So again, ssiguy, could you please explain to me why Monorail is better than subway, LRT, or ICTS? An actual list of strengths would be very welcome.
Monorail has no advantage over subways when tunneled but unlike underground ICTS and LRT Monorails have subway capacity as almost all Monorail cars are, like subway cars, 3 metres wide as opposed to thinner LRT and SkyTrain cars including the MK11.
When outside whether down street medians, hydro corridors, or rail ROW is where the benefits really shine.
Monorails have rubber tires running on concrete which creates a very smooth, quiet ride that also has 6% grade climbing ability. That is higher than any other mass transit system. Due to using one {hence MONOrail} rail they take have a smaller footprint. Remember Monorails wrap around the track which means the track is thinner than the trains. Monorail cars are also lighter than subway cars so they have the same capacity but require much thinner pylons to support the trains. Monorail tracks therefore are less intrusive, block out less sun and take up only ONE lane for the pylons where subway structures usually require 2 car widths.
This not only makes them easier and much faster to build but requires less building material. That not only saves labour and material costs but also construction time so there is far less disruption times while being constructed.
Finally, one of the biggest time savers and a huge money saver that none of the other systems offer is that most of the work is done off site. Everything about the rail system itself is built elsewhere and all that really happens at the construction site is putting pylons in the ground and just adding the connecting prefabricated rails. This means that construction can continue non-stop and due to having all work contracted to different competing bids the price can be lower and , very importantly, have no "unexpected" expenses. Monorails, in many ways, are more built on an assembly line system.
Think of it this way..............have you ever heard of Modular homes. They, unlike mobile homes, are REAL homes in all senses of the word. They can have basements, be 2 or 3 stories tall, and can be put anywhere like Rosedale or the Bridle Path. I'm sure you have seen many but didn't know they were Modular. Modular homes are NOT allowed in mobile home parks because they are standard houses. The reason they are becoming more popular is that they are cheaper as they are built off site in a factory on a assembly line like basis. When the whole house is completed they just move it to the site and place it on top of the foundation/basement. Construction times, labour costs, and ease of construction are the benefits and this is essentially how Monorail systems are made.
You, of course, have to build the stations but the can be smaller stations like subway unlike longer stations required by ICTS or LRT because Monorails have the same pphpd capacity as subways unlike the other 2 systems which have thinner cars.
LRT/SUB/ICTS?Mono are all electric and non-polluting.
Monorails, due to total elevation and the cars wrapping around the track cannot become dislodged so they are proven to be the safest mass transit system ever developed.........................even Monorail's biggest critics admit that. Wrapping around the track and having the propulsion system area covered means that have no problem with any form of weather including snow and sleet which ICTS does have a problem with.
Some say Monorails have concerns because if there was a fire one could walk off the train to safety unlike a twin track system. That is true. Most systems have one special vehicle set aside that could pull the train to the next station in an emergency. Japanese Monorails have this but despite all their system and the Tokyo system running since 1964, they have never had to use it. There has never been even one small incident or even stall between stations. The Monorails are so safe that despite the fact that Japan seem to have an earthquakes every year they have never effected Monorail service and as such is one of the reasons they continue to build new systems.
A short coming which you hear a lot about is "switching" problems. It is very true that Monorail is the only one of the 4 major systems that cannot continue to switch while still travelling. The train has to come to a complete stop but the switching process still only takes between 20 to 40 seconds.
The real concern that many transit systems have the largest problem with when talking Monorails is that they are proprietary. This, like ICTS, is a valid concern. Although there are many systems throughout the world they are not compatible. As construction of large systems continues it may require the large builders like Scomi, Hitachi, and Bombardier to negotiate more vigorously but the reality is that you will still have to buy from the builder. The soon to be held Monorailex conference will be addressing exactly that as they know it is the primary reason holding back many other cities from jumping on the Monorail bandwagon. I don't know how they will do it but the good thing is that all the large manufacturers have a vested interest in creating some form of commonality when replacing vehicles.
Monorails have subway capacity but at a fraction of the price and can be built much faster with a far smaller footprint. It is a technology that Toronto should {but won't} embrace.
I hope all of this helps. I would like to know what you think.
