From Eric Britton’s “World Streets.” It helps to know that Bangkok is one of the only world cities that has adopted SkyTrain-like technology. (See Guest in comments.)
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Eric: No particular lessons to be learned here, I guess.
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Bangkok’s Skytrain network is fast and efficient and also goes to their major international airport. The one drawback for tourists is that it doesn’t go to the many of the major tourist destinations, so you are stuck using the road network for at least part of those trips.
It is not unusual to be stuck in traffic for over an hour, whereas you can travel by train along the same routes in minutes.
Well, it has a ridership of almost 700K and is only 36km long. Give it time.
Bangkok does NOT have the Bombardier advanced LRT system that Vancouver has.
Bangkok has a heavy rail system named “SkyTrain” (apparently a holdover from a cancelled project involving SNC Lavalin that had proposed using the Bombardier technology and adopted the name).
Kuala Lumpur is the city with the Bombardier advanced LRT system that we have.
Note that in Canada, the various Skytrain marks are “Official Marks” of BC Transit and TransLink (not Bombardier):
http://www.ic.gc.ca/app/opic-cipo/trdmrks/srch/cntnBscSrch.do?selectField1=+&textField1=skytrain&useblg=bscSrch.do%3Flang%3Deng&languageDirection=f&lang=eng&submitButton=Search
Yes we need more LRTs/subways AND better road/bridge/tunnel infrastructure AND more pedestrian zones/traffic calming/bike paths.
ALL is required in a growing & commercially viable region !
Where is the subway below Marine Drive in N-Van & W-Van ? Where is the subway/LRT to UBC ? Where is the CanadaLine extension to S-Richmond or Steveston ? Where is the subway below 41st Ave or along Hastings to N-Van ?
I’m not sure what the message of this post is supposed to be. If the public transit vehicles were mixed into traffic below instead of gliding overhead, would anyone be going any faster?
Nope. I’m guessing that would be a disaster.
If you don’t mind me commenting, I don’t think the situation seen in this picture is so much a result of the choice to build with this transit technology so much as it is the relative lack of any serious commitment to rapid transit and the car-first paradigm that resulted in the development of Bangkok’s extensive elevated expressway network. The BTS SkyTrain and MRT system there is probably doing great work offsetting car use and congestion (a daily ridership quote of 700,000 for a 36km system makes it one of the more successful systems in Asia), and the only reason it’s not more extensive than it currently is is because Bangkok is focusing on roads first at the expense of needed investments in public transit. This is not an issue of technology – and why are we always making this an issue of technology anyway? I’m having trouble comprehending why I have to sit through so much hate!
Daryl, ‘SkyTrain’ begins with a capital S. Therefore it is interchangeable with ‘Satan’ in the minds of some folks who cannot fathom a city with a plethora of transport choice, big city urbanism, or that we ended living in lumberjack villages by the sea when the Boomers appeared.