Dumb Idea of the day...

[DEnd]

Charlotte wants to invigorate it's tech offerings... Why not invite google to adapt it's driverless car technology to work with light rail, street cars, possibly even subways in Charlotte?

 

As the routes are well known, and not likely to see unanticipated major changes, so adapting it should be fairly simple. 

[ah59396]

That involves our city being progressive and on the forefront of technology.

So...yeah.

I wish we could have something like that. Especially since google is in the state.

[mallguy]

Why does Google need to get involved?  There are already plenty of driverless trains, such as the L train in New York City.  "CBTC" is the term for the system it uses.

[DEnd]

Why does Google need to get involved?  There are already plenty of driverless trains, such as the L train in New York City.  "CBTC" is the term for the system it uses.

 

 

Google actually doesn't, but the techonology is great for use in shared right-of-way spaces such as light rail and streetcar.

 

Traditional driverless train systems need a completely seperate right of way, as they have no way of know or responding to obstacles along the path.  This has traditionally meant that stations also need platform screen doors as well, which means that adoption of the technology is slowed in places like NYC where there are multiple car types on the track without a standard door placement.

[ah59396]

Honestly I wish the city would just do something different.  No intention on bashing the NASCAR HOF, but imagine if we had put that money towards something truly innovative and new that only Charlotte could have!?  (I don't have an idea off the top of my head).

 

Too often I feel like this city has aspirations of greatness and their idea of getting there is to "do what some other big city just did".  You don't become what Charlotte wants to be by doing what others did (Holy weird sentence).  You become a great city by being the first to do something truly amazing and trend setting.

[kermit]

OK, I'll play.

Finance the buildout of the 2030 plan by imposing a $1 per day per space tax on all parking within one mile of the square. Schedule the tax to increase each time new connections to uptown are completed.

On second thought, lets make the tax apply to all surface parking anywhere in the county -- structured parking could be exempt.

[DEnd]

OK, I'll play.

Finance the buildout of the 2030 plan by imposing a $1 per day per space tax on all parking within one mile of the square. Schedule the tax to increase each time new connections to uptown are completed.

On second thought, lets make the tax apply to all surface parking anywhere in the county -- structured parking could be exempt.

 

I don't live in the city so I could go along with something like that. LOL

[Durhamite]

Honestly I wish the city would just do something different.  No intention on bashing the NASCAR HOF, but imagine if we had put that money towards something truly innovative and new that only Charlotte could have!?  (I don't have an idea off the top of my head).

 

Too often I feel like this city has aspirations of greatness and their idea of getting there is to "do what some other big city just did".  You don't become what Charlotte wants to be by doing what others did (Holy weird sentence).  You become a great city by being the first to do something truly amazing and trend setting.

 

Well, maybe not truly amazing and trend setting, but I'd like to see either Raleigh or Charlotte build a First in Flight Center.  A sizeable one-of-a-kind start-of-the-art complex dedicated to all types of flight, speed, etc....now that I think about it, it would blend nicely with the NHOF if located in the general area.

[ah59396]

<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote'data-author="Durhamite" data-cid="1248783" data-time="1355956772"><p>

Well, maybe not truly amazing and trend setting, but I'd like to see either Raleigh or Charlotte build a First in Flight Center. A sizeable one-of-a-kind start-of-the-art complex dedicated to all types of flight, speed, etc....now that I think about it, it would blend nicely with the NHOF if located in the general area.</p></blockquote>

I'd go to something like before I would make a trip to the NHOF. Again, not trying to bash it, it just doesn't interest me.

[mallguy]

places like NYC where there are multiple car types on the track without a standard door placement.

Not so.  Each line of subways has doors in the same place.  Ever notice the "STEP ASIDE" markings on platforms, where doors are?

[DEnd]

Not so.  Each line of subways has doors in the same place.  Ever notice the "STEP ASIDE" markings on platforms, where doors are?

 

Honestly no.  I've only ever been on one train in NYC.  I'm only going by what the MTA said for reasonings behind them not implementing driverless cars, the main reasoning is the need for platform screen doors, which they cannot retrofit into many stations due to cost, ventilation issues, and non standard door placement of it's fleet.  Google's technology (which is also being developed by others), would possibly deal with two of those issues.

[DEnd]

After reading this article http://www.theatlanticcities.com/commute/2013/01/would-more-drivers-use-public-transit-if-it-mimicked-private-cars/4391/ in The Atlantic Cities I have to wonder if Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) could be a viable option for the silver line.  Since the silver line is proposed to run through the bus lanes on Independence, it is disconnected from the neighborhoods it is supposed to serve.  The PRT option could allow for stations at better neighborhood locations, while not significantly reducing travel time between locations.  Looking at the WVU system it's claimed to cover 60% of its operating costs by a $0.50 fare, at the CATS fare of $2.00 the system should be operationally profitable. 

 

I do have some concerns with PRT.  I'm not convinced it has a decent ride for one.  I'm also skeptical as to how much traffic the system could really handle, though the WVU system handles a similar number of daily passengers as the LYNX does, it is probably with a much different traffic pattern.  Also there really isn't a company that has a long history of building these systems, so costs are a bit of a shot in the dark, as is the possibility of being able to aquire spares (the WVU system has run into this problem). 

 

despite those concerns I think a PRT system should be looked at, and seriously considered if it really is capable of being operationaly profitable.

[southslider]

In Fall 2010 MTC voted to no longer reserve the busway exclusively for transit. The next section of Independence will have inside lanes like 77 instead of a busway.

[DEnd]

Thanks Southslider. There's a reason I titled the thread dumb idea of the day.

[southslider]

The median busway already built does reach as far as Albemarle.  So if the line only went as far east as Albemarle, or actually forked off Independence at Albemarle, then it's still physically feasible to use Independence through the in-town neighborhoods.  Politically, however, Matthews will likely want to be the destination beyond the Albemarle split.  And before a line ever gets built, the State DOT may have already converted the existing busway into a reversible, toll express lane for cars (shared with peak-direction buses).

[15895]

I'd like to see the aviation museum moved uptown. Saw an article in the observer about the museum acquiring more NASA artifacts.

That'd be so cool to have an aviation museum near the Hall of Fame.

[jednc]

I'd like to see the aviation museum moved uptown. Saw an article in the observer about the museum acquiring more NASA artifacts.

That'd be so cool to have an aviation museum near the Hall of Fame.

I don't know how feasible that would be, but it would be cool. The more destination "stuff" uptown the better I think. It would require a fairly large building because the exhibits are so large...so that much land uptown would likely be too cost prohibitive. I'm sure a creative solution is out there though...if anyone decided to really push for this to happen.

[RugbyPike#11]

I don't know how feasible that would be, but it would be cool. The more destination "stuff" uptown the better I think. It would require a fairly large building because the exhibits are so large...so that much land uptown would likely be too cost prohibitive. I'm sure a creative solution is out there though...if anyone decided to really push for this to happen.

 

How about converting one of the large warehouse buildings along the blue line extension?  It would be nice to kickstart some redevelopment in some of the more dilapidated looking areas.

[15895]

I don't know how feasible that would be, but it would be cool. The more destination "stuff" uptown the better I think. It would require a fairly large building because the exhibits are so large...so that much land uptown would likely be too cost prohibitive. I'm sure a creative solution is out there though...if anyone decided to really push for this to happen.

Yeah, that's why it's a "dumb" idea. I mean. Maybe a multi-level city block but still. The cost I bet would make it unfeasable.

I like the suggestion of it being along a rail line (blue line extension or Streetcar line). "Next Stop, XYZ St. And Aviation Museum"

[tozmervo]

I like that idea quite a bit. Either a warehouse or new construction could work to great effect. A quick measurement check shows that the Air and Space museum on the Mall is about 144k square feet, one city block in uptown (400x400) is 160k square feet.

[Urbanity]

Like the idea as well - particularly if the museum would be situated on the North Side somewhere between downtown and NoDa.

There is one fundamental problem with it though - one of the basic strengths of the Aviation Museum is that it's location at the Airport allows it to get visiting aircraft from time to time with ease due to access to the runway.  An in-town location would not obviously attract travelling planes like that.

 

That said with Bank of America closing it's child care centers it would be cool to convert the one that fronts 4th Ward Park into a significant extension of Discovery Place with some of the aviation exhibits.  

 

And as long as I'm on that track - I always thought it would be cool to have a planetarium built over the roof of the Parking deck there which with bridges and an extension to the BoA childcare buildings would make a nice connecting point between the two museums.

[DMann]

Like the idea as well - particularly if the museum would be situated on the North Side somewhere between downtown and NoDa.

There is one fundamental problem with it though - one of the basic strengths of the Aviation Museum is that it's location at the Airport allows it to get visiting aircraft from time to time with ease due to access to the runway.  An in-town location would not obviously attract travelling planes like that.

 

That said with Bank of America closing it's child care centers it would be cool to convert the one that fronts 4th Ward Park into a significant extension of Discovery Place with some of the aviation exhibits.  

 

And as long as I'm on that track - I always thought it would be cool to have a planetarium built over the roof of the Parking deck there which with bridges and an extension to the BoA childcare buildings would make a nice connecting point between the two museums.

A friend of mine is familiar with the construction of that parking deck, and at the time of construction, the decision was made to not make it capable of being added on to, making it finished in it's current configuration.  It would have to be torn down to build up.

[Urbanity]

Figured as much though as long as we're playing the idea game, what if the planetarium structure didn't actually rest on the Parking structure?

 

Build it on a support system based off of legs that went from Discovery place block to the BoA Child care center block and give it a kid of futuristic spaceship look?

 

Cool, no?     Of course, this is the dumb idea thread, so maybe not...  

 

[tozmervo]

It is​ a planetarium, after all. And if they can do it with a 60 story skyscraper, they can do it with a piddly little star show

 

[Urbanity]

^^^