According to this post in the el chuqueno blog our new street cars might not be able to handle the grade going up Stanton if they have to stop and then start again.
From the post:
“the trolley will wait at the stop by Cathedral High School to make sure it has a clear shot all the way up the hill on Stanton. If the trolley stops, it might not be able to conquer the grade, and it might have to stop, because the tracks are on the left turn lane all the way up.”
I guess that they can “make sure” that they have a clear shot if they only operate late at night. Stanton is a busy street and assuring a “clear shot” will be hard to do.
We have repeatedly been told that the slope will not be a problem for the cars.
This KVIA report shows the construction manager telling us that 10% grade at one section of Stanton will not be a problem.
Let’s hope that she is right.
We deserve better
Brutus
elpasospeak 
So now the POLITICIANS, so-called “Planners” will have to blow off MILLIONS$$$ more to “Level” that part of downtown so that THEY can have their little trolley car running that COUPLE of miles?? These people couldn’t PLAN a kids birthday party. So maybe they can BUY a MILLION$$$ tow truck to get the little trolley up the hill?? How about just a couple burros?? Somebody(??) should stop these people from “Planning” stuff, buying stuff and FORCING us to pay for all their STUFF, “Dreams of Grandeur”. 🙂
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I warned of this YEARS ago as I have traveled up that street in an older stick shift car and IF . . . you have to stop, it is difficult to get going again.
Most TRAINS limit grades to a maximum of 3%.
That’s the HUGE Steam and the modern Diesel-Electric also.
3%.
Its common knowledge in the train-track-trolley-Traction circles.
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So, we closed the Tramway even though it continued to pass inspections, but the Trolley should be fine just as long as the passengers pray deep, meaningful prayers? The maximum grade a trolley can take is 9%, but there’s a 50 foot spot where it’s 10%. lt’s ok, l’ll let you go first. lf you go to Rich Wright’s blog (el chuqueno) look under the post titled Trolley News (9/12). the sign really does say, “Walking along the track may cause injury or death.” But at least l can find comfort in the fact that, according to the Project Manager, that if weather conditions become wet, raining, or icy that the trolley DOES possess a built-in highly technological safety mechanism known as ‘sprinkling some sand.’ lt’s bad enough that no one can escape death and taxes, but why does our local government feel the need to combine the two?
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Let’s also not forget that TXDOT has decided that at some point, the downtown bridges have to be made higher to comply with today’s standard height requirements and when that happens the trolley infrastructure (and all the bling) will need to be redone.
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Who will pay? City or state?
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Sun Metro knew that when they chose the trolley routes. They Don’t Care.
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Well Helen it is ONLY money and the El Taxo politicians can, WILL always take MORE from US. Money is not a problem for THEM.
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If you look at what exists along that stretch of Stanton, there was no good reason to include Stanton in the streetcar route. What are the odds that the Commissioner of Streetcars and his friends own property on the streetcar route?
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Same old crap from the city. Spend our money then tell us it doesn’t work – think windmills at Airway. If this turns out to be true and the city people involved are not fired then it is time to replace Mr. Gonzalez!
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You got it exactly right. How much did they blow off on the “Sexy” lights at Airway? Why? And then further down Airway, back side of Ft Bliss, they installed “Sexy” lights in an UNDER-PASS. Money is NO object to El Taxo politicians, City “Manager”. THEY can always take MORE from US. Tax, waste, spend, tax, waste MORE. That is what THEY do to US. ALWAYS ! !
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