Skytrain in Chiang Mai

[cardinalblue]

SF cable car is solely for tourists..not used for public transportation...

Haven't seen a better system in USA than Portland's combo of light rail street car and bus system... One ticket access to all three... Zero structures or buildings were erected as they are based on an honor system of payment...

CB

[evenstevens]

. Let’s keep the discussion going and hope that someday we can hop on board the Chiang Mai Skytrain!

crickey..a pig has just flown past my window

[Nolster]

SF cable car is solely for tourists..not used for public transportation...

Haven't seen a better system in USA than Portland's combo of light rail street car and bus system... One ticket access to all three... Zero structures or buildings were erected as they are based on an honor system of payment...

CB

The train system in Los Angeles was also built using the 'honor system' but there were too many people riding the trains without buying a ticket and catching them required a lot of manpower to catch them. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/04/us/end-of-the-free-subway-ride-in-los-angeles.html?_r=0 I am not sure as to what has happened but it is quite difficult to come back at a future date to try and make the whole system to have fare gates etc. When the LA system was being planned they assumed that the cost of fare avoidance would be offset by costs that would have incurred in building a gated system.

Yes the Portland system is a very good example of a transit system that is integrated into urban development around it. They call it Transit Oriented Development.

[Nolster]

A San Fransisco style cable car to the top of Doi Suthep would be nice.

Would be nice to have them in the Old City too!

I would love to have such a thing here and would use it daily until around 7pm or so. The traffic around the inner city in the day time is ridiculous.

How about running them till late at night also or at least until after the bars close? Then the drunks could get home safely.

[Nolster]

It appears the Chiang Mai, city planners, are continuing to sit on their hands, and are doing nothing to implement some type of mass transportation system in CM. I think a subway system should be considered. It would have minimal impact on the current roads and streets. During my last visit to Tokyo, I saw less traffic in that city than they have in CM. The Japanese have an incredible subway, train, and buss, transportation system. Just a thought :-)

I wonder if there is a city planning department in Chiang Mai. For example the newer area of Nimmenheim does not seem to have any kind of city/urban planning or design controls. There are no uniform and continuous sidewalks in the area. The sidewalks are very difficult to negotiate for able bodied persons as it is; forget about accommodating people with any sort of disabilities.

Building a subway system would have major impacts during construction, especially where the stations will be; so would any other type such as at street level or above ground.

[Tokay]

If people want skytrains in their life go live in bangkok.

The more expensive projects are, the more attraction they hold for those who can put their fingers in the pie.

It's the most absurd idea, satisfying mostly people who jet into CM for a convention, and then leave after it. Meanwhile all those living here will put up with years of misery and ill-health during construction, and then end up with an identikit Bangkok oop north.

No thanks at all. Keep these projects in the ether, never let them manifest. Use all that money instead to create a super-educated lanna population with super educational facilities and motivated well-paid teachers. Then let the young skilled and creative workforce really develop their city for the future, not the old sorry backdated ways we see in so many cities of malls, skytrains, concrete jungles, western burger and donut joints, steel transport, and milions of consumers on the rampage looking for retail therapy.

Gee, a skytrain in chiang mai. When will all this backdated and ancient thinking disappear?? Build cities for local people, not for giant corporations who build these mega buildings and ugly protruding mass-transit systems. If the city's too busy, get out and find a new home. If the traffic jams are too long, get out of the city and reduce them.

As you were.

Meanwhile in reality... some sort of rail system would be nice around the inner city area. There is simply too much traffic in the day and while everything you said is nice, it's too late, no one is going anywhere and the land has already been sold to corporations building hotels, malls, and condos. Now that is on the table, how is CM going to deal with traffic TODAY, NEXT YEAR, in FIVE YEARS? Traffic is going to get worse, not better.

[CMNightRider]

It appears the Chiang Mai, city planners, are continuing to sit on their hands, and are doing nothing to implement some type of mass transportation system in CM. I think a subway system should be considered. It would have minimal impact on the current roads and streets. During my last visit to Tokyo, I saw less traffic in that city than they have in CM. The Japanese have an incredible subway, train, and buss, transportation system. Just a thought :-)

I wonder if there is a city planning department in Chiang Mai. For example the newer area of Nimmenheim does not seem to have any kind of city/urban planning or design controls. There are no uniform and continuous sidewalks in the area. The sidewalks are very difficult to negotiate for able bodied persons as it is; forget about accommodating people with any sort of disabilities.

Building a subway system would have major impacts during construction, especially where the stations will be; so would any other type such as at street level or above ground.

There must be some sort of a planning committee in Chiang Mai. The problem is they appear to be incompetent. No mater what kind of transportation system is implement, it will cause some sort of disruption. To do nothing, will be far worst. As far as a subway system, the Mexicans are tunnelling under the border into America, daily and they are able to do this without getting noticed. I think the Thais should be able to figure this out. :-)

[trainman34014]

When all is said and done....nothing much will be done ! What the Thai's are best at is talking, bluster i would call it; it gives public officials the chance to have dozens of meetings with free food and drink in air conditioned meeting rooms all sitting around in pristine uniforms with copious amounts of medal ribbons on view and paying homage to 'the leader' at the end of the table. Lots of pretty drawings will have taken up the time of dozens of people normally not doing anything much and now computer imaging is in vogue they can actually watch there pipe dreams in what seems like reality. High Speed Trains rushing through the Thai countryside at breakneck speeds, Underground and suspended People Moving Systems whirring around the City with integrated Tram Lines and so on. At the end of each meeting the only thing that has been decided is the date and time of the next meeting when they will continue to dream.

If any of these systems ever gets built and is in use in Chiang Mai please come and dig up my ashes, because it sure won't happen in my life time, or yours....even if you are only 26 !!

[cardinalblue]

Bkk was way beyond saving when the sky train and subway were added...bkk has only 8 % of surface roads for their population...they reacted way too late...so addition had only minimal benefit...

Will CM conitinue on track to come a mini bkk? It's the same mindset . They are unwilling unable unmotivated to think in a different direction...

CB

[iancnx]

That's the point something has to be done. Given Cardinals view, Bangkok is still at gridlock in many places, but, imagine if the sky train was not there! I believe an over road solution could be found mad implemented in a way where pedestrianisation can be capitalised on. For example the whole of the canal road could have a sky train. The Tawan Deng open space could become a multi story car park. A sky train single track could go down Huay jaew and all the way around the moat. The whole of Pra Sing could be pedestrianised. That useless sprawling police station (junk yard) could be substituted for a multi-storey car park. There are many other almost reundent government buildings for similar around the city. etc etc. to do nothing is the absolute last option.

[masuk]

You could always go for something a little more modern such as the light rail just started up on the Gold Coast (QLD).

The great majority of cars slowing the system around Chiang Mai have only 1 person in them, and they always seem to be in a hurry, judging by the urgency in changing lanes, sounding their car horns.

[naboo]

Further progress - apparently routes have been decided upon for a light rail system.

 

 

Three routes:

 

Red - Government offices, Mae Rim, to the Airport, via canal road, Changphuek Gate, the west side of the moat on to Mahidol Road, Airport and down to Big C on the Hang Dong Road.

 

Blue - Zoo, Huay Kaew to the Canal Road, down to Suthep Road, to the Moat, along the south of the moat around to Thapae Road over the river, past the Railway Station, to the Superhighway, down to Big C Don Chan and on to Promenada.

 

Green - Ruam Chok Market in San Sai, to the Superhighway and Central Festival, down Nawarat Road as far as the river, south along the river to Nong Hoi where it continues along the river to Mahidol Road, then on to the Airport.

 

Anyone who travels along these routes, probably best to leave town for the 5 years it takes to build.

[Ruffian Dick]

On 9/18/2014 at 5:55 PM, cardinalblue said:

SF cable car is solely for tourists..not used for public transportation...

Haven't seen a better system in USA than Portland's combo of light rail street car and bus system... One ticket access to all three... Zero structures or buildings were erected as they are based on an honor system of payment...

CB

No. It's not built for high volume, but everyone who needs it, uses it. Come by and I'll take you on a tour.

[Ruffian Dick]

On 9/20/2014 at 0:38 AM, masuk said:

You could always go for something a little more modern such as the light rail just started up on the Gold Coast (QLD).

The great majority of cars slowing the system around Chiang Mai have only 1 person in them, and they always seem to be in a hurry, judging by the urgency in changing lanes, sounding their car horns.

Every train starts its life with zero passengers. Then one, then many. Takes time.

[baywatch82]

How many years it is already in planning process. How many different maps we have seen.

[scorecard]

On 5/18/2017 at 0:48 PM, baywatch82 said:

How many years it is already in planning process. How many different maps we have seen.

 

I wonder why the authorities would even for a moment consider adding to the street level traffic.

 

Successful and fast enough city overhead systems can be found all over the world. They don't need to be the heavy duty systems same as the BTS in Bangkok. The single rail system with the carriage straddled over the rail (in fact a continous cement rail) as in Kuala Lumphur would IMHO be just fine. The KL system has trains (usually about the size of 2 carriages) every few minutes and tickets are very reasonably priced.

 

Sure it would need escalators but that's very workable  but the main point being that the trains are never delayed by traffic jams and they don't add more vehicles at ground level.  

[Ruffian Dick]

Well, at least that would leave the tracks out of the monsoon floods....

[scorecard]

4 hours ago, Ruffian Dick said:

Well, at least that would leave the tracks out of the monsoon floods....

 

Good point.

[Sparkles]

12 hours ago, scorecard said:

 

I wonder why the authorities would even for a moment consider adding to the street level traffic.

 

Successful and fast enough city overhead systems can be found all over the world. They don't need to be the heavy duty systems same as the BTS in Bangkok. The single rail system with the carriage straddled over the rail (in fact a continous cement rail) as in Kuala Lumphur would IMHO be just fine. The KL system has trains (usually about the size of 2 carriages) every few minutes and tickets are very reasonably priced.

 

Sure it would need escalators but that's very workable  but the main point being that the trains are never delayed by traffic jams and they don't add more vehicles at ground level.  

That's the only sensible option.We had one similar in inner Sydney connecting Darling Harbour to city centre until it was dismantled and carriages etc sold off but that was because it wasn't making enough money. Dont count on escalators there are still BTS stations in Bangkok without them

[Dante99]

no need to worry about this guys, by the time they get to it we will all be flying our private vehicles

[jobin]

'flying our private vehicles'?   And where would that be...in heaven.  Nice thought.

[Dante99]

3 hours ago, jobin said:

'flying our private vehicles'?   And where would that be...in heaven.  Nice thought.

Haven't you seen the flying cars being developed?  They will be here sooner than any skytrain.

[CMKiwi]

Flying pigs will also be here before the sky train!