A Bike path in 12 or 15 years Options

[dtk]

I dunno who, but someone thought that some track running thru needham/medford/dover could be converted to a bike path...I'm for it (better still if it ran into Newton/Needham St)...anyway...I'm on the emai from the group running it...

anyway...they laid out the steps and time frame..

12 to 15 YEARS. They expect either the paving or removal of track to be roughly 1/2 a mile a year...

I can't believe my kids will be college grads by the time this happens...'mazing!
dtk

[~KC]

Thank you. I'll plan accordingly.

[screeg neegis]

I dunno who, but someone thought that some track running thru needham/medford/dover could be converted to a bike path...I'm for it (better still if it ran into Newton/Needham St)...anyway...I'm on the emai from the group running it...

anyway...they laid out the steps and time frame..

12 to 15 YEARS. They expect either the paving or removal of track to be roughly 1/2 a mile a year...

I can't believe my kids will be college grads by the time this happens...'mazing!
dtk

I'm a supporter of bike paths. We should have more of them.
But I also support rebuilding mass transit systems that would carry far more people to and from the suburbs than bike paths would and get more people out of cars.
Tearing up old railways is a good way to keep that from happening soon.
I'd rather they keep the railway, put it back into service, and build a bike path alongside it.
MUCH better in the long run.
Win-win.

[FrankD]

I'm a supporter of bike paths. We should have more of them.
But I also support rebuilding mass transit systems that would carry far more people to and from the suburbs than bike paths would and get more people out of cars.
Tearing up old railways is a good way to keep that from happening soon.
I'd rather they keep the railway, put it back into service, and build a bike path alongside it.
MUCH better in the long run.
Win-win.

I concur with this.

although some tracks will have to be replaced entirely.

[screeg neegis]

I concur with this.

although some tracks will have to be replaced entirely.

that's ok
Much cheaper and more likely to succeed than sometime in the future having to redo the whole system, go through the eminent domain issues and the rest of the hassles that went into the original construction of those railways to build new ones, which we will surely need.

[FrankD]

that's ok
Much cheaper and more likely to succeed than sometime in the future having to redo the whole system, go through the eminent domain issues and the rest of the hassles that went into the original construction of those railways to build new ones, which we will surely need.

and ground level monorails would be awesome!!!

[screeg neegis]

and ground level monorails would be awesome!!!

They could elevate them too, though that would be much more expensive; either way keeping those railways for mass transit is a better idea than tearing them up, even for bikepaths.
I rode the monorail train at Tomorrow Land at Disneyland in the mid-50s and thought it was great: fast, quiet, comfortable...too bad we've had a national policy since then to shut mass transit down in favor of cars and asphalt.

[fake guest]

They could elevate them too, though that would be much more expensive; either way keeping those railways for mass transit is a better idea than tearing them up, even for bikepaths.
I rode the monorail train at Tomorrow Land at Disneyland in the mid-50s and thought it was great: fast, quiet, comfortable...too bad we've had a national policy since then to shut mass transit down in favor of cars and asphalt.

It's interesting that the US spent billions in stimulis $$$ to rebuild and build new rail transit systems in post WW2 Japan and Europe while Ike was building our interstate highway system. While the interstates were a great idea overall it may have been helpful to put in high speed railroads on the median strips of the interstates and rebuild our existing railroads for highspeed rail while we had the $$$. Many of the concrete bridges on our highways are now crumbling due to mega trucks whose freight could frequently be carried by rail more cheaply and efficiently. Meanwhile we will owe China trillions plus interest to pay for our wars and much needed highway and railroad infrastructure repairs.

[screeg neegis]

It's interesting that the US spent billions in stimulis $$$ to rebuild and build new rail transit systems in post WW2 Japan and Europe while Ike was building our interstate highway system. While the interstates were a great idea overall it may have been helpful to put in high speed railroads on the median strips of the interstates and rebuild our existing railroads for highspeed rail while we had the $$$. Many of the concrete bridges on our highways are now crumbling due to mega trucks whose freight could frequently be carried by rail more cheaply and efficiently. Meanwhile we will owe China trillions plus interest to pay for our wars and much needed highway and railroad infrastructure repairs.

not to mention the fact that we helped write the postwar Japanese consitution and wrote universal healthcare into it...which has given Japanese manufacturers the edge they need to sell their products here cheaper than our industries can.


This post has been edited by screeg neegis: Dec 6 2009, 01:29 PM

[dtk]

how is it that the swiss (and others) can have a train schedule that they keep to while even the MBTA can't keep the trains on time?

[BoDubya]

many of the abandoned tracks no longer connect the industrial centers they were intended for, nor do they connect dense neighborhoods with the commercial areas where people work. very few of the old tracks i see seem to have any value other than a bike path.

[screeg neegis]

many of the abandoned tracks no longer connect the industrial centers they were intended for, nor do they connect dense neighborhoods with the commercial areas where people work. very few of the old tracks i see seem to have any value other than a bike path.

The tracks themselves aren't much of an issue.
It's the the existing rights of way and not having to take more property to rebuild mass transit that those old railways represent.
We should be rebuilding mass transit after over 50 years of dismantling it.