Question 1
Use Wikipedia or other internet sources to identify i) two cities operating light rail (or Trams or Streetcars), ii) two cities operating rapid rail transit (heavy rail or subway), and iii) two cities or metropolitan regions operating commuter rail.
For each of the six rail systems identified determine the following
1. How many cars are in each train-set and how many people does each car carry?
2. Does the rail travel in its own ROW or in mixed traffic?
3. About how far are the stations apart on the section of track near the center of the city?
4. What is the service area (a city neighborhood, city wide, or city and suburbs)?
Bonus Question
5. What is the average speed of the system?
Compare what you find to the table in the notes that give the basic properties of each class of rail system. Did your findings correspond to the description in the table?
Question 2
Make a list of all the i) transportation, and ii) land use characteristics that are given in the notes as affecting whether or not a place is walking/transit friendly. Based on this list, rate the places pictures in the attached slide on the extent to which you believe they are pedestrian friendly (use a scale of 1 = not pedestrian friendly to 10 = very very pedestrian friendly ).
Identify and briefly discuss the items on the list that are most important in influencing your rating.
You should go on google maps to get a sense of the street network and the land use patterns.
Your answer should address what you can see in the picture and the map but you can also speculate about other factors that are not so evident.
Question 3
The Wikipedia definition of BRT says that the goal of BRT is to approach the service quality of rail. Watch the following video about BRT in Curitiba, Brazil and answer the questions given below.
https://vimeo.com/12499536 <<<< BRT in Curitiba, Brazil
1. Gives a list of the characteristics of rail service that developers of the BRT in Curitiba wanted to emulate.
2. What were the tools and techniques that were used to ensure that the BRT in Curitiba came close to having rail like service quality for each of the characteristics listed in 1 above.
3. Lists at least two advantages of the Curitiba BRT system over a typical rail system that were alluded to in the video.