Hey, this is an Electra thread, not train/trolley thread.
I am biased about transit and trains and transportation in general; fortunately not myopic.
It's ashame about the FRA regulations and the frieght/Coaster/Amtrak horn blasts. That is half the reason I moved out of Little Italy and up to Banker's Hill. The improvements I've heard about, such as 1) gates on both sides of tracks for each direction and 2) a raised island separating the opposing directions for auto traffic, should create a safer place for all and remove the requirement for the horn blasts. But, I also understand that train engineers will retain authority to blast their horns if they sense dangerous conditions. A quick check of the CCDC site indicates that they'll be issuing bid requests for the necessary work this summer. That should be good news to downtown residents.
The Trolley being undergound would make train trips quicker along C Street, or wherever it runs. Right now when it runs a street level it competes for autos at intersections and the signals. But, there's no plan to put it undergound, or to put the freight/Coaster/Amtrak trains between Kettner and Pacific underground too. I know, I pay attention to the stuff. The train stuff on the horizon is 1) a possible extension of the Trolley to University City that SANDAG is working on, 2a) a possible high speed train service similar to the French TGV or German ICE along existing train right-of-way, but not at street level, to Santa Fe Depot that is worked on by the California High Speed Rail Authority, and 2b) or possible commuter train service from Temecula along the same ROW that the Riverside Transportation Commission is studying.
I support the high speed train service... but question how it will serve San Diego. I support it because it provides an alterntive to driving and would reduce demands on Lindbergh.
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- Think Big, Go Big. Think small, stay small.
- Don't get sucked into a rabbit's hole.
- Freeways build sprawl. Transit builds cities.
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