I'm a little late on this, but it was announced that the Trolley that starts at nowhere and goes nowhere you want to be will be free this summer. Well, free for YOU. The local Chamber of Commerce and others are sponsoring the free rides in order to get people interested in the area. Good for them.
However... When will people realize that the lack of popularity of the trolleys... err "streetcars" isn't because people haven't taken the time to discover them? El Pasoans know they are there. They just don't see any reason to use them. Almost 99 percent of the city would have to drive over to the route, park and then get on the "streetcar" to go to a place they could have just driven to in the first place. They serve no function for almost the entire population.
The problem you have now is what to do with the investment you've already made. Do you keep sinking money into expansion hoping that at some point you'll get the right routes people will actually use? Or do you just pull the plug now, rip up the tracks and put the cars on display in various parts of town as a history lesson?
And please don't just bitch about the council members who voted for the project. They are all doing just fine having either won reelection or floated off to bigger and better things. You had your chance to punish them and you let it go.
Exactly. If you live in Kern you can walk to Stanton Street and catch the trolley or go across Mesa to Glory Road and catch it there. I see no reason other than curiosity to drive somewhere to ride the trolley. One and done.
Such a total waste of taxpayer dollars. The State of Texas wasted the $90M on this and now the city (with federal subsidy) is wasting taxpayer dollars on maintenance and operations.
Posted by: Who Cares | June 20, 2019 at 10:47 AM
Me just thinking - which gets me into trouble - seems like it would have made more sense to run the trolley from DT to UMC (later expansion to lower valley).
Love,
Max
Posted by: Max Powers | June 20, 2019 at 12:01 PM
Max, UMC ? as in anchor baby station ? Your reason ?
Posted by: question | June 20, 2019 at 03:41 PM
Q,
I’m looking at from...if you’re gonna spend the money, but need to put butts in the seats and if possible encourage development along the way...
Love,
Max
Posted by: Max Powers | June 20, 2019 at 04:30 PM
Max,
The route justification was that the residents in Juarez who attend UTEP would support the Trolley ridership.
As usual there was no actual verification of that support.
Posted by: Mary | June 20, 2019 at 05:41 PM
The trolley is not a reasonable transportation choice. It might, however, have a powerful novelty application that everyone has ignored. I suggest that the trolley run only after sundown and offer potent libations at downtown prices and provide a safe zone for El Paso drug dealers to ply their trade. Cocaine and whiskey have always been a real catalyst for the party crowd. Shit. Charge fifty bucks to get on the trolley. It will be standing room only. Problem solved. You’re welcome.
Posted by: Tom Busch | June 20, 2019 at 06:12 PM
I agree with Max. Should have run the trolley down Texas street towards UMC. On the other hand, Tom Busch’s suggestion sounds great. Cortney Niland had suggested that the trolley be rented for ‘keg parties’.
Brio was supposedly created to take visitors, students, shoppers, workers from Mexico to UTEP and the Westside. I still see lots of empty BRIO buses going up Mesa with a Sun Metro bus right ahead of them or behind them.
Posted by: Who Cares | June 21, 2019 at 07:37 AM
The trolley should not run to UMC. There are buses that do that route. The trolley was supposed to be a tourist thing and a tourist thing does not ferry people back and forth to the county hospital.
The best idea is from Tom Busch. Serve booze.
One more comment: I've ridden trolleys in many cities and never have a ridden a trolley that goes so slow. You can walk faster than El Paso's trolley runs.
Posted by: Old Trolley fan | June 21, 2019 at 04:23 PM
For a transit system to be viable it has to connect people - lots of people- with their work and/or shopping/tourism venues. Like in NYC or Chicago. In the early 70s, I used to ride the El from Evanston to the Loop when I lived in Chicago after college. It worked OK when the motormen were sober.
Who goes DTEP?
We shouldn't worry. Cortney Niland promised us that trolleys have a 10:1 return, though she didn't say on what.
Posted by: JerryK | June 23, 2019 at 11:56 AM
The trolley is a fool's errand! It's horribly expensive to design, construct and maintain; and nobody uses it. Furthermore; it doesn't travel anywhere that is useful.
Posted by: Common man | June 24, 2019 at 05:12 PM