[clue-talk] Hello CLUE

[Matt Gushee]

T. Joseph Carter wrote:

>> Pinnacle was built before the light rail was added.
>>
>> The trouble with light rail is that they think that everyone wants to go
>> downtown.  I would like it to wrap around the city too.
> 
> The trouble with it really seems to be that they figure everyone is coming
> from Littleton and wants to go downtown.

Undoubtedly the RTD planners are imperfect human beings, and politics 
plays a role in their decisions ... yet if they're anything like most 
transportation planners, the routes and schedules probably have some 
basis in actual travel patterns and the demographics of the areas they 
serve. And if you take any city with an identifiable downtown, there are 
going to be more people traveling between downtown and any outlying area 
than between two outlying areas. That's just a fact of urban geography, 
and it's one of the major reasons why downtown *is* downtown.

The real problem is that our cities--especially in the western US--are 
designed for cars. Considering how spread out Denver is, I think the 
public transit here is quite good. Compare it to, say, Phoenix, or any 
place in Texas.

P.S.: Joseph, I also live kind of on your side of town (though maybe a
       bit farther than some people) and would be glad to give you a lift
       if need be.

-- 
Matt Gushee
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