Interesting article on the troubles with the new streetcar in Cincinnati.
http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2016/12/06/streetcar-ridership-numbers-way-short-projections/95043064/
The issues seem fixable. Nevertheless, if service is unreliable, it doesn't matter what the vehicle is:
QuoteThe biggest problem: Streetcar timing is off and that means nobody knows when it will arrive at a station. On weekends, that's no problem. On weekdays, when people need to get to appointments, work or even lunch, timing has been a deal-breaker.
And that's being chalked up to three problems:
1. Ticket vending machines were difficult to use. They got an overhaul last week, reducing a two-step process to one.
2.Software that supports arrival time notices at stops has not worked properly from Day 1. SORTA officials told council the problem has been identified, but there was no promise of exactly when it would be fixed.
3. Downtown desperately needs a traffic study. One hasn't been done in 20 years. The traffic pattern runs east/west, for ease of getting to the interstates. But traffic signals don't take into account how the city has grown to the north, where the streetcar runs. Council has discussed a study, which is expected to cost $300,000, but no formal plan has been drafted.
^Interesting article, thanks for the share!
Perfect cautionary tale about how if transit isn't reliable, people are going to find an easier way.
Also, I understand the need to collect fares, but with the U.S. population expected to grow by 10 million every five years, our roads already overcrowded, and the environment in disrepair, seems kind of silly to get caught up in the minutia of monthly ridership numbers. Mass transit should be thought of as a long-term investment and necessity, not something that needs to ROI yesterday.