Why not monorail for high-speed system? (May 29)
By Chuck Doud
The Madera Tribune
Despite its supporters’ optimism, it would seem the high-speed rail for California is farther away from reality than originally thought. The $10 billion voters approved to build the first phase probably will be spent before the first train ever rolls. The private money being counted on to bring the project to fruition is unlikely to materialize for many years, which is a shame.
There is a way to save the program, though, and bring it in on time. That is to build a monorail instead of a surface rail system.
A monorail, which rides suspended from towers above traffic would be cheaper to build and cheaper to operate.
It could be built on existing rights-of-way, namely those along freeways, including State Route 99 and Interstate 5. That would save the enormous problem of acquiring right-of-way from the railroads, which are privately owned and don’t want to share their track-ways with passenger trains. Whether straddle-beam or suspended variety, a single monorail beamway can accommodate cars whizzing both ways without expanding its footprint on the ground.
Monorail stations could be built as parking garages alongside freeways, with the top floors being the terminals into which the monorail cars would rapidly glide.
Being suspended travelways, monorails don’t interfere with surface traffic, negating the need for bridges and tunnels.
Monorails are popular, quiet and profitable. Being above the road grade, they offer great views to passengers, who enjoy zipping along on them. They ride mostly on rubber tires, and thus are quiet, both in the rail cars and outside. They are energy efficient, and being electric are low polluters. They are safe.
Monorails are easier on taxpayers. Private money moves into monorails because they tend to operate profitably.
They are easy on the eye, and can be built quickly. Many operate successfully throughout the world.
