HomeDiagramsDatabaseMapsForum About
     

Go Back   SkyscraperPage Forum > Regional Sections > United States > Mountain West


Reply

 
Thread Tools Display Modes
     
     
  #8801  
Old Posted Aug 25, 2015, 4:23 AM
TakeFive's Avatar
TakeFive TakeFive is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 7,556
It's Electric

"RTD to buy 36 new electric mall shuttles"
August 24, 2015 by Justin Denver Urban Review

Courtesy: plugincars
Not sure if that's similar to what RTD has ordered but BYD Co. will manufacture the buses in China and assemble them in California. I didn't make the connection until I looked it up but Warren Buffet is an investor; I do recall seeing the news coverage of his trip to China. The Hertz bus is being used at LAX.
BYD Co. is the world’s largest producer of electric buses and has sold more than 5,000 of them globally, according to the company. Photographer: Brent Lewin/Bloomberg
__________________
Cool... Denver has reached puberty.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #8802  
Old Posted Aug 25, 2015, 5:09 AM
PLANSIT's Avatar
PLANSIT PLANSIT is offline
ColoRADo
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Denver
Posts: 2,319
Will be interesting to see what it looks like. The image TakeFive shows above is their standard shuttle version. The MallRide will be right-side drive (this will move the doors) and 45' instead of 40'. Pretty cool regardless.

One thing they did mention at the Board Meeting was the idea of giving them a sound while they are running. Not sure what it would be, but there is real concern that they are too quiet.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #8803  
Old Posted Aug 25, 2015, 12:45 PM
bunt_q's Avatar
bunt_q bunt_q is offline
Provincial Bumpkin
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 13,201
That's a good problem to have. Gone are the days of getting critiqued in a planning studio for having put the buses too close to retail patios because buses are just too loud.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #8804  
Old Posted Aug 25, 2015, 12:47 PM
Brainpathology's Avatar
Brainpathology Brainpathology is offline
of Gnomeregan
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Tacoma
Posts: 1,879
Quote:
Originally Posted by PLANSIT View Post
Will be interesting to see what it looks like. The image TakeFive shows above is their standard shuttle version. The MallRide will be right-side drive (this will move the doors) and 45' instead of 40'. Pretty cool regardless.

One thing they did mention at the Board Meeting was the idea of giving them a sound while they are running. Not sure what it would be, but there is real concern that they are too quiet.
The song that played in the background while all the men were using their testicles to bounce around town on the Southpark episode where all of the men gave themselves testicular cancer to have access for medical THC would be my suggestion.
__________________
Alamosa - La Veta - Walsenburg - Rye - Pueblo - Boulder - Colorado Springs - Denver - Los Angeles - Orlando - Tacoma, Old Town.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #8805  
Old Posted Aug 25, 2015, 2:15 PM
EngiNerd's Avatar
EngiNerd EngiNerd is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Englewood, CO
Posts: 1,998
Quote:
Originally Posted by PLANSIT View Post
Will be interesting to see what it looks like. The image TakeFive shows above is their standard shuttle version. The MallRide will be right-side drive (this will move the doors) and 45' instead of 40'. Pretty cool regardless.

One thing they did mention at the Board Meeting was the idea of giving them a sound while they are running. Not sure what it would be, but there is real concern that they are too quiet.
Video Link


http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/in...les-new-sounds

Quote:
Originally Posted by Brainpathology View Post
The song that played in the background while all the men were using their testicles to bounce around town on the Southpark episode where all of the men gave themselves testicular cancer to have access for medical THC would be my suggestion.
That would be the best ever.
__________________
"The engineer is the key figure in the material progress of the world. It is his engineering that makes a reality of the potential value of science by translating scientific knowledge into tools, resources, energy and labor to bring them into the service of man. To make contributions of this kind the engineer requires the imagination to visualize the need of society and to appreciate what is possible as well as the technological and broad social age understanding to bring his vision to reality."
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #8806  
Old Posted Aug 25, 2015, 3:12 PM
Cirrus's Avatar
Cirrus Cirrus is offline
cities|transit|croissants
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Washington, DC
Posts: 18,344
Here's some more pics of that BYD electric bus. RTD's will obviously be a bit different, but it should have a similar body:
(All photos from wikipedia).







Looks like there's at least 1 variant with a different front.

__________________
writing | twitter | flickr | instagram | ssp photo threads
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #8807  
Old Posted Aug 25, 2015, 8:19 PM
CharlesCO's Avatar
CharlesCO CharlesCO is offline
Aspiring Amateur
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Berkeley, CA
Posts: 415
Whooo! Sexx-y! Nothing to get revved up about the 16th Street Mall and all its recently documented woes like a CAR RENTAL BUS!
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #8808  
Old Posted Aug 26, 2015, 4:15 PM
Launch 12 Launch 12 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 51
I hope they re-brand the new buses a bit and make them look a little less 1990s looking...a special recognizable design like the MetroRide.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #8809  
Old Posted Aug 27, 2015, 12:14 AM
TakeFive's Avatar
TakeFive TakeFive is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 7,556
Ed Sealover Denver Business Journal reported today on some silly state Congressional panel with a discussion of issues important to Colorado.
One quote of note:
Quote:
Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman of Aurora threw the biggest curve into the talks when he stated that Colorado business leaders seeking an increase in transportation money should focus on a potential ballot issue to increase state funding of roads rather than expect a new pot of cash to arrive from the federal government.
Methinks his comment may have been intended for our state politicians. Thinking of "leadership" though maybe business leaders is more appropriate.


Speaking of voter approved transportation funding...
Mike Sunnucks Phoenix Business Journal writes about yesterday's reelection of Mayor Stanton in Phoenix and the approval of Prop. 104.
Quote:
Prop. 104 was getting 55 percent of the vote late Tuesday. Prop 104 raises an existing 0.4-cent sales tax to 0.7 cents for the next 35 years. It will raise $17 billion to be used for new light rail lines to west and south Phoenix and Paradise Valley Mall, and for new bus lines and street improvements.
Just for perspective Phoenix has about 2.3 times the population of Denver. An existing 0.4 percent sales tax for transportation was set to expire in 2020 so Prop. 104 extends that and adds another 0.3 percent.

You Are Either Getting Better Or You Are Getting Worse (Joe Paterno)
__________________
Cool... Denver has reached puberty.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #8810  
Old Posted Aug 27, 2015, 12:35 AM
seventwenty's Avatar
seventwenty seventwenty is offline
I took a bus pic, CIRRUS
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Soon to be banned
Posts: 1,697
Car2go is reducing their coverage area. http://denver.car2go.com/new-home-area/



Denver isn't the only city seeing car2go cuts. Quick scan includes MSP, Austin and Columbus. NoVA and NYC see expansions fwiw.
__________________
The happy & obtuse bro.

"Of course you're right." Cirrus

Last edited by seventwenty; Aug 27, 2015 at 12:46 AM.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #8811  
Old Posted Aug 27, 2015, 3:01 AM
TakeFive's Avatar
TakeFive TakeFive is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 7,556
I always wondered about the business model of car2go but thought it might have merit in some areas. The initial reports were positive but this hardly surprises me.

I'm waiting for Uber to run into complications but at least their business model has very low capital costs and is an easy peasy operation.
__________________
Cool... Denver has reached puberty.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #8812  
Old Posted Aug 27, 2015, 3:56 AM
Zmapper Zmapper is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 210
As a casual observation, car-2-go seems to be heavily cutting service to non-white neighborhoods (granted, by their statistic, those neighborhoods were not a major revenue generator).
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #8813  
Old Posted Aug 27, 2015, 2:09 PM
TakeFive's Avatar
TakeFive TakeFive is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 7,556
__________________
Cool... Denver has reached puberty.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #8814  
Old Posted Aug 27, 2015, 4:10 PM
TakeFive's Avatar
TakeFive TakeFive is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 7,556
The numbers have been crunched and the results are in for their annual analysis of traffic congestion by Texas A&M’s Transportation Institute.

Ben Miller Denver Business Journal has the story.
Quote:
Denver commuters spent more than 91 million hours in morning and afternoon rush hour traffic delays last year, according to the report, which is the 18th-most in the country.
Interestingly Phoenix is just ahead of Denver at 17th worst. Lots of people down here. Just as Denver prepares an I-70 redo Phoenix hopes that their new 8-lane South Mountain Freeway which will break ground next year will give traffic wanting to go to the SE Valley from the West Valley easy access that avoids taking the I-10 though the heart of Phoenix.

For a list of the top 17 worst congested cities see HERE.
__________________
Cool... Denver has reached puberty.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #8815  
Old Posted Aug 27, 2015, 4:52 PM
Cirrus's Avatar
Cirrus Cirrus is offline
cities|transit|croissants
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Washington, DC
Posts: 18,344
That TTI report is bogus. Here are three different articles that explain why. They completely ignore transit, even in New York. They rank 20 minute commutes as "worse" than hour-long commutes. About 1/3 of its estimated congestion "costs" simply reflect motorists reducing their speeds to what is legal.

It's cherry-picked highway expansion propaganda, not serious data.
__________________
writing | twitter | flickr | instagram | ssp photo threads

Last edited by Cirrus; Aug 27, 2015 at 5:02 PM.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #8816  
Old Posted Aug 28, 2015, 5:06 AM
TakeFive's Avatar
TakeFive TakeFive is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 7,556
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cirrus View Post
That TTI report is bogus. Here are three different articles that explain why. They completely ignore transit, even in New York. They rank 20 minute commutes as "worse" than hour-long commutes. About 1/3 of its estimated congestion "costs" simply reflect motorists reducing their speeds to what is legal.

It's cherry-picked highway expansion propaganda, not serious data.
On the whole you're wrong. I could ridicule the T4America writer but it's not worth the space.

I like David Alpert's piece but DC/NoVa exists in its own cocoon. Good for them. They're doing a lot right. One question: With respect to "Denseopolis" he makes no guess as to whether that's applicable to 50% of commuters, 25%, 10% or what? I'll yield though to any arguments relative to DC/NYC.

Let's look at the rest of the map. ----Putting on conservative hat----
HERE's an example of how Atlanta is trying to land the new GE headquarters. Little Birmingham AL recently secured a new $billion auto parts facility from a manufacturer for Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen plants. Oklahoma City may be feeling the ill effects of oil & gas but do enjoy the growing R&D Boeing Co. footprint. It's becoming quite an impressive campus.

Just a few recent examples of the ongoing migration to the south. It's where most of the economic growth is occurring aside from the gateway cities. I respect the gleaming Chicago downtown but Greater Chicago is experiencing net out-migration. Phoenix would know as Chicago is currently their top source for in-migration.

Point being that the cities where most of the growth is occurring are more likely to have grown on a multi-nodal, sprawl model. Good or bad it is what it is.

The intent and purpose of the TTI report was to analyze freeway traffic congestion. On the whole I'd say it does that well. What they didn't do is largely irrelevant to what their intent was. What policy makers choose to do as a result if anything is a different question. I'd assume it just confirms what local leaders already know anyway. Your links may have some "nice ideas" but policymakers living in reality have a different reality to confront.
__________________
Cool... Denver has reached puberty.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #8817  
Old Posted Aug 28, 2015, 7:08 PM
TakeFive's Avatar
TakeFive TakeFive is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 7,556
Survey says... #Bumper2Bumper Survey
  • KOA says 44 percent of surveyed commuters report having missed important events because of traffic. And 53 percent said Colorado's roads are in either "terrible" or "bad" shape.
  • 52 percent said if it could be proven to make a difference, they would be willing to pay more in a gas tax or local tax for road construction and repair.
  • 82 percent said they never use public transit. Just over 3 percent said they used transit once a week or more. More than 2 percent used transit every day
Caitlin Hendee Denver Business Journal covers the story about road congestion and a #Bumper2Bumper survey of 950 people by KOA. My fave Kelly Brough has a good quote:
Quote:
Kelly Brough, president and CEO of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, said while Denver's investment in the ongoing FasTracks rail-transit construction project has helped alleviate some of the congestion, a lot more needs to be done.

"We know our state needs to invest in transportation if we want to continue to be a top destination for a highly educated and healthy workforce," Brough said. "Efficiently getting to and from work, school and recreational opportunities is critical to our economic development efforts and quality of life in this region."
Jerry Bell KOA features some answers from CDOT Executive Director Shailen Bhatt about the need to raise the gas tax etc. which you can listen to HERE.
__________________
Cool... Denver has reached puberty.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #8818  
Old Posted Aug 30, 2015, 4:06 AM
TakeFive's Avatar
TakeFive TakeFive is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 7,556
"It's just fantastic."

So says Rutherford County Mayor Ernest Burgess after his visit to Denver according to Scott Broden The Daily News Journal on 8/29.
Quote:
Transportation funds should include money for mass transit projects for the Nashville area to compete with other regions for good jobs... "We've gotten behind the curve," said the mayor, noting he'd like to see this area offer options such as light-rail and rapid buses with dedicated lanes that he's seen while visiting Denver. "It's just fantastic."
---Putting liberal hat back on---

A lot of Denver's transportation dilemma is getting more people out of their cars which I assume will happen over time. Part of that's a first mile/last mile issue and partly it's just changing the culture.

Additionally I see loads of opportunity for increasing density along the transit corridors in addition to the city core.
__________________
Cool... Denver has reached puberty.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #8819  
Old Posted Aug 31, 2015, 9:09 PM
TakeFive's Avatar
TakeFive TakeFive is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 7,556
Well who's in charge over there?
Thanks for asking; We've got a whole new crew on board.

Ed Sealover Denver Business Journal relates the details of the FASTER audit and critics. This was a big waste of time and money. They're chasing ghosts and this will quickly become but a footnote in history.
__________________
Cool... Denver has reached puberty.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #8820  
Old Posted Aug 31, 2015, 11:12 PM
bunt_q's Avatar
bunt_q bunt_q is offline
Provincial Bumpkin
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 13,201
Quote:
Originally Posted by TakeFive View Post
Additionally I see loads of opportunity for increasing density along the transit corridors in addition to the city core.
Ever the optimist. I'll remind you, they had to fight for three story buildings at the Arvada "TOD."

Quote:
Originally Posted by TakeFive View Post
A lot of Denver's transportation dilemma is getting more people out of their cars which I assume will happen over time. Part of that's a first mile/last mile issue and partly it's just changing the culture.
No, it won't happen over time. It's not changing now - we're suburbanizing our land use just as quickly as ever. Possibly more so as folks get priced out. The last mile problem certainly doesn't get easier as you move farther out... Which is why mode share regionally isn't changing much. "Driving less" is not the same as taking other modes. It's largely folks just forgoing a trip altogether. I text my friend instead of visiting them; I buy on Amazon rather than running to Best Buy; and so on.
Reply With Quote
     
     
This discussion thread continues

Use the page links to the lower-right to go to the next page for additional posts
 
 
Reply

Go Back   SkyscraperPage Forum > Regional Sections > United States > Mountain West
Forum Jump


Thread Tools
Display Modes

Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 3:24 PM.

     
SkyscraperPage.com - Archive - Privacy Statement - Top

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.