" thing was just morbid...
It could be before the opening. I noticed that it would be very easy to drive right into the center when making turns in some areas. It could be an easy mistake.
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