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by vmarsy 1983 days ago
> Even with dedicated lanes (which is costly and unpopular) they still need to go around obstacles like buildings, follow the roads, yield to pedestrians, pull into stops, etc. Speed limits need to be obeyed as well.

In this case, Buses can drive in the underground tunnels that were built for this subway, can't they? Seattle did it for many years until they replaced it with trains: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=etT_wVuKy_I

In that case, the only thing slowing down the bus is speed limits, which are probably a bit lower than a train, since train would be safe on rails, but still I wonder why they didn't use that given that the tunnels are here and in good condition
1 comments
munk-a 1983 days ago
I'm a bit confused what benefits buses have at that point - you would need to dig a dedicated subway tunnel (and maybe spend additional to widen the tunnel so that buses can navigate it more easily) so you're out all the construction costs - you're just using a vehicle that has the ability (which you've now restricted) to more freely change routes... one that probably suffers higher maintenance costs over subway cars... and one that might be more difficult to electrify.

I think running buses in subway tunnels is just someone's creative idea to attempt to sabotage having reliable mass transit so that ridership doesn't get too high and they can argue that the whole program should be cut a few years down the line.

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vmarsy 1983 days ago
> you would need to dig a dedicated subway tunnel

The tunnels and their exits next to interstate highway already exist per the article, so at this point the construction costs are assumed to be negligible (compared to a "$2.6 billion and take thirty years to build" system quoted in [1])

it would be used exactly like it was in Seattle: as a shortcut through the city for some routes. The bus retains all its advantages outside the tunnel, it's basically an underground dedicated bus lane.

If really popular then it can get upgraded to a real train, like it was done in Seattle.

[1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cincinnati_Subway

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