[PRCo] Re: Light Rail Videos

[John Swindler]

Try 'birds-eye-view' from mapping on your server to see what it looks like now.  
 
> From: mtoytrain at bellsouth.net> To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org> Subject: [PRCo] Re: Light Rail Videos> Date: Thu, 4 Dec 2008 18:24:33 +0000> > Fred> Thanks for the writeup on the Hudson-Bergen-Light rail line, wow you are correct, I could not > believe what I was seeing in the video, what a remarkable change, and you would have never thought that> was the same place I roamed back in the 1960s! Yes does remind you of the Forbes Avenue> area of old Pittsburgh, while in college I would hop a car to the Naval Reserve Center, wonder> what that area looks like now! Yes I agree we are fast approaching the return to the core> city, even here in Jacksonville, in the downtown, San Marco, Southbank, and Riverside, condos> are going up everywhere, and yes close to the Skyway express, talk here of lightrail lines> from downdown to Orange Park, St Johns County and Nassau County using railroad right o ways.> Fred hope this old fart and our fellow PRCers can keep going, wishing you the best this> Holiday season.> > --> From: Jerry "Matt" Matsick > > AGING: Eventually you will reach a point when you > stop lying about your age and start Bragging > about it.> > -------------- Original message from Schneider Fred <fwschneider at comcast.net>: -------------- > > > > Jerry: > > > > I should take this off list but I'm putting it here because I believe > > in eddy-kay-shun. > > > > I think that Hudson Bergen is one of the best examples in the nation > > of where I think we are going in the future. > > > > As the oil runs out we are going to have to centralize our life > > styles again. We may not like cities but we are going to have to > > learn to live that way again. From what I can determine, D-day is > > going to be a lot sooner than most of us realize. > > > > And Hudson - Bergen is an example of how all of the industrial area > > along the waterfront in Hudson County, New Jersey has evolved into > > new housing and a new city. Rich Allman, who is on this list, will > > remember when we went to look at the line just after the first > > segment opened in 2000. HLBR was reinventing horse car speeds. We > > left Philadelphia. The sun was shining and it was warm. We got to > > Noith Joisey and the temperature had dropped 30 degrees and the wind > > was ripping off the Hudson River. It was dismal. Jersey City was > > just as dismal. This summer a man was telling me how many new > > condos and apartments had been built along the car line at the south > > end of Jersey City ... something on the order of 20,000 homes. In > > 2000 I took an unimpeded photo of two cars passing with the World > > Trade Center rising behind them in New York. Today that > > intersection is 20 story buildings in New Jersey! > > > > You can see this evolution of cities elsewhere but it in this part of > > Hudson County, New Jersey it is dynamic ... stunning ... rapid. In > > other places it is a small neighborhood. Yes, you can observe > > places like University City in Philadelphia slowly changing but no > > where can I think of such a huge area that change from a slum into an > > upscale neighborhood as fast as the waterfront in Weehawken and > > Jersey City advanced. Bayonne seemed to change from lower middle > > class to middle class. It is slowly climbing. > > > > This summer I rode up the line with a friend who is a regional > > manager for German Rail and who lives in Munich. The last time I > > saw Christopf I was in Munich on a Sunday afternoon. It was October > > 2007 and I was amazed at how the streetcars were packed on a > > Sunday. Well, this June, Chris and Dwight Long (a PTM member from > > "slower Delaware") and I were riding HLBR on a Sunday. It was after > > five o'clock when we got to the mall and Macy's store where the > > Erie's Pavonia Yard used to be. The crowd surged onto the light rail > > car. I thought I was back in Munich. Most of the riders were > > speaking Spanish and most got off at the station in the old West > > Shore Railroad tunnel and took the elevators up to Bergenline Avenue > > in West New York, N.J. But for a while it was like riding in Forbes > > Avenue from the University of Pittsburgh in the 1940s after class > > change ... you would have had trouble packing another soul into that > > car. > > > > I don't know if they were illegal immigrants and didn't want to be > > caught driving. I don't know if the Spanish simply have a higher > > riding habit than some of the rest of us. I don't give a rat's > > ass. They're human beings and they're were using transit. I > > observed on an earlier trip that the operator for New Jersey Transit > > was printing instruction bulletins in Spanish and handing them out at > > the Bergenline Avenue station. Nice touch. Cater to your > > public. It's working. Passenger counts rose from 7.9 million in > > fiscal 2006 to 10.7 million in fiscal 2007 ... their numbers. If > > all days were equal, that would be 29,300 per day on Hudson-Bergen. > > But we know weekends have to be lower. We're probably talking > > somewhere around 35,000 a day on weekdays. Not bad at all when you > > consider that Pittsburgh system-wide is 6.9 million riders a year and > > SEPTA for all city and Red Arrow routes is 27 million. Do I buy > > into their numbers? More easily than some agencies from what I've > > seen when I have ridden and I've ridden it four or five days now. > > > > When you go there ... after you are done riding ... two really good > > places to go for dinner: > > > > 1. If you like Mexican, just go up the Hudson Bergen to Bergenline > > Avenue. You'll find some truly authentic places up on the avenue. > > It's a safe, middle-class neighborhood. Have no fears. > > But you may need a menu translator. I had Carle Salley with me and > > his last wife was Mexican. Some of you may have known Carle as the > > head of PAT's Early Action Program. > > > > 2. Or, and I know Rich Allman will second this motion, go over to > > the Iron Bound section of Newark. You will find some fabulous > > Portuguese restaurants there. Some of the best this side of Lisbon. > > > > Fred > > > > > > > > On Dec 4, 2008, at 9:36 AM, Jerry MATT Matsick wrote: > > > > > Fred - keep them coming, I really enjoyed the Hudson Bergen line as > > > I lived in that area right out of > > > college, what seems unique to me, seems like a 21st century Trolley > > > Line, need to go up and visit > > > relatives and take a ride, Keep the videos and all your great > > > right ups coming (others on group too > > > this "olefart" enjoys it all. Thanks > > > -- > > > From: Jerry "Matt" Matsick > > > AGING: Eventually you will reach a point when you > > > stop lying about your age and start Bragging > > > about it. > > > > > > -------------- Original message from Schneider Fred > > > : -------------- > > > > > > > > >> HOW WOULD YOU GUYS LIKE SOME LINKS TO YOU TUBE VIDEOS TO TROLLEYS AND > > >> LIGHT RAIL LINES RUNNING TODAY? > > >> > > >> Tampa -- but they really are not safety cars. > > >> > > >> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOQC5PfNdUo > > >> > > >> And the same type car in Little Rock > > >> > > >> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rll3Cu2q_5Y > > >> > > >> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RiTMiwPiEw > > >> > > >> And the Memphis heritage lines. The first one > > >> is an example of someone who loves photographing > > >> crossing gates. > > >> > > >> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O440kGu9xwE&feature=related > > >> > > >> The New Jersey Transit RIVER LINE from Trenton to Camden. > > >> This is also a crossing gate picture. Governor Christy Whitman > > >> called this light rail. The same cars in Escondido CA and Austin TX > > >> are considered commuter railroad. > > >> > > >> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bA7YyaidJ-Y&feature=related > > >> > > >> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TizfWStIy-M&feature=related > > >> > > >> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixMw5M9tt80&feature=related > > >> > > >> Hudson Bergen Light Rail is also operated by New Jersey Transit. > > >> This is a must see ...must ride line for all of you. I never thought > > >> I would be sandwiched in a swinging load on a streetcar on a Sunday > > >> afternoon in the U. S. but it happened to me there last summer. > > >> > > >> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKMCAGuFk6k&feature=related > > >> > > >> The new extension of the Newark City subway ... the line on the > > >> surface to Lackawanna station > > >> > > >> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLFJJefG2qw&NR=1 > > >> > > >> I only picked on link for Minneapolis. There are many other films > > >> that you might want to look at. > > >> > > >> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5M2PyW2sgIQ&feature=related > > >> > > >> And here is a nice shot of a UTA car in front of the Mormon Temple > > >> in Salt Lake City. I'm reminded of the day I tipped doorman at the > > >> old Hotel Utah to lead me up onto a fire escape so I could photograph > > >> the temple from a higher elevation. Can't do that as easily today > > >> because the hotel is a LDS church office building. > > >> > > >> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNe1GtxRH7A&feature=related > > >> > > >> This is a nice night-time movie in downtown Houston. Again, there > > >> are a whole lot of additional Houston pictures. This line is moving > > >> about 40,000 people a day. Great operation. > > >> > > >> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZtdoZOi7F0 > > >> > > >> IF YOU LIKE WHAT I PICKED OUT ... ASK ME AND I'LL TRY TO > > >> FIND SOME OF THE OTHER SYSTEMS. > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > > > > > > > 
_________________________________________________________________
Send e-mail anywhere. No map, no compass.
http://windowslive.com/Explore/hotmail?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_hotmail_acq_anywhere_122008