Monorail...Monorail.....MONORAIL!

[MadVlad]

It's a pretty funny article, they created a fake Monorail system in Hartford, and kinda made it a "joke, but wouldn't it be nice" type thing. I've been a huge proponent of getting a monorail in Hartford since we got some money for it about 5 years ago... of course, that's the last time I've heard about it (other than me)....... until now. The 2 problems I have with it are that it goes through Bushnell Park, and it cuts along the East Hartford side of the River. I think they could easily find better routes for it, like along Main ST EH, and back across at the old railroad bridge by Riverside Park.

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[lammius]

Monorail has a couple of advantages. It's sometimes quiet, and the infrastructure is less intrusive than elevated subways like those found in New York et other cities. But from a safety standpoint, suppose there's an emergency on the train between stops and you have to get off. How do you?

[beerbeer]

you climb down

[lammius]

From what?

[LItoCT]

Unless a monorail would go out into the neighborhoods I think Hartford is too small for it to be useful. You can already walk across downtown in 6 minutes, where would the monorail take you? (by that same argument, I think that star shuttle is a waste of money, but then I'm a person who likes to walk).

[MadVlad]

I don't think it'd be a waste of money at all. Getting from downtown to Rentschler Field, to the Meadows, to the Capitol would be great for the city...

[GregV]

IMO a commuter rail from Springfield to New Haven should be the focus of the DOT's energy. I don't think Hartford has a use for a monorail just yet, but it may have if the city doubles in population. As I've said before, I believe the city should focus on improving the lives of its residents (and attracting tens of thousands more), and not just attracting and moving around tourists.

[Bill Mocarsky]

I have a problem with a loop that goes around a downtown area. I feel it would define what we consider downtown much like highway loops do. I would like to see it stretch out and go somewhere.

It looks like the proposed route is designed to move people who they hope to attract to the city. I wonder how many people reside along this route?

I would like to see strong spine with a reconfigured bus system feeding (intersecting) it.

[Cotuit]

If this were built, the eastern leg should go out at least to Route 384 and probably a ways down 384. How many people are going to drive almost all the way to the east bank of the river, and then get out of thier cars and into transit? If people could park further out, it would get more use.

[GregV]

IMO this is a terrible project, not necessary in a downtown as small as ours. I don't even take the subway in New York unless I'm traveling more than 15 blocks, and in less than that you've walked from one side of Hartford to the other!

Shouldn't people should be encouraged to walk the city instead?

And was I sleeping or is there suddenly something worthwhile in East Hartford besides car dealerships? I realize the new football stadium area is being built-up, but is this enough to warrant a monorail half dedicated to EH? On the days when there aren't football games no one would be traveling there. Strange, no?

[MadVlad]

I've always thought that a Monorail could exist going in most directions: N-S along the center divide of I-91, E-W along the center divide of I-84, and one that goes SE-NW along Rt2 and Albany Ave. I'm thinking the residential access would be bigger, and it would be an enormous boon to the areas near the stops. Personally, I would love to use public transit, but it isn't practical where I live (why would I hop on a bus or train that would take me 45 min to get where I'm going as opposed to a 15 minute drive?).

[blink55184]

First of all- this would NEED to go into the suburbs too! I like the idea of it going out 384 for commuter lots in Manchester.

Is it just the map or does this basically make no stops in central downtown? Just kind of links highlites around the area.

Interesting none the less.

[dpbaker]

But from a safety standpoint, suppose there's an emergency on the train between stops and you have to get off. How do you?

Depending on the design of the beamway, you add catwalks for emergency egress. Either on the side of a single direction beamway, or in the middle of double beams. Not too tough, but you make a good point. Any design should incorporate this.

IMO a commuter rail from Springfield to New Haven should be the focus of the DOT's energy. I don't think Hartford has a use for a monorail just yet, but it may have if the city doubles in population. As I've said before, I believe the city should focus on improving the lives of its residents (and attracting tens of thousands more), and not just attracting and moving around tourists.

Why wait until you need it to do it? In many projects like this, waiting makes them ultimately more difficult as congestion increases and they become logistically more troublesome. Other than cost, why go with at-grade rail that will interfere with traffic and pedestrians when you can elevate it, keep it quiet, and have a nice view of the surrounding scenery as you go along?

[MadVlad]

The time to build it is before you need it, not after. If you build after you need it, then it's already too late, ahnd chances are it'll be too small by the time it's finished anyways....

[mr2448]

IMO a commuter rail from Springfield to New Haven should be the focus of the DOT's energy. I don't think Hartford has a use for a monorail just yet, but it may have if the city doubles in population. As I've said before, I believe the city should focus on improving the lives of its residents (and attracting tens of thousands more), and not just attracting and moving around tourists.

They should also make use of trackage from Buckland Hill(or Manchester) to New Britain. With the possibility of extending it to Willimantic along the ROW of the old rail line. The line trough Hazardville and Somers into Springfield could also be used. Ct. has many old ROW's especially toward NW CT. that could be used for light rail.

Mark

[beerbeer]

The Griffin Line would be up and running now if the DOT had supported it in the 90's when the federal money was made available.

That would hae connected the city to the airport and spurred economical development along it's path in Bloomfield, Windsor.

The DOT is a bunch of corrupt fools.

[malikr65]

I did some research on the Griffin Line and it is exactly what I would be looking for in a Greater Hartford light rail system. Here's part of an article that I found.

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Read the entire article

[blink55184]

it in the 90's when the federal money was made available.

Too bad they didn't.

I remember reading somewhere, either here or skyscrapercity, that as of the year 2004

there was something like a 40 year waiting list to get federal aid in building LRT.

[GregV]

Wow, that article is depressing. Funny to see something like this, when there's an article in the New York Times today describing a 50-year water project now half completed. Why can't this city look longer-term?

[malikr65]

Because most of the people in charge don't think that this city has a long-term future.

[MadVlad]

Well, it's not going to just dry up and blow away. What, they think that everyone will move out and they'll make it a nice suburb or something? The Hartford Courant had a bunch of articles yesterday about commuter rail service and how it sucks all through New England. I'll provide a link when I get a chance...

[Cotuit]

I'd be interested in reading that. I don't think it sucks, I think it may not have enough capacity in many areas. Worcester to Boston is an example, where the Commuter Rail needs to fight for space with the lines of the freight owners. MetroNorth always seemed to serve my coworkers well. Shoreline East I don't know much about, I never knew anyone who had to use it. I can say from experience, the line from Boston to Providence is super-crowded in the afternoon, which one could say sucks.

[hood]

Check out this new concept for elevated rail, this company is proposing to build lines in metro Detroit at no cost to the city(s) it runs through. The best things are that it is MagLev and can go 250mph and the charge for using it will be $.05 per minute (vehicles would carry everything from passengers to freight and act as a car ferry)! Interstate Traveler Company (I know, the website may not look impressive, but apparently they have already secured funding.)

[MadVlad]

Here you go, Cotuit. First is an article stating how the Connecticut DoT are a bunch of morons and really f'd up the transit system around Hartford and the Airport (my take).

Rail Links Would Bolster Bradley, Region

The second link is also from the Hartford Courant, it states that New England may start becoming an economic cul-de-sac due to the transportation bottlenecks getting out of NYC and into New England, Connecticut specifically.

The Right Track

[Cotuit]

The second link is also from the Hartford Courant, it states that New England may start becoming an economic cul-de-sac due to the transportation bottlenecks getting out of NYC and into New England, Connecticut specifically.

The Right Track

I posted that article in the New England Transit thread, I think it's pretty interesting on a lot of points.