Surface Light Rail is an Eyesore
This page is a continuation of our recent post “What Red Line Alternative 4C might look like on the surface of Boston Street and Edmondson Avenue”
Here are more images to think about. To post comments, please click the link above and disscuss on the post. Click on most images for bigger views.
Boston Street and Edmondson Today:
Boston Street, by Safeway
Edmondson Avenue
Surface Light Rail Examples:
We want to reiterate that these images are NOT a good example of what the Red Line Alternative 4C might look like in Baltimore because no truly similar system has ever been built. Systems that have been built differ from Alternative 4C in Baltimore for the following reasons:
- These streets carry less traffic and there are alternate routes for vehicles
- The streets are wider, with few houses. Most areas are industrial or low-density commercial
- The light’s rail right-of-way is wider: in grade-separated locations in Portland and Seattle, it measures 26-28 feet, where Edmonson is proposed at 22.5 feet and Boston at 23-24 feet
- Traffic is farther from the trains. No light rail system including Baltimore’s Howard Street system has been built with cars and trains so close to each other.
Light Rail "Portal" (tunnel entrance) in Los Angeles
Pittsburgh Surface Light Rail. This system is not grade separated (cars can drive on the tracks). An overhead system of wires like this might be built on Edmondson Avenue and possibly Boston Street.
Commonwealth Avenue in Boston (Google Maps)
Howard Street in Baltimore (Google Maps). Trains will be at least this close to cars!
Corner of Howard Street and Preston Street in Baltimore (Google Maps)
Howard Street - Downtown Baltimore (Google Maps)
Portland, Oregon (Google Maps). Does this look like Boston Street or Edmondson Avenue?
Bilbao, Spain (from the MTA). The Red Line may have grassy tracks and even sleek trains like this, but that's where the similarities end. Don't be fooled - Baltimore doesn't have room for wide stations and walkways on most of the line proposed for Alternative 4C, especially on Edmondson or Boston. Also, people may still access this system from the other side of the river seen in the background because there are many crossings. On Boston Street, there's no way to use the Red Line from the other side of the harbor!