urbanSTL

kg2024 wrote:

ldai_phs wrote: ↑

5:25 PM - Feb 26

gone corporate wrote:

I've advocated for a while that we give a serious look at "trackless trams" that operate on rubber wheels and follow dash lines for either piloted or automated driving. 

A major consideration is that such things could be utilized to further "initial development" of a route with rails. For example, we could have something like this going up and down Jefferson, validating the Green Line before full construction of a streetcar-style light rail goes in. We could theoretically see the "trackless tram" operating on one part of the street while the streetcar infrastructure is constructed on the other. Afterwards, other routes could be considered and run on the "trackless tram" while political will and new capital are sourced; for example, the route for Soulard to Downtown that @Ragtimer mentioned in his post above. If that route gets validated, then the "trackless tram" gets moved again to another candidate route, then another and another, building up ride usage while streetcar routes are constructed. 

This could seriously create a full streetcar system in the City, building a user base while construction takes place, and earning revenues for Metro while it's making capital expenditures on new transportation infrastructure. 

Addn.: It's a hell of a lot cheaper. A route was completed in Jakarta that cost them about $4.5MM/kilometer, about $7.25/mile. 
How much was the Green Line anticipated to cost? $190MM/mile. This would lower costs by 96%. 

This is really no different than a true BRT line

Agreed, this has almost no benefit over BRT using articulated electric buses, which are already manufactured in the US, cost significantly less, and Metro has experience with the 14 they own. You'd also have to build a new depot to house them along the line since you can't run a heavy 100+ foot long vehicle through city streets to get to the bus depots. The guideway they run on has to be heavily reinforced and smooth since it creates ruts from running the same path at their weight, and the superficial fenders that cover the rubber wheels underneath require gentle slopes and no obstacles or bumps. They have not been proven to work in cold or snow prone climates as the markings have to remain clear. They are currently only manufactured in China, which would disqualify them from using federal dollars for purchasing due to Buy America regulations. I also cannot see Metro or the city having these be driverless/autonomous, which is one of the main selling points of them.

Regarding the sentiment that this could be "graduated" to light rail, it's nice to be hopeful but let's set realistic expectations here; it would be highly unlikely a guideway that is decently pricey to begin with (for either buses or these trackless trams) would be torn up to replace it with rails unless there's a huge ridership that warrants it which is unlikely, or it's at the end of its useful life (which I would hope to be multiple decades, where the stations would have to be rebuilt as well).