[PRCo] Re: Transit Speeds

[fwschneider at comcast.net]

My gut reaction for what I've been seeing in Austria is a maximum of 50 km/h on streets and about 60 km/h on right of waz with older cars but acceleration is a lot faster than PCC cars.   Equipment manages to get to 50 to 60 between stations, i.e. within a block or two whereas a PCC was capable of about 40 km/h in a block.   Some of the new AC motor cars are phenomenally smooth ... virtuallz jerkless from 0 up to full speed and back down to 0.   
You want a conversion?   Multiplz kilometers times .625 to get miles per hour.   60 is about 42.   

-------------- Original message -------------- 
From: "Boris Cefer" <westinghouse at iol.cz> 

> Max speed for streetcars in CZ is 60 km/h with limitation to 50 km/h on city 
> streets, which is also a limit for rubber-tired vehicles. 
> 
> B 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Jim Holland" 
> To: 
> Sent: Tuesday, October 23, 2007 12:04 PM 
> Subject: [PRCo] Transit Speeds 
> 
> 
> Some comments to deepen the understanding of Transit Speeds. 
> 
> Here in SF the MAX speed for any Transit vehicle On The Streets is 
> 25-mph or the posted speed limit -- WhichEver Is *Lower.* Transit 
> vehicles should slow to 15-mph for each and every intersection -- 
> Defensive Driving to prevent accidents Even If it would be the fault of 
> the other vehicle. 
> 
> Late last night around MudNight on my TrolleyCoach, I was traveling at 
> 25-mph and pushed it up to 30-mph -- *Seemed* like I had doubled the 
> speed and the bus *Seems* more like it is doing 50. Getting a bus 
> up to that speed will require *about* a block to slow and stop it 
> using full service braking -- on a PCC that is a max of 4.75-mphps 
> deceleration -- on our ETI TCs we use pure dynamic until the bus is 
> almost stopped and then we push the brake a little more to complete the 
> stop and hold the coach. 
> 
> We had a discussion of average transit speeds which figures in 
> everything the vehicle does from the moment it starts at one end of the 
> line until it reaches the other end of the line -- dwell times at 
> traffic signals and for passenger boardings and alightings are included 
> in this time. On the Interurbans it was in the 16- 18-mph Average 
> Speed end to end. In light of this, traveling at 18-20--mph through 
> the tunnel for 3/4-mile without interruption helps to improve the 
> Average Speed. 
> 
> Considering All The Potential Traffic in that tunnel, and the fact that 
> it is 6% Downgrade, that a TrolleyCar is a large lumbering vehicle and 
> slow in braking compared to many other vehicles, that passengers are the 
> cargo, what at First Blush does seem to be a Very Slow Speed -- (My 
> Reaction Was The Same, Boris) -- actually works out to be Extremely 
> Reasonable and maybe on the High Side for Traffic Density. 
> 
> Others may be able to add more observations to increase our 
> understanding of the limitation of transit vehicles. As I thought 
> this speed restriction through with comparisons to other transit speeds 
> and safety issues it helped me appreciate this limitation on speed. 
> PRCo was Very Big On Safety and this understanding has been deepened by 
> many of the comments here on the list which have pointed out various 
> steps PRCo took concerning safety. This speed limit down through the 
> tunnel is another. 
> 
> Someone mentioned something similar for the Smithfield St. Bridge. 
> 
>