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Electric Cars NOT Light Rail/Trolley

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Started 3 years ago by Doug Z
Latest reply from Rockmastermike

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Doug Z

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Mayor Coleman has requested $334 million in seed money from the federal government for a light rail line running between downtown Columbus and the Delaware County line mostly along High Street. Who knows how much the project will cost if it comes to fruition---probably several billion dollars?

I think that money would be better spent to invest in wind and solar technologies and electric cars. What American carmakers really need is for the federal government to order 200,000 electric cars for the government fleet. Give the CEOs of G.M. and Ford one year to get electric cars rolling out of assembly plants or fire them.

Denmark and Israel and other countries are converting to electric cars powered by wind and solar. Think zero hydrocarbon emmissions and millions of good jobs developing infrastructure and new electric cars to make it happen.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/03/27/business/EU-FIN-Denmark-Electric-Cars.php

How often do you travel up and down High Street? A bus seems to currently run down High St. every 5 minutes. Columbus already has a great road/highway system compared to other cities.

What do you think?

Posted 3 years ago #
Ndcent
OTE
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I agree that a "light rail" isn't a high priority at all.

Posted 3 years ago #
Mercurius
First Avenue
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Doug Z wrote >>
Mayor Coleman has requested $334 million in seed money from the federal government for a light rail line running between downtown Columbus and the Delaware County line mostly along High Street. Who knows how much the project will cost if it comes to fruition---probably several billion dollars?
I think that money would be better spent to invest in wind and solar technologies and electric cars. What American carmakers really need is for the federal government to order 200,000 electric cars for the government fleet. Give the CEOs of G.M. and Ford one year to get electric cars rolling out of assembly plants or fire them.
Denmark and Israel and other countries are converting to electric cars powered by wind and solar. Think zero hydrocarbon emmissions and millions of good jobs developing infrastructure and new electric cars to make it happen.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/03/27/business/EU-FIN-Denmark-Electric-Cars.php
How often do you travel up and down High Street? A bus seems to currently run down High St. every 5 minutes. Columbus already has a great road/highway system compared to other cities.
What do you think?

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Posted 3 years ago #
Daz
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A. Where do you get "Several billion" from?

B. So you're saying that the government should order 200,000 electric cars for its government fleet? Ok, how does that change anything locally? How does that affect Columbus at ALL? Oh, because the car manufacturers will still thrive? That seems like an awfully stagnant and short sighted plan, as next year we come across the same problem, because 200k cars is nothing (Ford alone sells over 2 million vehicles a year).

C. "Give the CEOs of G.M. and Ford one year to get electric cars rolling out of assembly plants or fire them."

That requires full on nationalization of the car companies. Something we're all trying to avoid, I thought.

D. Ndcent - What should the priority be? Remember, we're trying to spend money on things that help stimulate the economy. Light Rail is out there because it has been proven time and time again to do just that. I'm a bit of an admitted circle jerker for public transportation, so I can see me being blind to other avenues. So, in all seriousness, if the government is saying "HEY, WE WANT TO STIMULATE YOUR LOCAL ECONOMY, COME GIVE US AN IDEA AND WE'LL FUND IT," what should we ask for?

Posted 3 years ago #
Coremodels
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So your proposal is for the Federal Government to buy something from the Big 3 auto makers that they don't actually make?

A true stroke of genius.

Have you met Enzo?

Posted 3 years ago #
Doug Z

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The technology for electric cars and wind and solar already exists. Battery technology has recently made improvements in leaps and bounds.

The beauty of electric cars is that plugging them in at night is a way to store energy harnessed by wind when electric consumption goes way down.

Upgrading the electric grid, installing solar panels and wind turbines and manufacturing new electric cars would millions of high paying green jobs. Wages are the source of Demand so this is highly stimulatory.

The military could pull up stakes at bases in many places around the world (especially Middle East) by not having to protect the oil under their sand.

Even gloomy Germany has gone solar. Banks there must give low interest loans to homeowners to install solar panels. The cost of the solar panels practically gets paid off by the energy homeowners capture from the sun:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/04/AR2007050402466.html

Posted 3 years ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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Doug Z wrote >>
I think that money would be better spent to invest in wind and solar technologies and electric cars.

When did this ever become about picking and choosing which basket to put all of our eggs in? Why can't Central Ohio invest in rail transit while auto manufacturers work on developing electric car technology?

Options. Options. Options.

Posted 3 years ago #
Coremodels
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And while all that is fascinating, it has absolutely nothing to do with light rail.

Detroit isn't tooled to make electric cars, so again, you're suggesting the government buy something they don't sell. Franklin County is spending 20 million or so on solar panels already, so again...nothing new.

You're proposing we re-invent the wheel during the most severe economic downturn in a century.

I'll have to pass.

Posted 3 years ago #
lifeontwowheels
Highland West
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So who will be able to afford the electric cars? These will be brand new vehicles unobtainable by low wage earners for at leas 5-10 years, if not longer. How will people charge them who live in apartments? If you're parking off street the only thing would be to run a cord to your window.

Creating a mass transit system, enhancing the one we have, is a worthwhile investment. The eggs in one basket approach over the last few decades has only created more issues. Doug, since you seem so much against this spending, how do you feel about the 1.6 billion being spent on the split? Funny that everyone who rallies against mass transit spending is very quiet on auto infrastructure.

Posted 3 years ago #
Coremodels
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Personally, I think the Federal Government should place an order for Detroit to build 200,000 of these instead of building rail:

Posted 3 years ago #
catnfiddle
Giant Corncob District
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Electric cars AND light rail / trolley makes more sense. It's a hatred of finding a parking space thing in my case.

Posted 3 years ago #
Doug Z

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The U.S. is drowning in debt and budget deficits at all levels---fed, state, city, corporate, consumer.

IMO, governmental investments are a zero sum game.

Investments in trolleys will take away from future investments in wind, solar, electrical grid upgrades, etc.

Posted 3 years ago #
Coremodels
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so wait...governmental investments are a zero sum game, but you want them to invest in the things you think are good? I'm not sure I'm following you here.

Light rail creates development. Development creates tax revenues. Tax revenues further fund additional projects. If you can show me how investments in solar or wind will generate economic development, I'll be happy to listen...but so far you really haven't.

Posted 3 years ago #
Doug Z

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"Doug, since you seem so much against this spending, how do you feel about the 1.6 billion being spent on the split? Funny that everyone who rallies against mass transit spending is very quiet on auto infrastructure."

I would prefer that Columbus had mass transit similar to D.C., NYC or big European cities.

But, Columbus chose to highways and sprawl decades ago. And IMO, we can't get the toothpaste back in the tube.

Posted 3 years ago #
Coremodels
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Can you provide some evidence of your whole toothpaste/tube theory? I can point to dozens of cities who've developed or re-developed rail transit in the last 20 years with great success.

Posted 3 years ago #
Doug Z

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"Can you provide some evidence of your whole toothpaste/tube theory? I can point to dozens of cities who've developed or re-developed rail transit in the last 20 years with great success."

Are those cities cars and trucks emitting zero hydrocarbons? Electric cars have that potential.

Posted 3 years ago #
Coremodels
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...yes, they do have that potential. If they were built in any kind of mass production and if they were done so in a way that it was affordable to anyone.

They aren't.

BTW, 2 of the Big 3 are expecting to have a single electric car in showrooms in 2011 (one is a Cadillac, btw). Unless you're suggesting everyone start buying Teslas, I'm afraid what you're describing is a pipe dream.

Posted 3 years ago #
lifeontwowheels
Highland West
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I can show you a city, ours, who is re-embracing mass transit. COTA's numbers are still up, despite gas dropping. Express pass sales-the folks who would benefit most from an efficient light rail system-are up 44% at the last count.

Again, who can afford these cars? How do they work if you have to park 3 blocks down the street? Or when you go to the office?

Having a wide range of options only makes a city stronger over the long term.

Posted 3 years ago #
michaelcoyote
!seabus
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I concur with walker.. there is no need to choose...

To be sure I'd like to see light rail within the next few years. It's worth having..

Posted 3 years ago #
Roland
Clintonville
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double

Posted 3 years ago #