2nd Best US Rail System

[PerRock]

I guess it would really depend on how the tiers are being sorted organized.

Here is wikipedia's list of US metro systems, which can be sorted (default is annual ridership):

Heavy Rail

Light Rail

I'm pretty bored today at work (not much to do), and playing around with Excel (Google Sheets really) is my job so I might see about combining the two lists & extracting some "Tier" systems from it. It'd at least look like I'm doing something job-related.

peter

 

[MARC Rider]

People forget about Cleveland, OH as well. Very extensive network of light and heavy rail trains, Amtrak, buses.

peter

Of course, all of the Cleveland Amtrak departures are in the middle of the night, so it's not served very well by intercity rail.

How well do intercity buses connect to the transit system? I know that the rail transit system serves the airport.

 

[Eric S]

I guess it would really depend on how the tiers are being sorted organized.

Here is wikipedia's list of US metro systems, which can be sorted (default is annual ridership):

Heavy Rail

Light Rail

I'm pretty bored today at work (not much to do), and playing around with Excel (Google Sheets really) is my job so I might see about combining the two lists & extracting some "Tier" systems from it. It'd at least look like I'm doing something job-related.

peter

Ignoring for the moment the concerns over service quality or reliability, would you generally agree with the second tier (after New York) being Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco/Oakland, and Washington? So that we're then trying to see how to group the remaining areas, whether there's an obvious split between perhaps a third and fourth tier?

 

[PerRock]

I guess it would really depend on how the tiers are being sorted organized.

Here is wikipedia's list of US metro systems, which can be sorted (default is annual ridership):

Heavy Rail

Light Rail

I'm pretty bored today at work (not much to do), and playing around with Excel (Google Sheets really) is my job so I might see about combining the two lists & extracting some "Tier" systems from it. It'd at least look like I'm doing something job-related.

peter

Ignoring for the moment the concerns over service quality or reliability, would you generally agree with the second tier (after New York) being Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco/Oakland, and Washington? So that we're then trying to see how to group the remaining areas, whether there's an obvious split between perhaps a third and fourth tier?

As promised, here is some Spreadsheet data from those Wiki tables. It's still a work in progress, but on the "Combined Systems" chart I laid out some tier-ing options.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1wL-ushK-oMfimaLkG-RmDJl7liR4DesWnxai2ju9yCY/edit?usp=sharing

peter

Edit: Here is the form to submit systems I (well Wikipedia) missed: https://goo.gl/forms/VoPMZNYW6IuZH8AF3

And as a note I didn't include commuter rail, bus-based systems. or some of those oddball systems like the Memphis monorail or the Morgantown PRT.

 

[Metra Electric Rider]

People forget about Cleveland, OH as well. Very extensive network of light and heavy rail trains, Amtrak, buses.

peter

Of course, all of the Cleveland Amtrak departures are in the middle of the night, so it's not served very well by intercity rail.

How well do intercity buses connect to the transit system? I know that the rail transit system serves the airport.

I thought I'd read that the light rail service was cut back from the Amtrak station (can't remember if it actually ran that late anyways). Cleveland was first with rail transit to an airport though.

 

[PerRock]

I don't know about the timetable, last time I was thru on the LSL there wasn't and LR meeting it. But the tracks run right next to the Amtrak line at the station and there is a stop, as both stations are next to the stadium.

peter

 

[PerRock]

I don't know about the timetable, last time I was thru on the LSL there wasn't and LR meeting it. But the tracks run right next to the Amtrak line at the station and there is a stop, as both stations are next to the stadium.

peter

Did a little digging, and I was a little off in the above statement.

Service a few years ago was pulled back off from the Waterfront Line, but it was only temporary & has since been restored. Both Lines will stop at the Amtrak station by request. It is possible to use the Blue & Green lines to connect to the Lake Shore Limited. Although 4/49 is at the station when service starts, so in that direction it may be hard to get to the station in time. The CL gets in too early for decent access to the lines; although departing on 30 isn't that bad, you end up with an hour wait at the station. Of course this all presumes no delays & I'm not certain (yet) if the Waterfront line open at the extreme ends of their service schedule.

peter

Edit: well forget all that... The Waterfront line only operates between 9:30am and 7pm.

 

[Metra Electric Rider]

Cleveland is one of the cities a few day trains would probably exponentially increase ridership to/from.

 

[PerRock]

Cleveland is one of the cities a few day trains would probably exponentially increase ridership to/from.

As it is, they would rather pretend Amtrak doesn't exist. When they recently redid the area around the station, instead of improving the shabby station; they literally decided to hide it behind some bushes.

peter

 

[Metra Electric Rider]

Cleveland is one of the cities a few day trains would probably exponentially increase ridership to/from.

As it is, they would rather pretend Amtrak doesn't exist. When they recently redid the area around the station, instead of improving the shabby station; they literally decided to hide it behind some bushes.

peter

New definition of "Amshackle"?

 

[Palmetto]

Metra moved a LOT of people Friday fairly expeditiously.

 

[west point]

Boy this is a really subjective question. First is how well does the city's system(s) provide their services including speeds, reliability, frequency, cleanness, etc.? Second what percentage of population of the area that the system(s) serve ?

Level 1 Do have to go with NY area. MNRR & LIRR do a good job. MTA NY City does well also. Then NJT falls down on job and will not be able to mitigate that until the new Gateway tunnel bores are complete and old Hudson river tunnels repaired.

Level 2 Yes Chicago and Especially San Francisco. Seattle is coming up fast due to its topography and the growth already under construction. The passage of ST3 yesterday is a big plus. LAX great service but not enough persons served. San Diego same as LAX

Level 3s. SEPTA has a big problem of stops too close and very curvy ROWs causing slow service. As well often occurring cancellations due to lack of operators. Boston poor dilapidated equipment. Dallas good system but needs growth to enter level 2, WASH Reliability, maintenance failures, political, funding, incompetent persons are well known.. Does serve many persons. Phoenix good light rail but needs much expansion. Baltimore doing fairly well with what built so far. Denver A high 3 and once all the routes go in service thru 2017 probably in level 2. Salt Lake City Good, fast, frequent and many expansions in various constructions. Sacramento, San Jose, Cleveland.

Level 4. Atlanta MARTA has not expanded in decades except for two stations. Yesterday's vote will mitigate that somewhat but still not enough persons served especially the bus system. Miami somewhat better than Atlanta just because of TriRail. Charlotte trying . New Orleans good service for number of residents but systems too slow. St. Louis not enough persons served. --

Level 5s -- just junk so far... Sun Rail. Norfolk Tucson, Cincinnati.

 

[neroden]

Judging by general usability in terms of "I can get anywhere by urban rail conveniently", Chicago, the Second City, has the second-best system after NYC -- hands down, no question.

After that it's a much tougher call. San Francisco is missing some lines in really crucial areas (Geary, anyone?). So is Boston. So is Los Angeles. So is San Diego. They're all pretty good though....

 

[Palmetto]

Boston is so bad, they're borrowing engines from the P&W railroad to run some of their trains. What a joke.

 

[Deni]

Level 4. Atlanta MARTA has not expanded in decades except for two stations. Yesterday's vote will mitigate that somewhat but still not enough persons served especially the bus system. Miami somewhat better than Atlanta just because of TriRail. Charlotte trying . New Orleans good service for number of residents but systems too slow. St. Louis not enough persons served. --

Level 5s -- just junk so far... Sun Rail. Norfolk Tucson, Cincinnati.

You would put Phoenix in 3rd tier with their one little (albeit nice) single line light rail but put Atlanta in 4th even though theirs covers much more significant area and runs much faster? Yes, they have not expanded the way they should have over the years but they are way ahead of Phoenix. If Atlanta is tier 4 (I would argue 3 myself) then Phoenix would be a tier 5.

 

[Deni]

Boston is so bad, they're borrowing engines from the P&W railroad to run some of their trains. What a joke.

Boston transit was so incredibly frustrating when I lived there. Just hated taking it.