Posts about Czech Republic
Transit
New Prague streetcars reverse noise pollution
An overlooked benefit of streetcars is the reduction in noise pollution associated with bus and car traffic. In fact, some pedestrians in Prague say the newest streetcars from Skoda are too quiet!
Latest streetcars in historic Prague. Image from Technet.cz.
An article from iDnes, a Czech news portal, describes the experiences of operators of the new 15T streetcars built by Skoda for the Czech capital's tram system. Operators of the new streetcars have to be alert to pedestrians who may not hear them approach.
Other improvements include cruise control and the addition of an engine for each wheel. Operators can also now control engines for each wheel, sometimes shutting off up to 16 engines based on the presence of hills.
The District owns three Skoda-Inekon 12-Trio streetcars, currently parked at Metro's Greenbelt yard. They were built by a joint venture between Skoda and Inekon, another Czech streetcar manufacturer. The joint venture dissolved around the time DC's streetcars were being constructed, and the 15T is the latest model introduced by Skoda while Inekon has not produced any subsequent models. Riga, Latvia has also purchased the Skoda 15T streetcars.
Any vehicle powered by an on-board internal combustion engine generates more noise than one powered by electricity, be it from a battery or from an overhead or underground wire. Modern streetcars are even quieter than the trolleys that were commonplace in the early and mid 20th century.
Buses are the source of DC residents' particularly frequent traffic noise complaints. As streetcars being operation in DC and replacing buses on the busiest routes, the benefit to the quality of our daily lives and the enjoyability of our urban spaces will be significant. Newer streetcar models will further boost the mode's advantage.
Now if only there were a way to push emergency vehicles speedily through traffic without sirens...
Transit
Streetcars preserve, not spoil, historic cities
On Tuesday, the DC Council held a hearing on the bill to allow overhead wires for a streetcar line on H Street and Benning Road. Ken Archer gave some particularly powerful testimony at the hearing about overhead wires, what makes DC special, why he lives here, and what "preserving" a historic city really means.My name is Ken Archer. I live in Georgetown with my wife and 19-
Prague streetcar. Photo by izik on Flickr.
I would support a complete repeal of the ban on overhead wires, and find the current legislation to not simply be a compromise, but a compromise of a compromised compromise. It's inconceivable to me how anyone could oppose it.
I fell in love with DC on a family trip in 7th grade from Oklahoma, and was determined to live here. My childhood memories wouldn't be diminished at all if they had included overhead wires. In fact, my parents and I would have seen more of DC than the Mall, Capitol Hill and Georgetown. Instead, we rented a car and stayed close to the monumental core.
Upon returning to Oklahoma, my mother read every book on John and Jacqueline Kennedy she could get her hands on, and showed me photos of the Kennedys in Georgetown. This birthed a love of and fascination with Georgetown I've had since junior high. I applied to be a Congressional page, and returned to DC as a page in 11th grade, spending most weekends in Georgetown.
I love Georgetown and DC as much as anyone, and cannot fathom how anyone's love and appreciation of DC and Georgetown would be diminished by overhead wires.
Why do we find overhead wires more detrimental than the cars that they would take off of the streets? Why are the former so distracting and the latter somehow invisible? I just don't get it.
Our streetcars are from the Czech Republic. My wife is from the Czech Republic as well, so we actually visit Prague twice per year. Prague is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, crowned by the 14th century Prague Castle and Charles Bridge. On our last trip a couple months ago, President Obama was in the Prague Castle signing an historic arms treaty with Russia at a venue selected because it is such a picturesque viewshed and backdrop.
Do you think it occurs to anyone that Prague would be a more beautiful city if it lacked overhead streetcar wires? My Czech family and friends find our obsession with overhead streetcar wires bizarre and incomprehensible.
In fact, streetcars are critical to preserving the beauty of Prague and other historic cities because they enable growth in density without an overwhelming growth in cars, roads and parking lots. Families love Prague because unfolded strollers are not only allowed on streetcars, there is a stroller bay on every streetcar and parents with infants ride for free, thus keeping families out of cars. That's how you preserve historic viewsheds.
Let's stop tying the hands of DDOT to placate a vocal, backward-looking constituency of the city, and empower DDOT to help bring us into the 21st century.
@ggwash
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