[All] Article: "Light rail system will help the region avoid potential problems"

[Robert Milligan]

Well done Michael re: http://news.therecord.com/article/764421 .   
towards helping to justify an LRT. But unfortunately you overlooked  
the fact that the current LRT design is grossly inadequate. To be more  
truthful, the story should have been written differently with the  
headline, "At very, very great cost light rail system might help the  
region avoid a few potential problems but not help with other very  
serious problems".

And I must commend also the very well-intentioned group that you are  
involved with, TriTAG (Tri-city Transportation Action Group, http://www.tritag.ca/) 
, for its continuing efforts to "sell" LRT to the community. But -- to  
elaborate on my above concerns -- I am disappointed that TriTAG  
doesn't seem to realize (insufficient technological knowledge and  
related avoidance of searching for enhancing technologies?) that the  
current LRT system design at least unnecessarily costs too much and  
greatly underperform. Especially it would not sufficiently attract the  
middle class from their cars so as to help minimize the rapidly  
developing road congestion.

So now we have to help make the LRT system design much more cost- 
effective --  which would at least require the inclusion of Cambridge.  
If done well, we would bring most of the many doubters -- and those  
concerned with Cambridge's unfair and LRT system-impairing exclusion  
-- on-board and likely create a World exemplar!

I only wish that TriTAG had the insight & innovative courage to behind- 
the-scenes participate in this very necessary creative process --  
which your President Tim Molling disparages as just "nit-picking" (in  
irrational fear of loss of LRT project momentum as happened in Ottawa?).

My investigative analysis -- and development of potential innovative  
enhancements -- indicates that to proceed with the current LRT system  
design would lead to an unnecessarily very costly, mediocre and  
negatively disruptive result!  Openness to mostly proven rail  
technologies -- including taking advantage of now available Ultra- 
Batteries -- could help achieve a more acceptable yet timely design.  
(Ultra-Batteries: an ultra-capacitor/battery combination that uses  
carbon and the cheaper and safer [re. fires, electric shock, etc.]  
metal, lead; see http://www.furukawadenchi.co.jp/english/rd/ 
nt_ultra.htm & http://www.csiro.au/science/Ultra-Battery.html)

I hope to have the latest version of my long-evolving LRT Report  
available soon to explain more specifically what I am now suggesting.

Note: the developing potential of energy storage technologies is  
illustrated by the research  of University of Waterloo Professor Linda  
Nazar whose battery research focuses on lithium-based batteries such  
as lithium-ion and her new lithium-sulphur battery, viz. http://www.gizmag.com/next-generation-battey-lithium-sulphur/11926/ 
  & http://enterpriseresilienceblog.typepad.com/enterprise_resilience_man/2010/06/the-future-of-lithium.html

Robert

Robert Milligan is a member of Transport Action Ontario (formerly  
Transport 2000). He has a BSc in math-physics. a Graduate Diploma in  
Education and has completed many other courses including ones in  
industrial engineering, operations research and environmental health.  
He was a high school teacher, business systems analyst and  
environmental health analyst. Much of his time in retirement is now  
given freely to public projects, especially those with significant  
environmental and health features.




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