How much should such a system cost? Well, it shouldn't cost any more than what Europe and Japan paid for their systems.

How much did Chicago's Elevated Train system cost?

Maybe you don't understand anything about manufacturing. When you build ten of something, it costs a lot more per unit, than when you build thousands.

If we built a system elevated over our existing roads, we couldn't have to buy land, and that would cut costs tremendously. Then, if people bought their own rail cars, that would also greatly cut the cost of the system.

If people pulled together on this, then the costs should be far less than what was paid to built Chicago's elevated rail system, or the NY subway system.

Originally posted by poet1b
How much should such a system cost? Well, it shouldn't cost any more than what Europe and Japan paid for their systems.

How much did Chicago's Elevated Train system cost?

Maybe you don't understand anything about manufacturing. When you build ten of something, it costs a lot more per unit, than when you build thousands.

If we built a system elevated over our existing roads, we couldn't have to buy land, and that would cut costs tremendously. Then, if people bought their own rail cars, that would also greatly cut the cost of the system.

If people pulled together on this, then the costs should be far less than what was paid to built Chicago's elevated rail system, or the NY subway system.

I agree the cost per mile would drop if we build more of them or a bigger one. But it would still be way more expensive than Japan's or France's. Our country is way larger.

Why not just use the GM tech and retrofit it on existing vehicles? Wouldnt that be cheaper, then you dont have to build the line itself.

I cannot get behind this light rail stuff. Light rail is for lightweight nations.
We are not a lightweight nation.
I remember back in the seventies working on the formwork designs that eventually went on to cast the monorail bents at Walt Disney World in Florida. I used to sit with the plans on my reference desk and just wallow in amazement at the whole concept of monorails and how futuristic they were. As I worked, I would fantasize about how this would change the whole concept of public transportation. Never again would we be forced to ride boring trams, trains, and trolleys of the 19th century! In the (late) twentieth century we would ride monorails!!!
Well what the fudge did I know because here we are in the TWENTY FIRST century and we are still talking about riding boring trams, trains, and trolleys designed in the NINTEENTH century.
I would love to see monorails promoted as transportation instead of as a novelty, although the novel aspect of it will compel people who do not need to use it as transportation to travel on it solely for the novelty. I think that a small line could be set up to test the waters. I am proposing that a monorail line between Mesa, Arizona and Las Vegas, Nevada should be built as the first test of the project. This project will generate jobs, both in the initial conceptualization and building, but also jobs that will need to be filled as long as the project exists.
To stimulate the international economy, I am proposing that an additional monorail be built between Honolulu, Hawaii and Naha Okinawa, Japan. While the challenges of such a project would be many in number and vast in scope, the ability to conquer challenges is inherent in the human spirit and has yet to be defeated. I am confident that such projects could be built with existing technology. Remember we have been building bridges and using concrete for several thousand years now.