Talk:Baltimore Light Rail

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[edit] Boarding Payment

I updated the reference to paying to get between modes. In Baltimore all modes of local transit on the MTA require a payment per boarding (unless you buy a pass), even when the lines a passenger uses connect.

http://www.mtamaryland.com/fares/currentfares/ --D carth kelly 08:24, 21 February 2007 (UTC)

• I reverted your change D Carth kelly - The complaint is about the fact that tranfers between LR and subway are not free. As you point out, all intermodal changes are the same way; regardless, it remains a criticism slightly more irksome than a bus to rail transfer. If you get on the light rail in Boston, transfers to the subway are free. In fact, in every other system I'm aware of, transfers between one type of local rail and another are free. Result: I changed it back to say that fare must be paid twice, but added that this is true of all MTA intermodal transfers.--Loodog 22:58, 21 February 2007 (UTC)

Loodog, I understand this seems weird if you don't live in the area, but this is by right a criticism that should be levelled at the Maryland MTA as a whole. It's not just intermodal transfers: you don't get a free transfer even when you transfer from one bus to another. In fact, the light rail is the only MTA service where one fare gets you a ride on more than one vehicle: you can transfer from one light rail line to another without paying for a new ticket. --Jfruh (talk) 01:28, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

When I first read the criticism, there was a few points that I considered before I revised the wording:
-The light rail system serves the local area, just as the other modes within the system do.
-Because the system is local, is the means of charging fare when transferring between the light and heavy rail systems substantially different than transfers between other modes used in the system (bus to [local or commuter] rail, bus to bus, Mobility service to any other mode)?
-The article is not a discussion of differences between light rail systems run by other government or private groups.
-Using totally different equipment, not connecting, use of different means to proceed through certain intersections on the system (the light rail operator sometimes has to reach out of the control cab to press a platform-mounted button, like a pedestrian would, to gain right-of-way) and having separate maintenance facilities for the rail modes, all contribute to the reality that the light and heavy rail systems are separate "bus" lines, so to speak.

Given the separations that exist between the rail systems, I don't think that a free transfer was expected by anyone locally. (Otherwise, public protests would have forced the issue.) The original criticism of the transfer would fit, but not in an informational article about Baltimore's light rail system. --71.179.34.52 07:32, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Rolling stock

Each car is shown to have three trucks, only articulated passenger cars or trams have three or more trucks. Rigid North American passenger cars are 85 ft or 86 ft long and 10 ft 6 in wide. Freight cars are 10 ft 8 in wide. See Loading gauge for dimensional data. A rigid 95 foot long car would be "fun and games" on tight curves. Peter Horn 17:38, 8 June 2007 (UTC)

Yes, it's true, the cars are articulated. Thanks for adding that point to the article. --Jfruh (talk) 18:57, 8 June 2007 (UTC)

_{Subscript text}

[edit] Fares

Attempted to add complete fare structure to section entitled "Fares and transfers." Immediate revert and reference to Wikipedia is not a travel guide. Re-reverted and explained to find immediately re-re-reverted with demand for explanation.

Explanation: adding fares to the "Fares" section feels a little bit like common sense, not like writing a travel guide. We're not talking about adding information about the amenities available at each stop, nor on the scenery along way; we're talking about adding basic encyclopaedic data.

Globaledits (talk) 00:47, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Editor, please start new topics at the bottom of the page.

The level of detail offered is above and beyond what is needed to describe the light rail system. Such information is more suitable to wikitravel, since it's simply nonnotable detail existing solely to be of use to a traveler. Such information is also available at the MTA's website, which has been linked to.--Loodog (talk) 01:07, 29 May 2008 (UTC)