Thursday, November 01, 2007
Transportation Action Plan: Double Talk on Airport Link?
When the weak arguments underpinning the North Shore Connector grew more wobbly, supporters were always quick to say that getting the trolley to the North Shore was the clearest way to extend the system to the airport. Though making such a link would require the system to once again cross rivers and double back to the South Shore to get to the airport. But that argument continued despite its shortcomings, and might have prodded Federal officials to keep the connector going.
Now comes the County’s Transportation Action Plan, which is a blueprint for future transportation links between Downtown, the Oakland university community, and the airport. Here’s some of the findings from the plan’s recommendations to “Implement Rapid Transit from Downtown to Airport”. In order to provide the “fastest and most direct route to the airport”, the plan recommends two stages:
“Stage I would complete the LRT from Downtown to the “Western Station” intermodal hub; and Stage II would continue the LRT on to the Airport Station hub”.
Note that the plan does not say “continue light rail transit from its terminus on the North Shore to the airport”. In fact, one of the recommendations of the plan is that the connection to the airport “provides a link connecting to the Downtown subway, North shore and South Hills LRT”.
Maybe the connection to the airport will take on a much different look than what is outlined in the Action Plan. If not, the Connector’s legacy as a sham will be even further solidified.
Now comes the County’s Transportation Action Plan, which is a blueprint for future transportation links between Downtown, the Oakland university community, and the airport. Here’s some of the findings from the plan’s recommendations to “Implement Rapid Transit from Downtown to Airport”. In order to provide the “fastest and most direct route to the airport”, the plan recommends two stages:
“Stage I would complete the LRT from Downtown to the “Western Station” intermodal hub; and Stage II would continue the LRT on to the Airport Station hub”.
Note that the plan does not say “continue light rail transit from its terminus on the North Shore to the airport”. In fact, one of the recommendations of the plan is that the connection to the airport “provides a link connecting to the Downtown subway, North shore and South Hills LRT”.
Maybe the connection to the airport will take on a much different look than what is outlined in the Action Plan. If not, the Connector’s legacy as a sham will be even further solidified.
