oldjones said:
By the time you must have a subway, because you're built up so densely, and you population's so large, the cost of the disruption require to build, puts them out of reach.
But they don't rust and fall down, and get in the way of new development and have to be removed (and replace with something). And do we all love our elevated highway? Elevateds have all those failings. While subways continue to run in tunnels first dug long ago, elevateds with trendy names, get built, become obsolete and get demolished.
So you invest now in the best future you can, or cheap out and stay cheap for a long time to come.
If you're referring to Chicago's EL it's been running for what, 50 yrs and was built with 1949 technology. The one in Florida has been running for 40 yrs without falling down.
Again, I say: a system that is operational now, when you need it, is far far far better than not having one at all......so subways are better. They cost 1.4 times as much and since no one can afford one, we don't get one OR we get surface LRTs like st clair that totally fuck up the street, the businesses ON the street, and any traffic that has to move along the street....yeah, that's the ticket!
A great example is the elevated system they put into pearson. That thing is a DREAM: quiet, energy efficient, and it went up in no time. If el's are so bad I highly doubt a private enterprise would buy one....
The thing is: people (especially torontonians) are SO wrapped up in the way things are that they can't look forward. Same goes for windmills. Oh they are SO ugly, I personally thing they are kinetic scultures and as for elevated transit lines, it's funny how if you ever see a designer's depiction of the future, all the images show elevated transportation systems....funny how that is.......