People mover test

[East Detroit]

Philosophically, could the people mover go both clockwise and counter-clockwise at the same time? Is this a truth when it is not moving?

[Chris Rohn]

With only two trains running, it could go both directions with the trains passing each other at the Times Square station.

[hudkina]

You would need at least two double-sided stations for that to happen, otherwise they'd crash somewhere near the Millender Station.

If they retrofited four of the stations to have double-sided platforms, they could have as many as four trains running, with two trains in each direction. If you consider that it takes about 15 minutes for a train to complete one loop, that means that even with service in both directions you'd never have to wait more than 8 minutes for a train.

[Gannon]

After a few years running in reverse to balance the many years of wear-and-tear from going in one direction constantly, I'd say we go random with the direction each day.

It would be fun to catch those Type-Bs who WANT to be Type-As when they run late for work...as they discover what they thought would be a direct route from their car to the office is now a full tour of the rest of the loop.

That would be so much fun.

[Gianni]

There was a time when part of the track was down, I think because the front of the Ren Cen was being redone and the huge heating berms on Jefferson were being dismantled. The track was not a complete loop, so the cars went back and forth instead of round and round. Depending on where you were going it was often faster.

[ghein]

Two-way people mover would be too convenient. As more and more stuff pops up downtown, I'm finding the train to nowhere to be genuinely useful. Last Saturday the lady friend and I did dinner and a movie at Taste and the RenCen. I figured it would be cheaper and faster to park for free at Greektown and people mover it around the D... except I forgot that the train wasn't running counter-clockwise anymore! Another train going the other way could've saved me 15 minutes, since we basically had to make the loop twice.

[Russix]

You would need at least two double-sided stations for that to happen, otherwise they'd crash somewhere near the Millender Station.

If they retrofited four of the stations to have double-sided platforms, they could have as many as four trains running, with two trains in each direction. If you consider that it takes about 15 minutes for a train to complete one loop, that means that even with service in both directions you'd never have to wait more than 8 minutes for a train.

The stations would be harder to retrofit than rebuilding out track sections as double tracked. I'm figuring the expense in what already seems to be tight spots to add a loading platform on the station vs. just adding track in open space. If you had 4 regional light rail/BRT lines terminating at GCP, Cadillac Square, Times Square and Michigan Ave the normal capacity demand would increase enough to warrant building out double tracked sections.