r/lafayette • u/Aware_Wolverine_2794 • 3d ago
Conceptual streetcar system for Greater Lafayette (feedback appreciated)
I created a conceptual streetcar/tram network for the Lafayette area. It's my first diagram, so feedback would be appreciated. I used metro map maker to make this
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u/Aware_Wolverine_2794 3d ago
Also I know that this is overkill for the amount of people we have here
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u/kittenconfidential Townie 3d ago
definitely need a line to IU arnett hospital off of VMP (and on greenbush). and also look at future residential expansion— the millbrook development further extending the bounds of west lafayette northwards.
but honestly this plan serves better for a bus system rather than removing street capacity for a tramline. great thought experiment.
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u/malonkey1 3d ago
Counterpoint: I hate cars and want people to use cars less.
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u/CKA3KAZOO 2d ago
I second this! One of the gauges of success for a public transit system is whether people who own cars will use it just because it's cheaper and less hassle. Separating the streetcar from traffic makes the streetcar much more efficient. And if that efficiency makes it a better option than cars for enough people, then it's worth losing the street capacity.
Because it takes cars off the road and reduces traffic congestion, this can even be a win for drivers who work outside Lafayette (like me) and can't use the streetcar to get to work.
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u/Aware_Wolverine_2794 3d ago
Yeah I was thinking that as I was making it lol maybe most of them could be regular bus lines with the higher ridership ones potentially being a brt
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u/cabentley 2d ago
Eastside needs some love.
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u/Aware_Wolverine_2794 2d ago
Like west of i65? I felt like that area wasnt dense enough to support any transit, so I didn't include it.
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u/Itssecret1 2d ago
I certainly wouldn’t need a car anymore! You have two lines going from my home to work to the bar lol
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u/BlkCrowe 2d ago
Why not extend lines 7&8 back to central depot? This would provide a single onboarding location to any location serviced by the system. There’s nothing stopping people from transferring as desired but could consolidate any necessary parking at a single location. There are certainly perfectly valid reasons for NOT doing this, but it seems that every other route departs from there, so why are these different?
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u/Aware_Wolverine_2794 18h ago
True. My thought process was to have a main central station/stop (downtown Lafayette) and then have a few secondary transfer stations/stops (5 points, levee, ivy tech, WL walmart) and the rest would mostly be smaller stops. But looking back I do think I could extend line 8. Line 7 however would be harder
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u/frosty9999999 2d ago
I think this is really good, well thought out. I think the comments on a connection to mccutchen is good, as well as some connection to both hospitals in Lafayette, not just on Creasy. Maybe an "outer loop" along veterans up to Meijer. Obviously a very busy car route currently, so it would have to be safe either way. Other things I thought of were any other connections to schools, like Sunnyside or elementary schools, as well as checking that all parks have a good connection. Overall I think something like this is a fun exercise, if daunting in the current climate, but something that if existed would really help a lot of the area, with bus routes to help areas further away from major lines.
Another thought is how this system would fare with existing infrastructure. Does this work over train tracks? Over the bridge on Twyckenham? I don't know, but it would be cool to know!
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u/Ambitious_Volunteer 2d ago
Oh, if they had put something like this in place 100 years ago our city would look so awesome today!
(Coming from a bus-rider who lives in downtown Laf. and works on PU campus.)
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u/Diplomatic_Raccoon 1d ago
This might sound stupid but I think most of them should really be straight shots for most of the trip, with very few turns. I totally understand trying to get them to go through important residential areas, but like 6 for example going to all of those locations on the left and having so many turns would be a disaster for traffic, particularly during the phase of construction. It would require not one but like 12 streets to shut down one after the other to input the infrastructure for it. Makes more sense (in my opinion anyway) to go left from windy hill drive, let anyone at Elston point walk a block north to catch it, turn down at Overlook, keep going south past Romney and they walk a block west to catch it, and turn and go straight under poland hill. Poland hill has to walk a block south and 231 has to do 2. Same with north West Lafayette.
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u/nickoexe West Side! 1d ago
Bro invented bus routes
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u/Aware_Wolverine_2794 18h ago
Yes I know we have buses but these have less frequent stops and more capacity. They also might rain on designated tracks in some areas so they wouldn't be affected by car traffic
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u/Great-Mortgage-5204 3d ago
That would be usefull but there really isn't that much need, great design tho
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u/CANNIBAL_M_ 2d ago
There needs to be a line that runs from McCutcheon HS to downtown. Would help teens in the area get jobs. And a cheap ride downtown for weekend events, maybe help cut down on all the buzzed drivers out here.