Small & Green are Big at the 2011 St. Louis Auto Show

The 2011 St. Louis Auto Show is very different than the last show I attended, about a decade ago.  This year small & green was the big thing.  Very refreshing from testosterone trucks.  Here are some of the vehicles I found interesting:

The design quality of the Ford & GM products was great to see. The one car I wanted to see in the Chrysler section, the Fiat 500, wasn’t there.  The show runs through today.

– Steve Patterson

Taking the Chevy Volt for a Spin

A new section at the 2011 St. Louis Auto Show is called EcoCity.  Here show visitors can get behind the wheel of one of several hybrid cars or one of the not available in Missouri Chevy Volt electric car.  I haven’t been to an auto show in years but new greener vehicles got me there yesterday.

Because I require a spinner knob to safely steer a vehicle, even at 5mph, I rode shotgun as the next person in line drove the two laps.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dj1pcOdF3II

The company that killed the electric car has done an impressive job of bringing it back to life.  More on the auto show tomorrow.

– Steve Patterson

1964 St. Louis Streetcar Clip Is So Interesting

Streetcars rolling along track in the road and connected to overhead cables bring a smile to my face.  This short film from January 1964 keeps me grinning and watching over and over.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1Q7HomBkmo

I hope you like it as much as I do, have a great weekend!

– Steve Patterson

Experiencing Bus Rapid Transit

Long-time readers know I love streetcars — rail vehicles on fixed rail in the street.  I love other forms of rail transit: light rail and heavy rail.  Bus I’ve also come to appreciate the rubber tire bus that replaced streetcars in St. Louis.  When I visited Kansas City earlier this month I used their local public transit, which included a newish BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) line.

Kansas City Area Transportation Authority implemented its first Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line, called the Metro Area Express, or MAX, in July 2005. MAX was an instant success, with ridership in this corridor increasing more than 50%. While Kansas City’s MAX line was not the first BRT line in the United States, its immediate success and affordable execution have garnered recognition across the country. In fact, the Federal Transit Administration holds it up as a model BRT line.

MAX is a six-mile linear route linking the vibrant River Market, downtown, Union Station, Crown Center and Plaza. As the region’s most significant new public transportation project in decades, MAX provides quick, convenient public transportation that helps reduce traffic congestion and auto emissions.

MAX features distinct characteristics that incorporate state of the art technology to deliver customers a high level of reliability, speed and comfort. For instance, dedicated lanes help give MAX vehicles a rapid, smooth ride, and special traffic signalization holds a green light longer to keep MAX on schedule. Limited stops mean that MAX can keep moving to key destinations.

By design, a unique identity was created for MAX, including unique vehicles and easily identifiable “stations,” not “stops.” Each station features an 18-foot marker that is well lit at night, serving as a beacon from blocks away. The new, modern shelters were designed to provide protection from the elements with a roof that is 80% opaque, providing needed shade in the summer, yet allowing 20% of the light through to break the chill in the winter. One of the most popular features of the stations is the real-time arrival signs. Customers know exactly when the next MAX will arrive, taking the guesswork out of riding. (Source)

Do these changes make a difference in the perception of the bus? Based on my experience & observation, a big yes!

The Kansas City MAX line on Main St. gets transit-optional & tourist riders, something regular bus lines just don’t get.  Don’t get me wrong, I still prefer fixed rail but I was shocked at how much I liked the limited-stop BRT concept now that I’ve ridden one.

The following is a promotional video from the Kansas City Transportation Authority:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8Pj4uAHk2E

I rode conventional bus lines in Kanas City as well, easy to navigate with Google Maps on your phone.  But with limited stops, the map of the entire MAX line is clear & easy to understand.

Earlier this year Metro mentioned BRT when asking St. Louis County voters to approve a tax to help fund transit.  The question is, what corridors are ideal for BRT?

– Steve Patterson

Travel By Train Good For Urban Centers

Recently I took a weekend trip to Kansas City.  I’d driven there many times and I’ve flown there once.  But have you been to the Kansas City airport? It is located more than 20 miles north of downtown Kansas City and the bus ride takes more than an hour!  For this trip I took Amtrak.

The train trip was longer than if I had driven my car (6 hours vs 4 hours 15 min), but the convenience was worth it.  First, I could read, stay current on email, watch music videos, take pictures and arrive at my destination refreshed.  Apparently, I’m not alone:

In the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, Amtrak served more than 28.7 million riders, an increase of 5.7% from 2009, according to a company statement. Ticket revenue grew 9%, to $1.7 billion. Ridership on the Acela, Amtrak’s higher-speed train, was up 6.6%. Manieri says the ability to stay connected by phone and Internet while traveling is just one reason she prefers the train over flying or driving.

“You can make phone calls, and you don’t have to turn your laptop on and off,” says Manieri, adding she also avoids the airport’s long security lines and the highway’s congestion.

Amtrak has benefited from the “remarkable lifestyle shift” caused by smartphones, laptops and iPads that let travelers work and communicate almost everywhere, says Joseph Schwieterman, a transportation professor at DePaul University in Chicago. “It’s kind of a have-iPhone-will-travel kind of thing.”

Young adults especially view trains and intercity buses as extensions of the public transportation system, he says. They can hop on without ever disconnecting from the rest of the world, he says. (Amtrak chugs along nicely to record ridership)

My last train trip was to Chicago, nearly a decade earlier.  That trip was a disaster, arriving about 6-7 hours late. But this trip was punctual to the minute.  By taking my train I was able to have my power wheelchair with me, saving the hassle of parking and of my limited walking distance.

Future trips will be by planes, trains & automobiles. Once Amtrak service in Missouri & Illinois gets wi-fi like trains on the east coast I think we will see more and more opting for train travel.  More people traveling from urban center to urban center will only help those  cities, without hurting the suburban edge.  Next week I will look at Kansas City’s BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) line.

– Steve Patterson