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Tag Archives: Alternative Transportation
Could River Ferries Work In Louisville?
In this week’s Kentucky Transportation Cabinet video address, ferries are on topic. Stimulus money will be used to upgrade three ferry crossings in Kentucky. The video above has the details (via twitter / @KYTCminute). The news reminded me of of a proposal several years back to start up a ferry connecting Louisville with Jeffersonville. The plan obviously fell through, but it’s still an interesting topic.
Would you ever cross the Ohio River by ferry? Would you want to take your car on the ferry, too, or just your person? Louisville had many ferries long ago, but could the technology work again today? What are your thoughts? Typically, a ferry works better with a robust transit system and a critical density that allows for more of a car-free lifestyle, but as the city grows, perhaps a ferry could become more feasible.
PrintDeveloper Proposes Streetcar Line for Bardstown Road
A trolley line is proposed for Bardstown Road (artists representation)
What if a real streetcar line meandered down Bardstown Road, connecting by rail Baxter Avenue and the Douglass Loop? Developer Dennis Dutton is proposing just that. His Bardstown Road Trolley Project is still in its early stages as the idea coalesces, but could transform public transportation in Louisville.
Dennis, who has developed property in the Highlands and elsewhere in Louisville, says the idea makes a lot of sense and everyone he talks to about the idea really supports it. The basic idea is to run an electric street car or trolley down Baxter Avenue and Bardstown Road. The street cars are silent and don’t spew exhaust on the street and whether they carry a modern or traditional aesthetic will change public perception of transit.
The exact route for the proposal hasn’t yet been determined, but it could roughly follow the red line on the map above. The street cars would travel in traffic lanes on modern tracks with regular traffic. Dutton points out that the Douglass Loop was once the turnaround for just such a trolley system long ago but says the line could be expanded in either direction towards Downtown or farther down Bardstown Road.
A trolley line is hoped to spur additional economic growth in the area and “add to the allure of being on Bardstown Road.” Inspiration for the idea came from a real trolley installed in Little Rock, Arkansas and visits to Europe when Dutton was a pilot. He believes if it can work in Little Rock, trolleys could definitely work in Louisville.
Currently, the project is assembling a team to promote the idea and gather support. A web site is being created and will go live later this year. (It’s www.bardstownroadtrolley.com, so keep an eye out.) The site will allow supporters to register and sign an online petition. Dutton knows there will be plenty of obstacles and road blocks along the way, but hopes the idea can garner enough excitement that it can push its way through.
Click through for some interesting reading about street cars from across the web.
Alternative Transportation: TARC raps about bikes
Backseat Sandbar recent posted this gem of a video made by TARC to demonstrate how to use those handy bike racks on the front of their buses. The song and dance are performed by Mr. Theo and the TARCettes. It’s evidently been around a while, but it’s new to us, and just too good to pass up.
- TARC Bike Rap (Backseat Sandbar)
Alternative Transportation: Pedicabs
Pedicab (Image via Main Street Pedicabs)
Maybe you’ve seen them traversing the busy weekend streets of Bardstown Road and Baxter Avenue: Pedicabs, also known as bicycle rickshaws, are becoming a common sight in major cities across the globe. Among the North American hotspots for bike taxis are Portland, Oregon, New York, New York, and Denver, Colorado. During last month’s Democratic National Convention in Denver, the Wall Street Journal gave the emerging transportation technology some press time:
“Owners of bicycle rickshaws, already a popular way of getting about downtown Denver, are seizing on the Democratic National Convention as a chance to showcase their human-powered taxis as more than just a novelty.
Steve Meyer, owner of one of Denver’s largest fleets of pedicabs and a manufacturer of the vehicles, wants the convention’s national audience to see bike taxis as a dynamic part of the urban fabric and the ultimate in green transportation…
Bike-pedaled rickshaws took off in the U.S. scene in the early 1990s, in large part due to Mr. Meyer’s promotion. He got them recognized early on as part of the mix in revitalizing Denver’s downtown pedestrian mall.”
Fares are generally more than a taxi (hey, powering a pedicab is tough work), but distances are shorter and geared towards urban areas. In Denver, the maximum fare per block is $2.00. Purchasing your own pedicab runs just under $4,000 but most drivers rent from a larger company, work as they please, and keep the fares they earn.
- Defying Convention, Denver Pedicabs Seek a Leg Up (Wall Street Journal)
- For the Best in Transportainment, Try a Pedicab (StreetsBlog)
- Cycle Rickshaw (Wikipedia)
- Main Street Pedicabs (Official Site)
Modern Pedicab (Image via StreetsBlog)
Trolley Tracks Revealed on Preston Street
Trolley Tracks Beneath Preston Street
Utility work on Preston Street between Main Street and Market Street this week revealed original train tracks beneath the asphalt road’s surface. Louisville had quite an extensive transit system, including subways, back before WWII. Much of the old infrastructure lies just under an inch or two of asphalt, surfacing from time to time reminding us of what we lost.
Spring Street’s Broken Sidewalks
Broken Bike Lane on Spring Street
Spring Street connects Louisville’s Irish Hill and Butchertown neighborhoods from Story Avenue to Lexington Road. The road was built for cars. As Louisville has been watching its image as a bike-friendly community, however, bike lanes were striped connecting Story Avenue to the Beargrass Creek Bike Trail at Locust Street. The bike lanes are broken now. No less than two-dozen cars were parked in the bike lanes near the railroad underpass despite clearly marked “No Stopping – Bike Lane” signs. The threat of being towed was not even enough to stop these renegade autos. Farther down Spring Street, the bike lane becomes a narrow barely three foot wide stripe and is littered with uneven pavement and copious debris. Any bike brave enough to traverse this section of street would surely be done in by the broken glass and rock. But hey, the new bike lane signs look great! The sidewalks along Spring Street aren’t any better. While uneven at best, vegetation has grown out of control to the point of fully blocking the sidewalk in certain spots, forcing pedestrians to cross a dangerous street without a crosswalk. Spring Street could be a great neighborhood street, but not yet in Possibility City.
Check out more of the Spring Street Bike Lane / Sidewalk Mess
Alternative Transportation: Cargocycles
Cargocycle in France
Delivery trucks are admittedly big, dirty, and noisy. Cities such as New York and Paris, where congestion has forced creative thinking into action, have developed the alternative to the delivery truck: the cargocycle. These human powered delivery bikes have increased delivery time efficiency and allowed for ease of delivery in congested or pedestrian environments. The French model pictured above can haul up to 400 pounds and 50 cubic feet within an 18-mile delivery radius. The company called La Petite Reine has a fleet of 60 cargocycles and makes deliveries for large companies such as DHL. Similar cargocycles traverse the streets of Manhattan delivering goods all over the island. Will we see cargocycles spinning on the streets of Louisville any time soon? It’s hard to tell. The Bike Depot on the corner of First Street and Market Street is already making deliveries via bicycles throughout the urban parts of the city that are “bicycle friendly” and is equipped with bike trailers and a “trike” to deliver larger objects, but we have not seen any all-in-one cargocycles on Louisville’s streets.
- The contemporary urban delivery vehicle (CoolTown Studios)
- Pedaling Cheeses Across Midtown (NY Times)
- New York City Bike Friendly Awards (StreetsBlog)
- The Bike Depot (Official Site)
Alternative Transportation: Electric Cars
Louisville roads may soon see more tiny cars zipping around town. Governor Beshear has signed an executive order allowing use of low-speed electric vehicles on roads. Spurred in part by rising gas costs the move toward more varied and environmentally sustainable transportation options is a good one. Kentucky residents, and the South in general, already spend more of their personal incomes on gas than the rest on the country. Each Commonwealth resident spends on average $211 on gas a month at current prices (that’s almost 8% of monthly income!). That makes us 9th worst in the nation (meanwhile, Kentucky ranks 38th in efforts to change our dependence on oil). Imagine having a little more cash to spend on the local economy. Dine out more each month or enjoy a ballgame at Slugger Field.
While these new, slower vehicles may not find their way onto the Interstate system (the Kentucky Transportation cabinet must draft rules concerning their use), they will go a long way toward making city streets more hospitable. Slower speeds raise pedestrian and bicycle safety and fewer fumes help us all breathe easier. The City of Shelbyville has taken this concept to a more extreme level. The City Council has taken up the idea of allowing electric golf carts to use city streets. Modeled after a plan in place in Phoenix, AZ, Shelbyville hopes to alleviate fuel costs for common errands and boost downtown business at the same time. How do you see the role of city streets in the future changing? As the city grows, becomes more urban and less auto-centric, how will speed and auto size affect the public landscape? Sound off in the comments.
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