BRC Public Transit in 2009?

Sail Man · Post by **Sail Man** » Sat Oct 18, 2008 9:00 am

Ugly Dougly wrote:But there's nothing wrong with buying an old amusement park tram, mutating it and keeping a regular schedule on the Esplanade? Nobody has done this yet, why not Karlene?

I would be for that, but also add 2 of the outer rings, say D and H. And also 3 and 9 from K to the Man. Old Trams or golf carts hauling pimped out pass. cars would be cool. It'd be a great vol. gig. But it would have to be a concerted effort. Maybe a theme camp to provide the service? Or a couple camps that band together for the good of the common burner

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Sat Oct 18, 2008 11:12 am

I need a gimp mobile to get around the playa.. Right now my head hurts with an idea.. Picked up a powerful garden tractor few weeks ago..

I could trick it out and use the trailer I hual it on to transport folks about the playa.. The trailer can haul about 6 people.. But they would have to go where I'm off to.. Could add bike racks for 4 bikes.

Just thinking (aka) making my head hurt.

Post by **Elderberry** » Sat Oct 18, 2008 11:17 am

unjonharley wrote:The trailer can haul about 6 people.. But they would have to go where I'm off to.

that's the same limitation with art cars. not that there is anything wrong with that. that's why public transit where you knew approximately when it would arrive and depart and where exactly it was going is a better seperate option to art cars. IMO

Take two of these and keep thinking.

JK

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Sat Oct 18, 2008 12:32 pm

That first link was so mentally disturbing that I didn't even press #s 2 & 3.

Post by **mdmf007** » Sun Oct 19, 2008 10:02 pm

I like the idea, but would have to be a pain in the ass to organize, construct, operate etc.

as far as the yellow bikes - I like them!.. Got into a few heated debates about bikes as well. People seem to think they have an innate right to leave the bike on the ground at a display and when you try to ride off on it, they come screaming at you like your stealing the damn thing.

I even liberated a few chained up ones with the old bolt cutters.
I think RFID chips on the bikes, and volunteers with scanners would end the stolen bike thing in the exodus line.

Karlene · Post by **Karlene** » Mon Oct 20, 2008 2:59 pm

I'll write a letter.....

Sail Man · Post by **Sail Man** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 10:03 am

mdmf007 wrote:I like the idea, but would have to be a pain in the ass to organize, construct, operate etc.

as far as the yellow bikes - I like them!.. Got into a few heated debates about bikes as well. People seem to think they have an innate right to leave the bike on the ground at a display and when you try to ride off on it, they come screaming at you like your stealing the damn thing.

I even liberated a few chained up ones with the old bolt cutters.
I think RFID chips on the bikes, and volunteers with scanners would end the stolen bike thing in the exodus line.

Everytime I found a yellow bike un-attended it had been destroyed. No wonder nobody hollered when I went to use it.

sattelite5812 · Post by **sattelite5812** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 9:20 pm

Wow, I never imagined that this thread would go off in this many directions! Okay, to clarify, I never said we "needed" a public transit system, but from what I'm hearing here it sounds like it could indeed benefit a lot of people.

I agree with Sail Man; this would most likely have to be something organized by the people, not the BMORG, and would probably work best as a collaborative effort/theme camp/collective. Although I'd also like to hear what kind of response you get from the HQ and your Ranger friend, Karlene.

I've been wondering these last couple years what I could offer to BRC that's not already covered... perhaps I've accidentally stumbled into something! I don't personally have the budget to bring a MV for this purpose (I can't even afford a regular car- have to arrange ride shares to get to the event), but I have volunteer organizing skills: if anyone seriously wants to collaborate on this, let's talk!

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Wed Oct 22, 2008 12:05 am

It's not that complicated an idea.
At the most rudimentary, tractors, 4 wheelers or pickups pulling tarted up farm trailers.
There may be much less bike gridlock if you can count on a schedule, so you can leave the bike in camp.

Karlene · Post by **Karlene** » Mon Nov 10, 2008 4:45 pm

OK, when I hear something I'll post it.

Post by **mdmf007** » Mon Nov 10, 2008 7:10 pm

dont get me wrong - i love the idea, but without some sort of support it would be rather expensive to even cover a portion of the city. 50000 people is a good sized city to move around.

sound like a fun project though -

Karlene · Post by **Karlene** » Tue Nov 11, 2008 8:15 am

What we need is an "express" line. Center tent to Man to temple and back. If conditions on the playa would be good, unlike this year, I don't think most people would even use the service. I wouldn't. But if bad conditions appear again, I think it would help people get out there.

Sail Man · Post by **Sail Man** » Tue Nov 11, 2008 9:07 am

sattelite5812 wrote:Wow, I never imagined that this thread would go off in this many directions! Okay, to clarify, I never said we "needed" a public transit system, but from what I'm hearing here it sounds like it could indeed benefit a lot of people.

I agree with Sail Man; this would most likely have to be something organized by the people, not the BMORG, and would probably work best as a collaborative effort/theme camp/collective. Although I'd also like to hear what kind of response you get from the HQ and your Ranger friend, Karlene.

I've been wondering these last couple years what I could offer to BRC that's not already covered... perhaps I've accidentally stumbled into something! I don't personally have the budget to bring a MV for this purpose (I can't even afford a regular car- have to arrange ride shares to get to the event), but I have volunteer organizing skills: if anyone seriously wants to collaborate on this, let's talk!

I think the idea of a theme camp gifting a transpo service to the community is a good one. It would have to be a collaborative effort. UnJon I believe mentioned the garden tractor hauling a trailer kinda set-up. I think this would be ideal. Something small, easily tricked out, capable of hauling/towing on both smooth playa and the dunes like this year. Def. at the very least from Center camp to the Temple like Karlene suggested, as a start. Expandable in the future. (Subject to ridership survey's, feasibility studies, union negotiations, grants from the DOT etc

)

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Tue Nov 11, 2008 9:31 am

What? No art grants this year?

Post by **mdmf007** » Tue Nov 11, 2008 8:21 pm

This year or next?

Lord Of Ruin · Post by **Lord Of Ruin** » Wed Nov 12, 2008 3:50 pm

I took a bike my first couple times, but used it so little that I stopped last year.

I walked everywhere (except to shifts to work, which were too far), including multiple trips from end to end of the city. Tiring but do-able, even more than once in a day.

But if they simply put a few buses on a loop that bisected the city at say...mid level street around H, got to the end by 9:00, went down to a street they set aside behind the esplanade as a transit lane, followed the curve of esplanade with a few stops...all the way to 3:00 and back up to H.

A big oval, with say 3 stops on each long leg. This would simply serve to move people close to walkable location nearer their destination, rather than riddling the city with "bus lines" and schedules.

LoR

the funny thing is I've been associated with an art car project that was essentially a taxi service, complete with uniforms on an electric chassis for up to 8 riders. DMV would not license it since it wasn't "mutant/arty" enough. This was not a golf car...it was a fully stripped and rebuilt for the purpose from a low speed custodial cart. So evidently DMV doesn't value moving people in general as a good thing for the city yet.

LoR

Lord Of Ruin · Post by **Lord Of Ruin** » Wed Nov 12, 2008 4:12 pm

I totally disagree with the suggestions here that have the proposed transportation simply going from plazas to the Man/temple.

While that is a likely destination spot, I don't know many people that did it repeatedly, day in and day out.

I found more people inhibited by the playa conditions from venturing laterally within the new wider city.

Less exploration among neighbors as it were. Also, I thought the guide wasa blessing this year, but it also contributed to the destination mentality. I'm going to Suck Camp at 2:00 for the suck show!

In prior years, things were passed by word of mouth and people wandered...usually with your friends/campmates. A huge part of the fun and wonder was the discovery of cool things.

LoR

John Deere · Post by **John Deere** » Wed Nov 12, 2008 5:56 pm

So what if this tram just ran main roads, and helped people get from one end of the city to the other? Or ran when special events where going on to get people back in forth to that event? Or helped people do there daily ice runs?

Just thinking outside the box!!! :lol:

LisaLuckyOne · Post by **LisaLuckyOne** » Wed Nov 12, 2008 6:05 pm

What happened to self-sufficiency? Get a bike, you lardbutts.

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Wed Nov 12, 2008 6:59 pm

Lord Of Ruin wrote: So evidently DMV doesn't value moving people in general as a good thing for the city yet.

Let's not have another round of DMV bashing. They have a difficult job to do, and 50,000 critics. Some of them vicious.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 8:28 am

LisaLuckyOne wrote:What happened to self-sufficiency? Get a bike, you lardbutts.

I'm guessing you're coming by bike and camping in a non-developed part of the playa without roads.
That would be self-sufficient.

Sail Man · Post by **Sail Man** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 9:27 am

gyre wrote:
LisaLuckyOne wrote:What happened to self-sufficiency? Get a bike, you lardbutts.
I'm guessing you're coming by bike and camping in a non-developed part of the playa without roads.
That would be self-sufficient.

Actually she's hiking in, carrying all her supplies in a thimble (which also doubles as her cup).

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 9:51 am

Sail Man wrote:
gyre wrote:
LisaLuckyOne wrote:What happened to self-sufficiency? Get a bike, you lardbutts.
I'm guessing you're coming by bike and camping in a non-developed part of the playa without roads.
That would be self-sufficient.
Actually she's hiking in, carrying all her supplies in a thimble (which also doubles as her cup).

How about parking her car and riding a bike? Like most of us do???

Post by **Elderberry** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 9:51 am

LisaLuckyOne wrote:What happened to self-sufficiency? Get a bike, you lardbutts.

That wasn't a very nice thing to say; you'll be old one day too, you know.

JK

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 11:08 am

Ugly Dougly wrote:
Sail Man wrote:
gyre wrote: I'm guessing you're coming by bike and camping in a non-developed part of the playa without roads.
That would be self-sufficient.
Actually she's hiking in, carrying all her supplies in a thimble (which also doubles as her cup).
How about parking her car and riding a bike? Like most of us do???

That makes you self-sufficient?
Then why do I need to volunteer for anything?
Build your own city!

All these buzzwords applied to burning man are kind of a joke.

If I want to be self-sufficient, I'll stay the fuck home or go camp in the woods.(Which I did last year due to the transport issues out there.)

LisaLuckyOne · Post by **LisaLuckyOne** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 6:05 pm

gyre wrote:Then why do I need to volunteer for anything?
Build your own city!

Yeah, thanks for the trash fence. Really.

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 6:21 pm

(Fishy spends an uncomfortable 15 minutes deciding not to say "Some trash fence; it didn't keep you out.)

Toolmaker · Post by **Toolmaker** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 7:05 pm

theCryptofishist wrote:
Lord Of Ruin wrote: So evidently DMV doesn't value moving people in general as a good thing for the city yet.
Let's not have another round of DMV bashing. They have a difficult job to do, and 50,000 critics. Some of them vicious.

Agreed. I see the very existence of DMV as a positive for moving people on the playa. Without DMV there would be NO vehicles for participants to ride PERIOD. I think DMV does a great job, especially since they ALLOW what are clearly busses to get permits since they provide transport for large groups.

I think ALL the volunteer groups do a great job for the most part and don't deserve most of the nasty remarks sent their way.

PS There is alot more done that putting up a trash fence. You try surveying a fookin circular city that looks round from space. See how easy it is to get the city open. Two times I got in early and both times folks were working their ass off up until and sometimes after the gate opened. In 07 some folks had to work during the event just so the weekend warriors could enjoy the man burning the second time.

LisaLuckyOne · Post by **LisaLuckyOne** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 9:30 pm

theCryptofishist wrote:(Fishy spends an uncomfortable 15 minutes deciding not to say "Some trash fence; it didn't keep you out.)

To call you a bitch would be an insult to women everywhere.

motskyroonmatick · Post by **motskyroonmatick** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 9:55 pm

I'm sure carrying capacity and the ability to provide some form of transit for the general public is taken in to account in the approval process for Mutant Vehicles.

BRC Public Transit in 2009?

This could be implemented in a fairly rudimentary fashion...

Tram Service

Re: This could be implemented in a fairly rudimentary fashio

Re: This could be implemented in a fairly rudimentary fashio