[All] Fwd: Smart ultra-cost-effective LRT System

[Robert Milligan]

To All,

Some of you may find this brief exchange useful. Please note also an  
article oversight & error in this below paragraph -- just above the  
heading, "EXPERIMENTAL INTENSIFICATION CORRIDOR ON KW'S KING ST",  
which had left out the word MTO and used the word north instead of  
south --  it should now should read: "Also, the Region could acquire  
very inexpensive MTO land south of Sportsworld Dr. between the CP  
tracks and Hwy 8 for a centrally-located LRT maintenance facility." I  
may send out a more perfect version tomorrow including corrections of   
minor punctuation errors.

Best wishes,
Robert


Begin forwarded message:

> From: Robert Milligan <mill at continuum.org>
> Date: June 15, 2011 3:48:31 PM GMT-04:00
> To:
> Subject: Re: [All] Smart ultra-cost-effective LRT System
>
> Thanks for your comments *****. Although these possibilities to  
> participate, "helping to refine and improve things" & "will be  
> opportunity for specific ideas and insight", will never happen with  
> Button and Schmidt at the helm -- except possibly in the usual  
> pretense sense. They will take their proposed routing and run  
> roughshod over roads and rail right-of-way while pouring taxpayer's  
> money unnecessarily down the drain. And if any of my IDEAS seem too  
> advanced to staff, then they need some new staff. I know nobody  
> there is expert on propulsion systems and UW  engineering profs are  
> very biased against "competing" energy technologies even within a  
> particular energy area.
>
> I think that the whole project will be a good lessen on how to  
> tarnish our Region's successful innovative reputation. And this will  
> be Ken's legacy.
>
> Regards,
> Robert
>
>
> On 15-Jun-11, at 12:27 PM, ****** ********* wrote:
>
>> Thanks Robert!
>>
>> Some good ideas here though I know some are just too advanced for  
>> our leadership.  I hope that LRT is approved tonight and we will be  
>> able to spend the next 7 months of EA helping to refine and improve  
>> things.  We need the overall approval first, then there will be  
>> opportunity for specific ideas and insight.
>>
>> Cheers,
>> ********.
>>
>> ----------------------------
>>
>> On 2011-06-15, at 8:46 AM, Robert Milligan wrote:
>>
>>> To All, (ideally not for Blackberry viewing)
>>>
>>> This has just been completed. Sorry but my long duration  
>>> respiratory virus and fatigue that lingered delayed the creation  
>>> of this article. My wife Lovisa likes it and I am satisfied --  
>>> maybe you will find it of interest.
>>>
>>> Best wishes,
>>> Robert M
>>>
>>> PS: pdf version at end
>>>
>>>
>>> Smart ultra-cost-effective LRT System: A necessity to help develop  
>>> a  more Sustainably Innovative Culture in our Region and beyond
>>>
>>>
>>> "An exciting, fast, safe, comfortable, hi-capacity, even  
>>> educational, ...  LRT train that uses in an upgradeable manner  
>>> proven sustainably innovative IDEAS -- smart technology, hybrid  
>>> propulsion systems, solar cells, ... -- to realize both an "order- 
>>> of-magnitude" lower LRT system costs (very approx. $491M in KW &  
>>> $217M in C) and dramatically increase transit system performance.  
>>> Not only will this "disruptive" approach model a robust  
>>> sustainable innovation to the World, it will earn the vote of most  
>>> citizens."
>>>
>>>
>>> Only a light rail transit (LRT) system has the potential to  
>>> utilize proven sustainably innovative IDEAS to make a very  
>>> significant improvement in cost-effectiveness.
>>>
>>> Yes, I support many features of the Region's current plan  
>>> including much of the track routing and station locations, an  
>>> electric LRT vehicle, strong emphasis on intensification, etc. But  
>>> like 95% of the candidates in last fall's municipal elections --  
>>> and many others -- I do not support the current LRT plan.
>>>
>>> In 3000+ hours of effort on this rapid transit project -- applying  
>>> a strong background in business systems analysis, science,  
>>> technology, etc. -- I have tried to balance all community and  
>>> organizational interests. I have done this by objectively  
>>> listening to their major preferences and concerns, then  
>>> researching practicality and validity.
>>>
>>> These activities were the basis for creatively innovating in track  
>>> and vehicle design by incorporating proven innovative technologies  
>>> towards a minimally altered LRT plan. It would be dramatically  
>>> less expensive yet achieve all of the benefits desired by  
>>> community & Region -- and then some.
>>>
>>> Perhaps a sufficient number of the IDEAS presented here would  
>>> merit your support as a good start towards an improved LRT plan  
>>> that would give taxpayers a significant return on capital  
>>> investment -- and greatly reduce operating cost subsidies.
>>>
>>> If so, then I hope that you will support/advocate for a motion on  
>>> June 15th (and reconsideration after that) in which Councillors  
>>> ask the Provincial and Federal governments for six months for us  
>>> to collaboratively enhance the LRT plan using a Broad-Spectrum  
>>> Innovation Team composed of not only innovation-supporting staff  
>>> and consultants but also proven citizen LRT innovators (from here  
>>> or elsewhere).
>>>
>>> To help inspire you in this direction, let me ask you, "suppose we  
>>> could creatively use proven sustainably innovative IDEAS to  
>>> enhance the current light rail transit plan so that it became much  
>>> more: affordable, road-sparing, disruption-minimizing, technology- 
>>> leading, time-saving (faster, more direct, just-in-time  
>>> tech, ...), safety-ensuring, capacity-expansive, comfortable,  ...  
>>> -- and even a means of sustainable innovation (SI) education by  
>>> example and by on-board interactive e-media?" Let me elaborate.
>>>
>>> With this SI-type LRT (Sustainable Innovation Express?) as the  
>>> backbone of our bus-integrated transit system, we would be  
>>> modeling a robust sustainable innovation to the World and  
>>> generally point the way towards a more Sustainably Innovative  
>>> Culture.
>>>
>>> Now I will explore how a slightly altered LRT plan could, by  
>>> performance and as a role model, significantly contribute to  
>>> expanding our Region's (and more) innovative potential. I refer to  
>>> this as the Smart ultra-cost-effective LRT System Plan which is  
>>> designed to greatly exceed all current expectations for ridership,  
>>> intensification, etc.
>>>
>>> But before I do: Thirty eight per cent LRT support is likely  
>>> closer to reality. This means that we have a decision dilemma with  
>>> a majority against all 3 options, Only an LRT system has the  
>>> potential to include sufficient sustainable innovative ideas so as  
>>> to create the Smart ultra-cost-effective LRT System necessary to  
>>> earn majority voter support -- and World recognition in the  
>>> process. This could be the basis for requesting both levels of  
>>> government for more time to collaboratively innovate such an  
>>> enhanced plan.
>>>
>>>

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