In addition to its Metrorail subway system, Washington DC has some streetcars that you can ride. Unfortunately, to ride them, you have to travel to the Czech Republic.*
The city of Washington paid $10 million for streetcars three years ago, but never laid any tracks for them to run on. Nor does it have any idea when it might have such tracks. So they remain in Plzen.
Apparently, the city could not resist a “good deal” by buying streetcars at the same time that Portland bought some (which, no doubt, saved Portland a few bucks too). The article does not say, but for $10 million they probably got four streetcars. For the same amount of money, they could have purchased nearly 40 buses.
Washington DC used to be known as the nation’s worst city government. Portland has been in the running for the same title, so I guess Washington had to do something to keep up.
(* Sticklers may note that the streetcar manufacturer in the Czech Republic is running Washington’s streetcars from time to time to keep them in shape, but they aren’t picking up passengers. But I suspect you could get a ride on one if you talked to the right people.)
Can you imagine someone buying a new car because they’re getting a good price and sticking it in their garage for 10 years before they used it?
What advantages do trains, street cars, etc. have over buses?
Thats Plzen, not pizen. Great place by the way. If their streetcars are as good as their booze, then Washington, DC got a good deal.
What advantages do trains, street cars, etc. have over buses?
Ten:
One is that they use quiet, clean (at point of use) electricity instead of dirty, stinking, noisy diesel engines.
Second is that they aren’t buses.
Third is that they deliver the futuristic look promised at World Expos in the 1950s
Fourth is that they aren’t buses.
Fifth is the they are sexy and exciting in a world of lookalike cars.
Sixth is that they aren’t buses.
Seventh is that they aren’t buses.
Eigth is that they aren’t buses.
Ninth is that they aren’t buses.
Tenth is that politicians love to build monuments that ensure their name will never be forgotten.
Even if somebody invented a bus that perfectly met the needs of travellers, accountants and environmentalists it still wouldn’t meet the needs of politicians nearly as well as a streetcar. The perfect bus would simply use the techniques used by the aircraft, automobile and freight industries for half a century, with electric motors thrown in as the “leapfrog” technology. This revolutionary bus would have a monocoque chassis just like planes and cars. It would use lightweight alloys and composites, just like planes and cars. It would have a modular design with the sort of rapid connections used on shipping containers or freight trucks and trains. During the peak period it would be an 80 seater double decker bendy bus. Inter-peak it would be a 60 seater rigid double decker or 40 seat single deck bendy bus. Off peak it would be a 30 seater rigid single seater. All done with the speed of a container crane unloading a ship.
The city should rent them out to some other city in the mean time and recoup some of their expense.
Also, Mr.Fibertarian a 40 foot bus is around $500,000 not $250,000. Then again you never cared about costs in the first place. Go figure!
Small typo: The name of the city is Plzen, with l as in Leonid Brezhnev.
Anyhow, do you want to know what the town of Plzen is famous for?
… Wait for it …
They invented the ordinary Lager. Lager, as in ‘Beer’
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