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GoinBeck Champion Author South Carolina Posts:1,625 Points:294,275 Joined:Sep 2008	Message Posted: Dec 12, 2008 9:13:29 AM Ignore GoinBeck Report Abuse Are any of you GasBuddies living in a part of the USA where public transportation is run on electricity? In Europe, the street cars, trains and buses are almost all electric. That's not to say that electricity is generated in an environmentally friendly way. Many of the plants in Germany burn refuse to heat the water that runs the turbines in electric plants. There's also more nuclear plants for electric generation. But are there parts of the USA that use electricity for public transport?

GoinBeck

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Message Posted: Dec 12, 2008 9:13:29 AM

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Are any of you GasBuddies living in a part of the USA where public transportation is run on electricity? In Europe, the street cars, trains and buses are almost all electric. That's not to say that electricity is generated in an environmentally friendly way. Many of the plants in Germany burn refuse to heat the water that runs the turbines in electric plants. There's also more nuclear plants for electric generation. But are there parts of the USA that use electricity for public transport?

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aeronutt Rookie Author Omaha Posts:73 Points:74,290 Joined:Mar 2009	Message Posted: Mar 28, 2009 5:16:31 PM Ignore aeronutt Report Abuse The electric shuttles in Chicago do a nice job of transporting people without (local) pollution and trafic jams. I think it's a great option over sitting in a 20-mile parking lot all evening!
GooseMI Champion Author Grand Rapids Posts:15,131 Points:1,995,145 Joined:Sep 2007	Message Posted: Mar 28, 2009 11:29:05 AM Ignore GooseMI Report Abuse We had that earlier in the last century and stopped using it. When the "green" administration puts on cap and trade, electric rates will skyrocket, then what will we do?
E-Squirrel Champion Author Orange County Posts:3,012 Points:819,060 Joined:Feb 2005	Message Posted: Mar 27, 2009 9:07:28 PM Ignore E-Squirrel Report Abuse Electric power isn't always as attractive on closer inspection, than it appears at first. While electricity appears "clean", the generation often is not. Over half of all the electricity in this country is generated by burning coal. Then, there is the problem with efficiencies. While electricity is a very convenient "fuel", there are efficiency losses at each step, from converting the coal into steam, then into mechanical motion, then into electricity, and finally distributing over a power grid. Electric rail, trolleys and buses are not terribly expensive to build, the infrastructure, rails, power, rights of way, are all expensive to build per mile. This sort of tends to confine them to just high density urban areas. Out in the other parts of the country, there are not population who can pay the per capita costs.
Neverblue0620 Rookie Author North Carolina Posts:83 Points:18,625 Joined:Feb 2009	Message Posted: Mar 27, 2009 8:08:57 PM Ignore Neverblue0620 Report Abuse I sure wish more cities would consider this. I live in a city that is rather small compared to most cities but which does have a pretty extensive bus service provided. It would be really fabulous if they could figure out a way to make that work here in Asheville, NC!
kauaikid19231 Veteran Author Los Angeles Posts:488 Points:741,815 Joined:Jun 2007	Message Posted: Mar 27, 2009 5:41:58 PM Ignore kauaikid19231 Report Abuse Here's a link to the city of San Diego trying to go electric. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-03/25/content_11066699.htm kk
rgjoslin Champion Author Colorado Springs Posts:3,500 Points:662,655 Joined:Sep 2008	Message Posted: Mar 27, 2009 7:13:58 AM Ignore rgjoslin Report Abuse No public transport in Colorado springs other than buses...non electric.
Jay4Runner Champion Author Oakland Posts:10,846 Points:2,344,940 Joined:Apr 2004	Message Posted: Mar 26, 2009 9:58:18 PM Ignore Jay4Runner Report Abuse Yes, here in the San Francisco Bay Area we have had "BART", Bay Area Rapid Transit trains since the late 1960's. The trans-bay tube was opened in 1972 or somewhere around then. What a blast we had as teens riding BART to the city (S.F) before we had our driver's licenses. Of course except for the Zodiac killer it was safe to ride public transit and stay out until midnight to catch the last train back home.
airduct Champion Author Florida Posts:11,319 Points:293,020 Joined:May 2005	Message Posted: Feb 23, 2009 8:56:19 PM Ignore airduct Report Abuse Sneakers55 -- >>In 1900, the predecessor of Reliant Energy installed a 3500 KW generator that was expected to furnish all electricity in Houston for "the foreseeable future." They had to get another one within the year.<< For some in a morning meeting long term planning is whats for lunch.
Sneakers55 Champion Author Houston Posts:51,273 Points:2,141,225 Joined:Nov 2005	Message Posted: Feb 23, 2009 3:53:45 PM Ignore Sneakers55 Report Abuse scoop49 wrote: >Europe has an advantage over us! Their infrstructure is less than >60 years old. Most of it was bombed into small pieces during WWII. >Our is from way back when... and nothing ever gets updated just >patched. Ours is probably less than 100 years old. In 1900, the predecessor of Reliant Energy installed a 3500 KW generator that was expected to furnish all electricity in Houston for "the foreseeable future." They had to get another one within the year. >Just read an article that stated it was not feasable to go to green >power, hello, well it came from the electric power companies that >would like to stay in the fossile fuel business. Texas passed a law that said you have to have 1% green power (read "wind") in the fuel mix for all competitive power providers. Seems the power producers like wind power so much that they are up to 3% and growing rapidly. >It is a rat race and we are the ones that have to pay for it, >the companies make higher profits and unless you hold a lot of >stocks in such industries you are, gently put the dummy. Finally, somebody other than me who says THE ELECTRIC COMPANY IS NOT YOUR FRIEND to people who think everything will be wonderful just as soon as we go electric and get rid of Big Oil. >I'm one of those, because I am not greedy enough and would like >to see green power to prevail. They're doing a lot of research. And one thing: "Put all the wind farms in Texas" won't work. There are three regional electric grids between the 48 states: Eastern US, Western US, and Texas. They only connect to each other through AC to DC to AC conversion.
theTower Champion Author Indiana Posts:13,249 Points:478,160 Joined:Jun 2007	Message Posted: Feb 21, 2009 9:49:56 PM Ignore theTower Report Abuse The South Shore Line. Runs between South Bend and Chicago.
Sneakers55 Champion Author Houston Posts:51,273 Points:2,141,225 Joined:Nov 2005	Message Posted: Feb 21, 2009 3:40:59 AM Ignore Sneakers55 Report Abuse Houston has METRORail running from downtown to the Astrodome complex. Dallas has DART. When I was in Dallas last year staying away from Ike (good place to be, the people who stayed against the evacuation orders got several days without electricity) I thought about riding the DART light rail on one big loop around the city. [Edited by: Sneakers55 at 2/21/2009 3:43:14 AM EST]
kwilson3 Champion Author Alabama Posts:1,320 Points:116,920 Joined:Nov 2008	Message Posted: Jan 10, 2009 10:30:07 PM Ignore kwilson3 Report Abuse Not applicable in my area.
scoop49 Sophomore Author Alabama Posts:101 Points:20,400 Joined:Aug 2008	Message Posted: Jan 6, 2009 1:46:09 PM Ignore scoop49 Report Abuse Europe has an advantage over us! Their infrstructure is less than 60 years old. Our is from way back when... and nothing ever gets updated just patched. Just read an article that stated it was not feasable to go to green power, hello, well it came from the electric power companies that would like to stay in the fossile fuel business. It is a rat race and we are the ones that have to pay for it, the companies make higher profits and unless you hold a lot of stocks in such industries you are, gently put the dummy. I'm one of those, because I am not greedy enough and would like to see green power to prevail.
E-Squirrel Champion Author Orange County Posts:3,012 Points:819,060 Joined:Feb 2005	Message Posted: Jan 4, 2009 6:40:22 PM Ignore E-Squirrel Report Abuse A number of cities have buses, trolleys or trains that are run on municipal electric systems. The cost per mile of providing this infrastructure is high enough to keep it out of anywhere but cities here. [Edited by: E-Squirrel at 1/4/2009 6:40:43 PM EST]
bluenvoy Champion Author Nashville Posts:14,954 Points:1,873,965 Joined:Oct 2005	Message Posted: Dec 30, 2008 11:19:03 AM Ignore bluenvoy Report Abuse The problem with electricity is that the same politicians that have stopped us from drilling and building oil refineries have also stopped us from building nuclear power plants too. Our electric grid can't support it today.
Harvolis Champion Author Montana Posts:8,454 Points:2,537,560 Joined:Aug 2005	Message Posted: Dec 29, 2008 3:15:07 PM Ignore Harvolis Report Abuse not a chance
Sneakers55 Champion Author Houston Posts:51,273 Points:2,141,225 Joined:Nov 2005	Message Posted: Dec 28, 2008 11:16:54 AM Ignore Sneakers55 Report Abuse bluenvoy wrote: >What makes you think there is enough electricity? The same jerks that stop >drilling and building oil refineries also have stopped any meaningful >growth in electricity production. Mean Mr. Market Reality is probably the name of the jerk you're referring to. On second thought, you're in Tennessee... go look at how many half-completed plants TVA has. When electricity got halfway expensive (don't even ask about Texas where electricity is fully expensive), the big users started conserving. All projections of consistent modest growth were blown to heck. In the areas of the country where you have fully regulated vertically integrated electric utilities, at least one state agency has bought in to what type of generation fleet you have and at what rates you may charge.
bluenvoy Champion Author Nashville Posts:14,954 Points:1,873,965 Joined:Oct 2005	Message Posted: Dec 16, 2008 10:35:09 AM Ignore bluenvoy Report Abuse What makes you think there is enough electricity? The same jerks that stop drilling and building oil refineries also have stopped any meaningful growth in electricity production. South Carolina has some nuclear but much more is needed, now!
GoinBeck Champion Author South Carolina Posts:1,625 Points:294,275 Joined:Sep 2008	Message Posted: Dec 16, 2008 6:37:20 AM Ignore GoinBeck Report Abuse I'm not saying nuclear energy is dirty, I'm just saying that the method of production can be dirty, but not a requirement.
ZZZoop Champion Author Virginia Posts:16,367 Points:3,124,385 Joined:May 2004	Message Posted: Dec 13, 2008 2:13:57 PM Ignore ZZZoop Report Abuse Years ago when I lived in Seattle, some of the city buses were electric. Not sure if they still are today.
catfish99 Champion Author Wilmington Posts:13,957 Points:2,494,575 Joined:Sep 2005	Message Posted: Dec 13, 2008 4:44:55 AM Ignore catfish99 Report Abuse Don't know why you would think modern nuclear is not environmentally friendly-it is the cleanest electrical resource currently available for mass production.
CaptSquid Champion Author Billings Posts:25,648 Points:3,177,065 Joined:Apr 2004	Message Posted: Dec 12, 2008 1:05:37 PM Ignore CaptSquid Report Abuse Yes. SEPTA, MTA, BART, The Red Line.