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What kind of Population Density do you need for Commuter rail?
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[quote]QUOTE: <i>Originally posted by jeaton</i> <br /> <br /> For SF, the central city and geographic situation lends itself to commuter rail. However, I would argue that the fact that the SP's commuter service survived the post WW II auto boom and subsequent freeway building impacted public sentiment to favor or at least accept public ownership and tax expenditures for that service. <br /> <br />Of course LA is a much different situation. ... The PE didn't survive the automobile age, <br />Jay <br />[/quote] <br /> <br />Jay, <br /> <br />The North Shore line from Chicago to Milwaukee was ruined because the Chicago Transit Authority didn't want competition for the El. Commuter rail in San Francisco's East Bay and North Bay was killed off because the State of California outlawed passenger ferries as bridges were built, they didn't want competition for bridge tolls. Without ferries East and North Bay lines couldn't get people to SF. LA's PE was bought up and torn down by GM and street car lines nationwide were shut down. <br /> <br />People argue these lines failed because ridership declined but that was a result of losing political battles to more powerful interests who then mortally wounded these lines. <br /> <br />Commuter rail survived on the SF peninsula because of the San Francisco Freeway Revolt in the fifties. The same California planners who paved LA were doing the same thing to SF, freeways along all SF's waterfront, Interstate 280 North to the Golden Gate Bridge, East to the Bay Bridge, and a freeway hub in Golden Gate Park with spokes in all directions. Voters saw this would ruin their neighborhoods and stopped construction. If these freeways had been built the State would have spent too much money to takeover rail service on the Peninsula. <br /> <br />North of SF there are no alternatives to commuting besides US 101, traffic stands still much of the day. The old Northwestern Pacific line was bought for commuter rail but for 20 years hasn't been able to get Marin and Sonoma counties to agree on funding. <br /> <br />Density isn't the real issue in cities the size of Portland and up. Commuter rail just isn't politically organized well enough to take on bus and freeway lobbies.
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