[sustran] Re: metros or not

[Brent Efford]

Thanks to Kerry Wood for his comments. We both live in the capital of a
small country with the usual public/private transport issues but neither
metros nor light rail, though plenty of historical proposals for both. The
either/or approach smacks of the mono-modalism pushed here by the bus-owner
lobby - in their attempts to be the only mode, the utility of public
transport as a whole has suffered. In Australia, LRT and subways seem to be
symbiotic: look at Melbourne with one of the largest tram/LRT systems in the
world expanding even after the underground railway loop was built. Or
Sydney, with a mature city underground also expanding along with a new light
rail line. Or Brisbane, with a recently electrified suburban railway system
with a subway component also expanding at the same time as an all-new LRT
system is being planned.
My observation in all three cities is that the niche for each mode has been
correctly identified, and that the LRT components (or bus for that matter)
would be less efficient or viable without the subway.

Cheers,

Brent Efford
TechMedia Services / Transport 2000 NZ
PO Box 2626, Wellington, New Zealand
Ph 04 801 9331; fax 04 801 9344; mob 025 887 387
www.techmedia.co.nz