GUESTBOOK Selections...
LRA 1998-2006
"Welcome to politics NYC style"
October 9, 2006
Rail--the answer then, now, future!
Dear all--I want to thank you for such a wonderful site. I live in El Paso TX USA, adjacent to Cd. Juarez, Mexico, and where the LAST international passenger rail crossing occurred in 1974. Light rail has since been abandoned here, but I have been pushing elected goverment officials, from the local to state to federal levels, to bring it back. I am very specific about construction--it should NOT be underground, but elevated. I was extremely pleased to see an example of it for construction in 2009 in Seattle WA USA and to read that even the national government approves! You have probably heard of the recent push by Bill Richardson, Governor of New Mexcio, to begin a rail service that will tie the Southern portion (Sunland Park/Santa Teresa to the central/Northern portion (Albuquerque/Santa Fe). I'm very excited about this because both Sunland Park/Santa Teresa are a part of the El Paso Metroplex.
You may be wondering why I am sending this email. I am doublechecking my facts for the book that I am writing about when I and my family spent two months traveling throughout Europe, Northern Asia, and Norden.Train travel was a significant part of that 'working vacation', and your site has provided me with important details. Your country is FANTASTIC with rail transport, a true role model! Of course, I prefer to bicycle there! Thank you.John "Juanito Hayburg" Eyberg
P.S.: There are some good (local) lines in the USA. Unfortunately, AMTRAK is not always the best, mostly due to the use of the private motor vehicle and lack of local/state/national public transit support. I just complete a quick 7-week 'working vacation' jaunt to Australia & New Zealand with my children (daughter, 15; son, 17), and found the Aussie trains had one advantage over AMTRAK--the conductor at least explains WHY we are stopped, dead on the tracks! I was very disappointed with New Zealand--much of the passenger traffic is now abandoned, except for the Greymouth-Christchurch-Picton routes on South Island. So we were obligated to take busses....!
John Eyberg
Dear John,
Thanks you like our site. When you're in Europe don't forget to visit Amsterdam. Light rail should be elevated only? You should not neglect smart ground level solutions.
See you in Amsterdam? Meanwhile keep on pushing your elected officials!
Regards,
Rob van der Bijl, Amsterdam, Holland
May 5 2006
March 30, 2006
LENARD TESKEY
i like your website it is very interenst ,how to get around throw holland , thks kp up the good work on your webstite ,,,thks again
,i will like to visit it more oftern it is one webstie tht tells more trains and learn more about things in your counrty.
by for now thks,and good luck with your website...LRA: We are happy you like us!
January 6, 2006
wonderful website!
Dear Rob,
I just discovered your website and I love it! I live in a small town in a midwestern U.S. state (Bloomington, Indiana) and I am fighting a (currently) uphill struggle to get more mass transit established here. The bus system is very limited and most people are extremely auto-dependent. I am hoping to convince our local government to develop a light-rail system, and I am sure it is a long way away yet, but I believe if I keep working on this sooner or later we will make it happen here! We have a local volunteer group that is just in its infancy, and also a Metropolitan Planning Organization which is charged with working on long-range transportation planning (I am one of the citizens who recently joined its 'citizen advisory committee' branch. In any case, wanted to tell you how much I love your site and especially appreciate the hard data on low-cost light rail projects, as I will need this information to make my case with our government here. Thank you,
~~Eve Corrigan : ]
Dear Eve,
Thank you too! I love it when 'surfers' appreciate the site. If you need any support, just let us know. Meanwhile, please check the links below.
BTW: any news regarding South Bend?Regards,
Rob van der Bijl, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Sunday June 12, 2005
Thank you for a truly excellent, content-rich and ultimately accessible, legible as well as readable web site. Your shared insights and experiences are an invaluable guide to – especially – those of us who are campaigning actively for sustainable and appropriate transport/mobility/access/connectivity … in such far-flung foreign climes as South Africa’s Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces.
The only wish I have that you might give a little more emphasis is the matter of eco-environmental impact, more specifically energy provision. Down here, we are not only having to contend with a state-monopolised railway network of relatively mediocre proportions, but also with a chaotic “public transport” non-system consisting largely of private minibus taxi and odd municipal diesel bus operations. Meanwhile many kilometres of disused rail track fail to serve more than a few conservation enthusiasts of steam on mostly unreliable once-a-month schedules. These hardly serve any of the mounting access and mobility needs of the numerous poverty-blighted communities that could benefit from sensible and rational revitalisations.
Longer distances between stops, smaller passenger numbers, light personal cargo accommodation, but – above all – COST are our main criteria. And, with oil soaring above $50 per barrel while blessed by long hours of sunlight, solar or at least solar hybrid would be great. Anyone know what ever happened to solarbahn.de?
Thanks again for a magnificent contribution to enlightenment (and black background ;-)
Dear Hans-Dieter,
Thanks for your email and moral support. I need this since promoting high quality transport is not easy. I am glad too that my site is legible and readable, despite the black background!
I share your wish to cover environmental and ecological issues 'a little more' (I would say: much more). Unfortunately 'we' (Lightrail.nl) lack an environmental professional (please check www.lightrail.nl/YellowPage and you will notice that this particular discipline is still missing). Partly this is due to our Dutch roots. Only recently a debate on small particles started in The Netherlands, while this topic was a severe issue already some years ago in for instance Edinburgh (environmental arguments did support the tramway proposal successfully!). Another reason is quite simple: there are not many of these specialists available, that is, in the world of public transport. For example: I am involved as an expert in the interreg HiTrans project - a EU project on high quality public transport for small and medium sized cities and regions - www.hitrans.org If you check their website you will see that the 5 themes of HiTrans do not cover environmental issues fully.
I will discuss this issue with my German partner - Axel Kuehn, a HiTrans expert too - and perhaps we can come up with a solution in due time. As you probably know the environmental consciousness in Germany is high (at least higher than in Holland).South Africa: yes, I am quite familiar with your situation. I was in your country twice and visited most of the big cities. I have some contacts at CSIR in Pretoria. And had some discussion with people in Johannesburg and Cape Town too, on improving their local PT. But I agree, that SA's PT is dramatic. Is there no positive news at all? (And 'solarbahn.de'? This is new to me!).
OK. Thanks again for your support. And feel free to contribute on energy provision or any other subject you conceive as important.
Regards,
Rob van der Bijl
Sunday January 30 2005
Dear Mr. Rob van der Bijl:
First of all, thank you for maintaining a most informative "Light Rail Atlas" web site. As an American observer of rail transit issues I find it an extremely valuable resource to which I return frequently.
I write specifically regarding your page titled TRAMTRAIN: THE 2ND GENERATION NEW CRITERIA FOR THE 'IDEAL TRAMTRAIN CITY', which you indicate is based on a paper you and Mr. Axel Kuhn presented at last October's European Transport Conference.
Here in Madison, Wisconsin, an ongoing (and still very preliminary) exploration of possible rail transit options has generated some interest in a "hybrid" regional/local rail technology that sounds very much like the "tram train" concept you discuss. The challenges you describe this particular concept as facing even in the relatively favorable European context seem to me to pose some obvious issues for proposals based on this concept here in the US.
I think your paper would offer an important perspective on the discussion here in Madison, and I would like to reference it in that context. Naturally, I can refer to the web page and to the Power Point you have made available for download from that page. But it would be good to be able to cite the paper itself appropriately, particularly in any writing I do on the subject, with correct page references to the relevant information, diagrams, etc.
Would it be possible to obtain a copy of the paper? Is it available elsewhere online, or in a format you would be willing to send as an email attachment? I would, of course, not reproduce or circulate it to others without your permission, and will gladly adhere to any other stipulations you would wish to make about its use.
Thank you for your attention.
Sincerely,Fred Bartol
Madison, WIFebruary 1, 2005
Dear Fred,
Thanks for your interest in our work. Attached you will find a PDF-version of our original paper (soon also downloadable at www.lightrail.nl/TramTrain).
Recently I have been in Chicago and Kenosha. It is pitty that then (October last year) I wasn't awear of the ongoing ideas in Madison. Your exploration of TramTrain-like solutions is focused on the railway along the south shore of Lake Mendota?
Please use our paper creatively, and feel free to ask our help regarding hybrid solutions whenever you wish. Both me and my colleague Axel Kuehn are willing and able to address your 'shared track' problems!. BTW: as you perhaps already know, some kind of breakthrough (at least in the US-context) has been established in San Diego recently. The railway authority is willing to allow a limited overlap (in opposite direction only!) between first LRVs and last freight train during the morning, and similar, between late LRV's and early trains around midnight.
Regards,
Rob van der Bijl
Dear Rob:
Thank you for sending me a copy of your paper, which should offer some perspective on the current debate here in Madison. Since you expressed some interest in that debate, allow me to offer a brief overview of it, along with some web links for more information.
Several years ago, after preliminary feasibility studies into both street-running light rail and commuter rail, and after about three years of study, a committee charged with conducting a regional transit alternatives analysis ("Transport 2020") arrived at a proposal to combine a regional commuter service using DMUs in some existing freigh rail corridors with a supplemental streetcar or trolley "circulator" in the city center. Unfortunately, that consensus began to unravel as efforts to refine and implement the Transport 2020 proposal got under way. A major reason for this was a strong preference on the part of Madison's mayor for electric streetcars similar to the Skoda cars being used in Portland, Oregon, and his belief that a downtown circulator using this type of technology could eventually reach out to the suburbs, rendering a separate commuter rail system unnecessary. In response, the county executive of Dane County (the county in which Madison is located) came up with a counter-proposal to use some sort of light rail vehicle (either diesel like the Stadler vehicles being used on the New Jersey River Line or electric like San Diego's), that would use the existing freight track for the most part but also travel for a mile or so through the center of Madison on city streets, thereby rendering the downtown streetcar circulator unnecessary.
More recently the Madison mayor appears to have backed away somewhat from the idea of using streetcars on a more regional basis, but has decided to establish a new committee, separate from the one already working on Transport 2020, to focus specifically on the streetcar component (the Transport 2020 committee would continue to focus on the DMU-type commuter rail). But Dane County officials continue to press for a single-technology "hybrid" approach, citing "new technology" emerging in Europe that will make this feasible--technology that to me sounds a lot like the "tram-train" or "train-tram" concepts.
I confess to being somewhat skeptical of the tram-train concept as a solution for Madison. To begin with, the regional freight rail corridors are still in active use, and some key lines have been identified for possible high-speed intercity passenger train service, making a San Diego-style time-separated track-sharing solution (such as it is) impractical, except perhaps on a limited stretch on the west side of the city (as you surmised, the few miles near Lake Mendota's south shore). Second, I'm dubious about having even the relatively small Stadler-type vehicles (which are still bigger than the Skoda cars) on the streets of downtown Madison, particularly given our crowded isthmus, where through streets are scarce and space at a premium. Thirdly, technology aside, from a purely operational standpoint having the regional train slow down for a mile of street-running mid-way through its run would slow its service to regional passengers without really enabling it to function, from the standpoint of downtown residents, like a streetcar/trolley (it still probably wouldn't provide the kind of frequent circulation with frequent stops the streetcar proponents are looking for). Finally, any solution that addresses all these other issues is likely to be expensive and complex to implement (proponents of the hybrid are tossing around a figure of around US $52 million, which to me seems unrealistically low). Indeed, what struck me as I read your paper is the degree to which, even in Europe where the regulations about track sharing are less strict and the infrastructure much more highly developed, the tram-train concept is proving difficult to implement.
My own current view is that, at least in our case, at least for now, and as a way of getting a cost-effective system up and running sooner rather than later, a two-part "combination" solution like that Transport 2020 originally proposed might actually be simpler and more cost-effective than a hybrid--though I remain open to persuasion. In any case, if you are interested in taking a closer look at what's going on here, the entire history of the "Transport 2020" process (including maps of the proposed routes) can be found at:
http://www.transport2020.net/More about the county's proposal and its similarities (at least in how it is being described) to the "tram train" (including a link to a PowerPoint presentation) can be found at:
http://www.co.dane.wi.us/press/default.asp?frmPRID=350The Madison mayor's advocacy of streetcars is covered at:
http://www.ci.madison.wi.us/mayor/urbanRail.htmlA recent newspaper story summarizing (and maybe overdramatizing) the dispute between the city and the county is at:
http://www.madison.com/archives/read.php?ref=tct:2004:12:18:397584:FRONTFinally, here's a newspaper column I and a colleague published in the local paper serveral weeks ago, outlining the case for a two-part streetcar/DMU combo:
http://www.madison.com/archives/read.php?ref=tct:2004:12:28:398484:EDITORIALThis is probably far more than you ever wanted to know about the situation in Madison, but you may find some of it interesting. In any case, many thanks again for your reply to my earlier email, and continued good wishes to you in your work.
Sincerely,
Fred Bartol
September 28, 2004
website
I'm here in Los Angeles, California... I like your site, but find it a little confusing. Very nice though altogether.
thanks!Jacob
Hi Jacob,
I am liking you liked it.
Confused? www.lightrail.nl is our website, and LIGHT RAIL ATLAS our showcase, but website as well. Indeed a bit confusing.
BTW: soon update of our Los Angeles Historical Page.Regards,
Rob van der Bijl
11-22-2003
The light rail project you describe in Seattle -- Sound Transit's Central Link Light Rail -- despite local and Federal government approval, faces strong, ongoing opposition from a pro-transit group called Coalition for Effective Transportation Alternatives (CETA), http://www.effectivetransportation.org, as well as from four other citizen associations, Sane Transit, Citizens for Mobility, Citizens Own Sound Transit, and whatever Tim Eyman the anti-tax crusader calls his group. The Seattle Downtown Association also opposes the plan of development as now presented, where the funding to carry the line north of downtown Seattle faces several obstacles.
Many monorail advocates are opponents of the Link Light Rail project. As you know, there is a funded plan in Seattle to build a 14 mile monorail through downtown at the same time as the Central Link Light Rail is under construction.
The full 24 mile plan for Seattle is the most expensive light rail project in world history -- at least seven billion US dollars for 24 miles, because of extensive tunneling and right of way acquisition costs. This is light rail at heavy rail prices. There is nothing close to an approved revenue plan to pay for this. There are three unresolved legal cases in the courts that could stop this project dead in its tracks and send it back to the voters, who approved a ten-year plan with coordinated funding in 1996. What is happening now is not the same as what was approved except for the words "light rail."
I am quite familiar with this project if you have any specific questions.
One thing I noticed in a quick viewing of your interesting Light Rail Atlas site is the implication that the 1.6 mile light rail line recently opened by Sound Transit in Tacoma, Washington is somehow related to the contemplated light rail in Seattle, the next big city to the north. Aside from the "Link" name and the official agency managing construction, not much resemblance. The Tacoma Link is designed for Skoda street tram cars, and even goes to single track for part of its length. The Seattle line is being designed for four-car modern light rail trains 360 feet long. The station platforms in Tacoma are way too short for this kind of service. There is no plan to connect the two segments except in the dreams of Sound Transit. It won't happen.
In any event, keep up the good work.
I would be very interested in a dialog with somebody in Netherlands on your country's experience with light rail/street trams and accidental fatalities from train collisions with pedestrians, bicycles, and motor cars. Is there an archive of light rail accident statistics in Holland on the world wide web?
John Niles
Technical Director
Coalition for Effective Transportation Alternatives (CETA)
Seattle, Washington, USA
8-1-2003I enjoyed your information on the Pacific Electric but have some info to send you about the "Culver City" stop. Are you interested?
George Garrigues
Los Angeles (Palms)
http://www.palms-california.usDear George,
Sure, I'm very interested. Your info is welcome indeed, since we will update the historic LA-page soon.
All the best,
Rob van der Bijl
8-2-2003
Dear Rob:
Well, first of all, let me say that I am a member of the organizing committee of the Palms Neighborhood Council (in Los Angeles), and it is my self-assigned task to reclaim some of Palms' history that has fallen to Culver City by caprice or vaccum. Palms is the community just north of Culver City, and part of Palms is within the Culver City postal district. Also, Culver City, being an incorporated municipality, has always had the ability to attract more than its share of attention to itself.
Anyway, that caveat aside, on your page about the Pacific Electric you have a drawing from Blotto magazine showing L&H standing in front of the "Culver City station," which is actually in Palms, the boundary line between Culver and L.A. running just south of the station. You can see where the dotted boundary runs across "Main Street" on the right side of the drawing, where the two arrows are. Bagley actually continues south of Venice Blvd to that boundary line (but the extension is not shown on your drawing); that is why Culver City proclaims itself as having "the shortest Main Street in the world," principally because Bagley (which is in Palms) takes up half the block.
I have a map from 1929 showing all these boundaries and exactly where the Pacific Electric line ran at this time. All the P.E. line (as well as the Ivy substation, which provided electricity), was on Los Angeles city property which, in this area, was part of Palms.
You have this paragraph, which I have edited to make it more accurate:
In Main Street Culver City many exterior film scenes were shot, while in the background PE-trains were running.
Laural and Hardy in 'Angora Love' (1929) are passing the tailor shop. Venice Boulevard serves as a background. Red cars en route to the beach crosses Main Street. A 'crossing railroad' sign is behind 'the boys', no protecting crossing gates or flashers at that time.Many exterior film scenes were shot in Culver City and in the Palms district of Los Angeles, while in the background PE trains were running. Laurel and Hardy in 'Angora Love' (1929) are passing a tailor shop. Venice Boulevard in Palms serves as a background. Red cars en route to the beach cross Bagley Avenue. A 'railroad crossing' sign is behind 'the boys,' no protective crossing gates or flashers being visible in this photograph.
If I had a better photograph (more detail or larger), I could probably ascertain just where the boys were standing when the photo was made, particularly if the building housing the tailor shop is still there.
You also have this paragraph:
The third PE-line (Santa Monica Air Line) crossed the first two at Culver Junction (at the righthand side of the edge of the picture). Coming from National Boulevard the cars of this service rolled straight on to Palms and Santa Monica.
The wording should actually be (off the picture to the right), because the junction does not actually show up in the drawing.
If you were able to make these corrections, or something like them, I would link your page to the Palms Neighborhood Council site at http://www.palms-california.us .
Thanks very much for taking the time to read this, and I await your reply.
George Garrigues
Los Angeles (Palms)(...)
Well, Rob, those city boundaries just grew up from the early days of the ranchos, depending on what ranchero sold what property to what other person. When Culver City was incorporated, the northern boundary followed the property lines, irregular as they were. Most people around here don't even know where the boundary is (it is not marked). Sony Studios is in Culver City, but the Sony Studios mail room is just across the street in Palms (yet still within the Culver City Post Office line). Anything south of Venice Boulevard is in the Culver City Post Office, but some of it nevertheless is within the city limits of Los Angeles.
The city boundary runs right through the middle of the Jazz Bakery ( http://jazzdates.com/jazbakery.htm ), with the auditorium in Culver, but the lobby and art gallery in L.A. (Palms).
About the map in my site: It was taken from an Auto Club map, and, yes, Culver City is in bigger type (and colored differently, too) because it is an independent city with its own city hall, fire station, police force, etc. To add even more to the confusion, not all of Palms is within our new Palms Neighborhood Council territory: A nearby Council grabbed some of "our" territory before we had a chance to get organized. That accounts for the white space in the northwest corner of the map on my site, at http://www.palms-california.us/Map2.html . We are planning to get that territory back, so we are busy preparing some forged documents about Weapons of Mass Destruction that will provide a perfect pretext for our regaining our territory.
As for Brentwood, I used to live there (twice, as a matter of fact), and there is probably some kind of official limit, but I am not sure what it is.
Glad to chat with you, and I hope you'll look me up the next time you are in L.A.
George
10-11-2003
hi rob,
nice web side u ve got,
greetings from pl,
kaz!
11-19-2002
Hello,
I came across your excellent tram web page while I was searching the internet on information about trams. Basically, I was trying to find a list of the 10 largest tram networks in the world. While doing so, I found out how enormous the St. Petersburg one is.
Would you happen to know a link to show the top 10 tram cities in the world. I would also love to see a network map of the St. Petersburg tram system, do you know of a link to this on the internet?Regards, Jo
Hi Jo,
Perhaps you should study the world list of the Light Rail Transit Association (www.lrta.org).
I would consider Petersburg indeed, and Melbourne (Australia). In Western-Europe: Wien, Milano, Berlin, Rhein-Ruhr, Karlsruhe-region. All others are located in Eastern-Europe, like Warsaw and Prague.Sincerely,
Rob van der Bijl
Buenos Aires, August 27th. , 2002
Dear Mr. Rob van der Bijl
Thank you for your courtesy!
We are adding your website in our "link" section, included in our "spanish" section.
"Tren de la Costa" is a light rail line not designed for daily transportation; the line is part of a great develpoment to revaluate the shore of the River Plate (Río de la Plata), in the northern suburbs of Buenos Aires city.
The "Tren de la Costa" (www.trendelacosta.com.ar) was built in the same place where the former "Delta Line" of the B. Mitre railway line ran until 1961. Then the line was abandoned and the terrains never was used. The stations became in refuge of homeless people. All the shore area was abandoned too.
But an important business group got the concession to revitalize the area, creating a recreational atractive along the line. They noticed a big real estate business, with the revaluation of thousand of acres and the ret of the spaces in the stations, which was became in "mini-shoppings", with bars, restaurants, etc.
This big and extended mall and tourist area included the light rail as the transportation system where people would travel along the 11 stations, each of those with different atractions. Therefore, the light rail was conceivd as a link between the stations, in order to people (tourists) knows all the complex, but not as a transportation line for the neighbours.
Also you shoud know that, there is another railway line (TBA "Retiro-Tigre" line, www.tbanet.com.ar ). this line runs paralel to the "Tren de la Costa" line, separated for almost 1Km. That heavy rail line connects all the area with the Buenos Aires dow town (Retiro Terminal).
Therefore the Tren de la Costa Owners never was interested for "public" transportation; they always think in "tourist" transportation.
All stations was restored (and 4 new was buit), and new rails was installed in a new gauge (standard 1435 mm with new 1500V overhead catenary suspended wire, instead of the older 1676 mm broad gauge with 800V third rail).
9 articulated light rail cars was provided by CAF, Spain (www.caf.es).
At this moment there aren't any project to extend the line.
You can see more information surfing in the links that we introduced in this letter.
If you need more information or clarify some of our comments, please let us know.Thank you again and best regards.
Ernesto Falzone
Secretario - AATBuenos Aires, Argentina, August 10, 2002
Mr. Rob A.J. van der Bijl
Light Rail AtlasDear Mr. Rob,
Congratulations for your excellent website!!!
Ernesto Falzone is written you from the "Association of Tramway Friends" of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Our organization congregates all tram fans of Argentina. We are dedicated to study af historic and modern tram issues. We operate our "Historic Tramway of Buenos Aires" a city heritage tram line with restored cars. Our service offer free rides every weekend and holidays and is fully operated by our members.
We also have an important library, and offer a monthly conference program with slide show.
Our website http://www.tranvia.org.ar contain a "links" section, where we are going to incorporate the linkage to your Light Rail Atlas website.
We could ser that in your website, you added a new section named "tranvías". There you include a "Tranvías de Buenos Aires" link, but the related address is an inactive one, and it was replaced by our new official website address: http://www.tranvia.org.ar .
Then we would ask you if is possible to update that link.Thank you in advance, and best regards
Ernesto Falzone
Secretary - AAT
July, 2002
félicitations d'avoir fait une version en français
votre site est depuis longtemps dans le Répertoire ferroviaire
http://users.skynet.be/sky34004/repfer.htmldont 40 % de ses 500 visiteurs/jour sont français et donc intéressés par
cette versionMichel Marin
4-17-2002
Dear Mr. van de Bijl,
I am Soehardi Hartono, an MSc. student at the Faculty of Architecture of TU Delft, majoring in Urban Planning and Design. Currently I am working on my thesis project, regarding the transformation of railways station area in Medan, Indonesia. It intails the reorganization of the whole public transportation system in the city and region, and introduction of hybrid light-rail system.
... I have a more technical question about how high the light rail can climb safely, because in my plan I propose to elevate the heavy rail tracks almost 7 m, above ground, for design purposes and to reduce traffic congestion as result of the growing train services in the future. The light rail is expected to use parts of these heavy-rail tracks too and the newly design station will be one of its most important stop within the historic city centre. Actually I also have other questions and basically need your advice for my proposal on the introduction of hybrid light rail for this third largest sprawling city in Indonesia.I would highly appreciate if we can make an appointment to discuss the issue further.
Thank you very much in advance for your attention,Soehardi Hartono
Dear Soehardi Hartono,
The next five week I will be out of the country. The best way is to send me your main questions by e-mail.
Light rail is able to handle steep climbs 4-8%. Normally 5% or higher demands engines on all trucks.
Generally: it all depands on context and system objectives. Be careful using 'rules of thumb'.Sincerely,
Rob van der Bijl
4-2-2002
My name is Stephen Montague and I am a final year student at JOHN MOORES UNIVERSITY LIVERPOOL. I am currently completing my final year dissertation and my main area of study is looking at the success of other European cities in relation to UK cities with regards to passenger transport. The three main cities that I am looking at are Amsterdam, Stockholm, and Zurich. I would be most grateful if you could send me information on any of these cities with regards to their public transport infrastructure etc.Many thanks, Stephen Montague.
1-11-2002
Good afternoon.
I'm after a research paper that gives an overview of light rail systems. A paper that deals with things like its benefits and pitfalls, instances where there have been problems with light rail, its cost (not financial) in the way it impacts on a community so as to give me some understanding of the issues that come into play with a light rail system. Are you able to suggest a paper (not too complex) please?
Regards
Krystyna Homik
12-27-2001
I send you the link of un-official web of Trambaix, the second tramway under construction in Spain that will join Barcelona with l'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Esplugues de Llobregat, Cornellà de Llobregat, Sant Joan Despí,
Sant Just Desvern and Sant Feliu de Llobregat.
I hope that you put it on your web's spanish section.Thank you.
Ricard Riol Jurado
11-19-2001
Señores:
Solicito informacion, sobre los LRV (trenes ligeros), para mi tesis o trabajo de titulación. Me interesan los siguientes temas: Diseño Geometrico de la vía, Diseño de la Superficie de la via en areas compartidas con vehiculos, Elementos de Transito, señales, semaforos, etc..
Cualquier ayuda u orientación me seran de mucha ayuda.Victor Araos A.
3-27-2001
First of all introduce myself. My name is Ruyman Cabllero, and i am making a study about the possibility of any type of trains in the Canary Islands. Specially on the two biggest ( Gran Canaria and Tenerife), around their capitals. On these Islans they are 800.000 inhabitants aproximatly, near the half of them on the 2 big cities (Las Palmas and Santa Cruz). I am really interested in any study about the viability of those trains (or light rail) in our territory. Our local Government has made some projects for it, but they are not approve yet. So I am looking for any extra information.
I have visited your really interesting website, including the spanish version, but this is the only possible contact i´ve founded. I don´t know if there is a spanish contact or not. If so, i will be interested on it. But if not, i don´t mind to contact in english.
I look forward for any information you can give us. Thank you for your attention and your time.Kind regards,
Ruyman Caballero.
9-29/30-1998/10-3-1998
Hi.
I was wondering if I could use your image of the Belgian trams on my page, www.subways.net.
Dan WeissmannDear Dan,
Sure, you can use the image. But under the condition that you add the following text/link:
Photography, Rob van der Bijl, 1996 (Permission of Light Rail Atlas, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 1998).Thanks, ROB
Rob,
Your site has been added under Netherlands and Belgium, plus the links page.
So tell me, what's the truth about the wild rumours we in the States hear about Holland (or is it more politically correct to say Netherlands, if so appologies in advance). I hear it's a pretty open place, with legalized prostitution and drugs. Or is that all just a myth?Dan Weissmann
Dear Dan,
The Netherlands is the official name, but Holland is OK as well. As a matter of fact Holland is a more suitable term because this name of our little country is accepted, appreciated AND well-known world-widely. Indeed Holland is an open place (If you have a visa). I've been in your country several times, and I am convinced that it is as open as my country is (That is, if you have a visa).
In great extend all that stuff about legalized prostitution and drugs is in fact a myth. Nevertheless, living and working in the historic centre of Amsterdam, I can catch a tram/trolley in order to get some sex or/and drugs. But is this a real Dutch, Amsterdam or Holland quality? I think not. In your States I can get the red San Diego trolley. This nice light rail vehicle takes me from downtown San Diego to Mexico Tijuana where there is plenty of sex and drugs too. But it is true: USA is not Holland and visa versa. So, if want you to visit out part of the world I'am happy to show you the light rail in downtown Amsterdam and much more...ROB (LRA; Amsterdam)
Hi Rob.
One reason I was curious about the sex and drugs thing is that I'm a member of a minor political party (3rd largest in the US but still minor) that advocates legalization of prostitution, drugs and other "victimless" crimes. Many say that will actually make the problem worse. Has it? I was never able to find any statistics on it on the web.
Glad you liked the page, I agree, it has improved greatly with the photos..Best, Dan
10-7-1998
Hello Rob,
I finally got a chance to visit your website, and I really enjoyed it. I haven't worked on my site in quite a while, but have been planning to make a big overhaul this winter, and I will gladly add a link to your page.
I have always been interested in many of the same subjects as your webpage, i.e. urban planning, public transport, and architecture, although my profession is in music production.
Amsterdam is one of my favorite cities, and I am quite envious of your city's, and country's ability to plan well and provide such high quality public resources. I wish NYC and the US were more progressive in these areas.Take care, Blaise Dupuy
Dear Blaise Dupuy,
I am happy that you like my page and my home town Amsterdam as well.
Don't be to pessimistic or to shy. There are things happening in the USA which serve as great and important examples for me and others in Holland, like Portland (OR). I understand that your are a bit envious, but then you have to know that one of the reasons to start Light Rail Atlas is this ungoing unability to implement real Light Rail projects in Holland. LRA tries to inject a neccesary amount of information, examples and pragmatics in the current planning practice of our country.
In 1995 I did some interviews in New York City, for example with people of the Regional Plan Association and professor Robert Geddes from NY University. We discussed the 42nd street tramway project. A year later I met Geddes at his hotel in Amsterdam but he couldn't report any progress. Is there any news about the 42nd street light rail yet?All the best, Rob van der Bijl
Subject: 42nd St Trolley: "Welcome to politics NYC style".
Hi Rob,
To the best of my knowledge it is currently on standby, awaiting the completion of a second cost analysis. The first one included plans for major underground work shifting utilty lines and the like. A new contractor put in a proposal that would eliminate most of this expensive construction. Other factors that have delayed it include local opposition from the East 42nd St. neighborhood that fear it would bring added noise and traffic (I would expect the opposite), and a proposed stadium on the west side that would benifit greatly from the 42nd St. line. The down side of the stadium is that it would be for a team (the Yankees) that currently plays in the Bronx, and very few New Yorkers (except the mayor) support moving the team, especially if tax dollars are used to pay for it. So any action on the trolley line right now would be interpreted as a move by the mayor to go ahead with the stadium. Welcome to politics NYC style.
Portland is doing a great job at regional planning and light rail, and Seattle is now following their lead. You should check out Seattle's plan at http://www.soundtransit.org/ if you haven't already seen it. They're in the first stages of putting a good system together, and they seem to have the right approach, involving communities along the lines to place stations and have input to the designs.All the best, Blaise
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