Quote:
Originally Posted by powderjunkie
There is opportunity cost to everything - both in terms of money and time. Whether this stub got built or not, we would have spent a lot of time and money for very little function. Still gotta extend a lot to be useful.
The SE always suffered from 2 main problems:
1. Expensive and risky and time consuming to navigate the core (but this is absolutely necessary)
2. Gotta get way south before it's really useful (ie. not just facilitating a bunch of park and rides)
Another small problem is that a N-S alignment through downtown doesn't serve it as effectively as E-W.
There was always one option that mitigated all three of the above: BRT.
Two downsides:
1. A bit slower - mostly navigating the core, but also things like slower boardings. The speed through the core could be mitigated to also benefit Max Purple and Max Yellow by making a bus only lane on 6th and 9th Aves. But you're also serving E-W.
2. Potential to overload BRT in the midterm. Which is currently acceptable on Centre St and would simply mean its a terrific success!
Realistically the stub line wasn't opening until 2032, with another 3-4 years to get all the way south. 20 years from initial announcement. BRT could start opening within 1-2 years. It could have been fully open by ~2018, meaning 17 years of operation compared to our best case scenario pre-Sep3.
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Yeah. A stand-alone north central line plus BRT to the SE was the right choice 10 years ago, 5 years ago, and now.