stlgasm, did you see this post above?StL2003 wrote:The University City Traffic Commission held off on approving plans out of concern for losing 9 parking spaces. Seriously? 9 parking spaces???
http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/2013/01/10/ ... ing-along/
- 8,155
Yes, I saw that article. I know the trolley line has its flaws, but I am very eager to see fixed rail transit on Delmar-- a street that was built for streetcars.
- 8,155
^ I just meant that apparently it is not all signed sealed and delivered. If this thing really is nixed b/c of a loss of parking spots that would be one for the books.
Did they even realize that WashU is adding 300 parking spaces to the Loop? Or are they just looking for any excuse?
It's true! There are some amazing examples of this. But when Nanny Bloomberg gets behind something its tends to get done, expeditiously. It helps, especially on the big projects, to have that kind of centralization of power (five counties, aka boroughs, being led by one executive).roger wyoming II wrote:NYC battles fiercely over bike lanes
The idea has been floated to reduce Delmar to one lane each way between Des Peres and DeBaliviere. Part of the motivation is to save street parking lost due to the trolley and to reduce/slow down traffic. Great idea. When I'm walking along that part of Delmar it is empty and cars go way too fast.
Of course some are concerned about increased congestion. Funny to see the parking/car-oriented streetscapes at odds. A suggestion was for another parking lot along Delmar. We really need to get over this thinking.
Of course some are concerned about increased congestion. Funny to see the parking/car-oriented streetscapes at odds. A suggestion was for another parking lot along Delmar. We really need to get over this thinking.
- 3,429
In a Forbes Magazine 3-part series, a writer named Chunka Mui lays out changes he says will be coming with driverless cars. I personally think he is over-reacting, the transition will be more gradual than the cliff he envisions. But it is interesting to read how things could change with driverless cars.
"If cars are in nearly constant use and can come when called, the need for parking almost vanishes. One MIT study claims that, in some U.S. cities, parking lots cover more than a third of the land area. Other estimates are that there are as many as 2 billion parking spaces in the U.S., about the size of Connecticut and Vermont combined. Much of this valuable real estate could be reclaimed for more beneficial social and economic purposes. At the same time, property values, especially in cities, would decline as additional supply becomes available."
This one is ineresting,
"As government saves, though, utilities will lose as those traffic and street lights go away."
http://www.forbes.com/sites/chunkamui/2 ... effects/2/
"If cars are in nearly constant use and can come when called, the need for parking almost vanishes. One MIT study claims that, in some U.S. cities, parking lots cover more than a third of the land area. Other estimates are that there are as many as 2 billion parking spaces in the U.S., about the size of Connecticut and Vermont combined. Much of this valuable real estate could be reclaimed for more beneficial social and economic purposes. At the same time, property values, especially in cities, would decline as additional supply becomes available."
This one is ineresting,
"As government saves, though, utilities will lose as those traffic and street lights go away."
http://www.forbes.com/sites/chunkamui/2 ... effects/2/
- 11K
My first thought is that land values in cities would go up because much less land would be adjacent to ugly, suffocating parking lots.
- 516
I can see an initial, temporary decrease as the supply (i.e., unneeded parking lots) outpaces demand, but eventually, I think driverless cars would make urban areas more attractive to live/work and eventually demand and property values would go up.Alex Ihnen wrote:My first thought is that land values in cities would go up because much less land would be adjacent to ugly, suffocating parking lots.
- 1,792
either that or more people decide they don't mind commuting if they can sleep the whole way...
- 3,429
I follow this technology closely and have a Facebook page and article on this. I really believe it will be introduced incrementally. There is a good presentation by a technical law person who talked about walking a fine line between introducing something that prevents accidents but doesn't overreact such that drivers get annoyed and just turn it off.
I test drove a car with pre-collision braking and adaptive cruise control. With the latter, I drove down Olive with no feet on the gas or brake, and the car started and stopped behind the car in front of me on its own. I steered, but Volvo will introduce cruise control steering next year.
The Holy Grail, vehicle-to-vehicle communication, will start in a few years but will start as warnings and will just be used to prevent collisions. So you will drive as usual but not be allowed to hit someone else or run off the road to kill yourself.
So I don't think this scenario will radically change parking and car sharing for quite a while. And the changes will be slow. But they will come eventually.
As one commenter said, you can share self-driving cars now. They are called taxis.
I test drove a car with pre-collision braking and adaptive cruise control. With the latter, I drove down Olive with no feet on the gas or brake, and the car started and stopped behind the car in front of me on its own. I steered, but Volvo will introduce cruise control steering next year.
The Holy Grail, vehicle-to-vehicle communication, will start in a few years but will start as warnings and will just be used to prevent collisions. So you will drive as usual but not be allowed to hit someone else or run off the road to kill yourself.
So I don't think this scenario will radically change parking and car sharing for quite a while. And the changes will be slow. But they will come eventually.
As one commenter said, you can share self-driving cars now. They are called taxis.
- 11K
I need to get ahead of the curve and write on essay on how electric/alt fuel cars and self-driving cars are going to lead to sprawl, sprawl, sprawl.
- 3,429
You may be right. The 3rd Part of the Forbes series on all of this just came out today. The author talks about some of the impediments to quick adoption to driverless cars not related to the technology itself. Look at his chart on killer app acceptance which he says will be similar to driverless car acceptance.Alex Ihnen wrote:I need to get ahead of the curve and write on essay on how electric/alt fuel cars and self-driving cars are going to lead to sprawl, sprawl, sprawl.
Here is a link to the new Forbes piece. Pretty interesting.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/chunkamui/2 ... you-think/
- 933
So, anybody remember when they were talking about including high-speed internet with the trolley? What's happening with this now? I haven't heard anything about it since this was written: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metr ... 6bec2.html
- 1,320
David Sandel as referenced in the Beacon last September:
https://www.stlbeacon.org/#!/content/26 ... hub_091212
It sounds to me like the Trolley's backers — including Wash U — will help make sure the lines are run as part of the trolley project. The rest of the "Loop Media Hub" is still in the planning stage, it seems.He said the fiber-optic backbone of the system would be paid for by the Loop Trolley project, though a business model was still being worked out for the connections to individual businesses.
https://www.stlbeacon.org/#!/content/26 ... hub_091212
When will the trolley actually break ground? At the rate were going it will be 2020 before tracks hit the ground.
- 8,155
Well, by time the UC folks get done trimming it down, it might only run from Eastgate to History Museum!goat314 wrote:When will the trolley actually break ground? At the rate were going it will be 2020 before tracks hit the ground.
- 1,320
Joe Edwards said about a month ago that he hoped to start laying tracks in late Spring. At that point, the U. City Traffic Commission was refusing to approve the plans until the trolley added parking.
And yes, you read that right. No new public transit unless the public transit adds surface parking.
Edwards said he is aiming to open summer 2014.
And yes, you read that right. No new public transit unless the public transit adds surface parking.
Edwards said he is aiming to open summer 2014.
- 11K
^ hang up was the nine street parking spaces the trolley stops would eliminate.
- 8,155
If I recall correctly, the APA raved over those nine spots when it recognized Delmar as one of the 10 Great Streets a few years ago. Wait....nevermind.Alex Ihnen wrote:^ hang up was the nine street parking spaces the trolley stops would eliminate.
- 1,320
Well, I guess the trolley would have to average nine riders without cars to make up for those lost spaces.
This whole project has really brought out U. City's true colors:
-Don't take it too far west.
-Don't allow a round-about.
-Don't let it congest Delmar.
-Don't let it take away ANY parking.
Not the forward thinking bastion of County progressivism it is often held out to be.
(To be fair, some of the mansion dwellers on Lindell are no better).
-Don't take it too far west.
-Don't allow a round-about.
-Don't let it congest Delmar.
-Don't let it take away ANY parking.
Not the forward thinking bastion of County progressivism it is often held out to be.
(To be fair, some of the mansion dwellers on Lindell are no better).
^ I think it reflects the need for younger people to get politically involved. I'm sure most of the city council is receiving social security!
Here's a link to the University City City Council, with photos and contact info:
http://www.ucitymo.org/index.aspx?nid=452
http://www.ucitymo.org/index.aspx?nid=452