Charlotte's Light Rail: Lynx Blue Line

[go_vertical]

I may be thinking too big here, but I wouldn't be terribly shocked if some sort of face recognition/body scanning software is being employed to thwart fare-dodgers. I'm talking about a system that scans and temporarily stores facial parameters of customers (at least a percentage of them) as they walk onto the platforms and then a "tag" is attached to that person as to whether they purchased a ticket or not. Obviously things like bus transfers and multiple ride passes would make something like this a bit more tricky, but it certainly could be done. Such software would be pricey, but in the grand scheme of things very cost effective.

I've seen numerous people being asked for tickets while on the platforms and more often than not they appear to not have one . This tells me that they are aware as to who hasn't paid before they even ask. I always pay when I ride the Blue Line. Mostly because I want to support mass transit but also because I do not want to deal with the embarassment of being fined because I refused to pay less than two bucks.

[dubone]

Too big brother for my taste, but maybe a grant from the secret service while they're on break from giving secrets to ladies of the night.

[Urbanity]

^^^Dubone - I can't believe you went there

In other news - Now that I'm currently living in the University City area and see first hand the traffic nightmare of North Tryon particularly between WT Harris and Mallard Creek I wonder what traffic mitigation planning is being done for the BLE construction in that section.

I'm assuming that they are going to expand N Tryon somewhat in that area to accommodate the dual tracks running through the median. I think they have room on the South (or is it East?) side of Tryon, but I don't see much room on the other side.

Any thoughts or knowledge of the traffic plans during construction?

[kermit]

I may be thinking too big here, but I wouldn't be terribly shocked if some sort of face recognition/body scanning software is being employed to thwart fare-dodgers.

Too big brother for me also, I do however wonder about the viability of an RFID approach. A chip in each ticket / transfer / pass combined with door sensors which perhaps would emit a beep when someone entered a train without a ticket (or maybe shot them with a tranquilizer dart). This would streamline enforcement and provide a 'social mechanism' to discourage fare jumping). Such an application is certainly within the bounds of currently available technology. I would guess the chips may add 5-10 cents to the cost of a ticket (no idea about sensor cost but its certainly cheaper than more enforcement / access controlled platforms).

That said, fare jumping does not appear to be a big deal based on my 3 evening round trips per week.

[carolinagarnet]

Too big brother for me also, I do however wonder about the viability of an RFID approach. A chip in each ticket / transfer / pass combined with door sensors which perhaps would emit a beep when someone entered a train without a ticket (or maybe shot them with a tranquilizer dart).

I think this would be the classic Family Guy cutaway approach.

[hambone931]

Too big brother for me also, I do however wonder about the viability of an RFID approach. A chip in each ticket / transfer / pass combined with door sensors which perhaps would emit a beep when someone entered a train without a ticket (or maybe shot them with a tranquilizer dart).

I am up for anything that keeps me from getting stuck behind people who can't figure out how to use the ticket machine(Yo brah, what does "one way" mean?) and causing me, someone who always buys a ticket, from missing the train.

[ajfunder]

Well it appears the Lynx has had a rare train vehicle accident, or maybe its first but either way I hope everyone is ok. IMHO, Ibelieve you are an idiot if you try to beat a train to a crossing but if you run into a car waiting for a train already in the crossing, you truely shouldn't be behind the wheel.

[tozmervo]

Yeah, it sounds like a pretty tragic accident. Hopefully everyone will be okay.

[tozmervo]

Of note: the LYNX runs two-car trains throughout the work day now. They used to just use one-car between rush hours.

[Sabaidee]

I know this probably should belong to the Rail Improvement thread, but the new intermodal yard officially broke ground at the airport. http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2012/05/02/norfolk-southern-breaks-ground-at.html

Once this is completed, the old yard will be out of the way for the BLE construction!

[dubone]

Yeah, it is great that this was able to be coordinated properly to allow for BLE construction to continue as planned assuming FFGA from the feds this autumn.

[mad_park]

I am up for anything that keeps me from getting stuck behind people who can't figure out how to use the ticket machine(Yo brah, what does "one way" mean?) and causing me, someone who always buys a ticket, from missing the train.

Yeah, that is extremely frustrating and it seems to happen all too often. Wish they had a way you could prepurchase a 10 ride ticket and then perhaps run it through a machine at the station which prints the date on it so the fare checkers know its valid. Once it has 10 dates then it has expired. The weekly/monthly passes don't save you any $ if you only ride 5 days a week. Work from home for a day or two and it is a money losing deal.

[kermit]

CATS has signed lease, construction and operating argeements for the 2.7 miles section of the BLE it shares with the NCRR and their tenant Norfolk Southern. The lease agreement runs for 50 years and is renewable for another 50.

http://www.progressiverailroading.com/prdailynews/news.asp?id=31029

[kermit]

It worked....

The blue line has created urban places from urban decay.

I live about 6 blocks from the E-W station but I do not work along the blue line (but I often work from home). I realized today as I walked to lunch at the Common Market that the blue line has created the kind of pedestrian-oriented urbanism that planners had hoped for. Lunch today was my fourth trip in four days to the corridor. Tuesday I headed to Big Ben to get a beer and sit on the deck, Wednesday I rode the rail downtown for a meeting with a colleague (we didn't have to meet downtown but it was easiest for both of us), Thursday I took the family to dinner at Pikes, and then lunch today at CM. I'll actually walk back to EW station tonight for a family night out in town.

So five descretionary trips (by one person) to the LRT corridor in four days have been generated. This number will likely increase as I noted today that three new restrauants are about to open up (Bite your Tounge, the Crepe joint and the new pizza/ beer place in Atherton Mill) -- thus generating even more trips.

I mention this only becuase this shift in my activity space caught me by surpirse. I never felt there was much in Southend that was attractive enough to walk to (particularly when compared to the East blvd / Kennilworth area -- the other area in my pedestrian activity space). My recent pattern of activity suggests that I am wrong about that. As more businesses (and apartments) sprout up the momentum towards true urbanism should increase rapidly, I eagerly await Southend's continued densification.

Now if we could just get a grocery store......

Edited May 18, 2012 by kermit

[kermit]

pardon the whining but can someone tell my how Portland can finish a 10 mile new LRT line to Milwaukee in three years while it will take CATS at least five years to finish the BLE?

http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/news/2012/05/17/milwaukie-line-attracts-85m-from-feds.html

[ajfunder]

Denver is the same way with there rail projects, they are proposed, funded, and built with very little time spent in limbo. The LYNX extension does require quite a large amount of infrastructure with multiple bridges and redoing N. Tryon street. The LYNX relies heavily on the transit tax, which has had a downturn in revenue, but still our rail projects do seem to take longer than others

[southslider]

pardon the whining but can someone tell my how Portland can finish a 10 mile new LRT line to Milwaukee in three years while it will take CATS at least five years to finish the BLE?

http://www.bizjourna...-from-feds.html

The BLE is projected to be open for revenue service five years from now, but construction hasn't started yet.

[dubone]

It hasn't even been funded. It is forecast for funding, but not yet secured. But the timeline shows 4 years of construction.

There are cases where longer timelines can be lower cost, or necessary for cash flow reasons, as you have an additional FY to cover the costs. But also, there could be complexity differences, etc.

I'm more surprised by the length of time to create the streetcar starter, especially since it was stimulus money designed to spent quickly. It seems they'll be doing lots of utility work for that projects, whereas 5 years ago at public meetings for the streetcar, engineers loved to speak about how quickly it was possible to lay tracks in streets without affecting utilities. I suppose that was either not possible, or they opted against that process in order to get the utilities updated.

[tozmervo]

I have to think there are some massive headaches doing this kind of work on Trade Street, especially with several "high priority" buildings along that stretch like the jail and the Federal Reserve.

[dubone]

(Moderator note. Let's use the overall transit plan thread to discuss fever dreams and unfunded projects and leave this to the Blue line which is on the cusp of being funded an under construction)

[kermit]

WFAE is reporting that the BLE is in jepordy due to:

1) the capital improvement plan 'no' vote last night. It was suggested that this will take 'vital' neighborhood infrastructure investments away from the BLE route thus making the project less attractive to the federal govt.

And

2) the legislature in Raleigh not including its portion of the BLE money in its budget for next year. While I am not surprised by the posturing in Raleigh I had thought that the state portion of the FFGA was signed thus obligating them to contributing. Was I mistaken about that???

http://www.wfae.org/wfae/1_87_316.cfm?action=display&id=8726

Edited June 13, 2012 by kermit

[ajfunder]

It was signed and I believe that means they must pay-up. I'm not to concerned about the Feds either because they have been handing out LRT grants for much more low profile projects quite regularly, and the LYNX is far from low profile. But if this vote does screw up the LYNX extension I will be one unhappy citizen.

[HopHead]

City Council will be meeting again on Thursday to discuss compromises... First thing on the chopping block should be the streetcar. That would get at least one person to switch their vote. I'm sure the mayor would rather lose that than the chance at losing funding for BLE.

[southslider]

True, Northeast corridor infrastructure likely are the safest projects, are the least likely to be cut, while Streetcar is definitely on the chopping block. However, if the vote needs a net-neutral tax rate increase (one that is a wash due to the County's rate drop), then a lot more than Streetcar needs to be cut from the Capital Plan. For example, they could cut Park South Drive Extension, the only road project in Dulin's district.

True, you only need one more vote for a simple majority. Barnes would likely switch just on Streetcar, but I'd still be worried about future bond votes, if the tax increase were not net-neutral, even minus Streetcar. With a net-neutral hike, you can also pick up Fallon and Pickering, plus better ensure bond passage. Dulin and Cooksey won't vote for any tax levy, even a net-neutral one. Finally, Cannon seems to be setting himself up for a primary challenge to Foxx, so I'm not so sure his vote is even flexible, unless of course, Cannon can use his changed vote on the campaign.

Edited June 13, 2012 by southslider

[ah59396]

So what else would need to be cut then? What's the magic number, so to speak?