Transit officials invite public input on light rail plans

[IndianaGreen]

Shouldn't we demand electric powered trains as opposed to diesel?

Transit officials invite public input on light rail plans

Updated: June 12, 2008 06:24 PM EDT

Mary Milz/Eyewitness News

Indianapolis - Central Indiana transportation officials are ready to get rolling on rapid transit. Next week they'll begin holding a series of public meetings on a transit plan proposed for the northeast corridor. It's one they say could be up and running as early as 2012.

"With gas prices the way they are, a lot of people are saying let's see this thing happens sooner rather than later," said Mike Dearing, Metropolitan Planning Organization.

The revised "starter system" calls for using the state fair line to provide diesel light rail between Noblesville and downtown. Dearing projects the cost at $100 to $150 million. The original, more ambitious plan was projected at $690 million. He said they're using the Music City Star in Nashville, Tennessee as a possible model.

The Music City Star is a starter line that cost $41 million, making it the cheapest starter system in the country. They saved money by using an existing line and they bought 11 old passenger cars from the Chicago Metra for a dollar a piece.

Dearing said starting with a scaled-down version would allow them to "show that rapid transit can work in the near term and expand in the future."

http://www.wthr.com/global/story.asp?s=8484155

[caraher]

1. Electric would be better

but diesel is better than nothing. This seems to be price-sensitive, so getting it off the ground probably depends on startup costs. If they're comparable in price (I have no idea whether they would be) then it does make sense to push for electric; but just be sure that doesn't price it out of existence...

[yy4me]

2. As a visitor to Indianapolis to visit family, I find it unbelievable

that there is no public-direct-transportation to points in or near the city from the Airport. It takes 45 minutes for my daughter to pick us up. Surely there should be some kind of a rail system. Maybe I'm reading this wrong but very few major cities have no way to get from the airport to major pick up points at various distances.

Just me thinking out loud. Love Indy!