A lot of cities around the world has green track for their surface tram routes, but what makes them so enticing, and why should more cities put these into their tram tracks? Let’s take a look together!
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How's the new set?
If LTR is built far enough we could even have fire trucks that are built into that infrastructure! 🤣
I live in Iași, Romania, where we have a 3 and a half kilometer section of green tram tracks. It opened in 1960 and it has been open to service ever since. The transportation authority is taking really good care of the grass, mowing it every now and then. I really like it. It feels way less bumpy and way more pleasant than the regular tracks on asphalt
The proof will be in the pudding, as it were. From my perspective we'll see how good this installation is come late July, when there has been no rain for a month. Then again in a few years when all manor of weeds have gotten a hold, as it is doubtful the TTC or Metrolincs will be wanting to pay for proper upkeep.
RM Horticulture, MAKE IT HAPPEN!!!
In Melbourne some trams line have grass and trees on both sides and some have grass under the tracks like Line 109
From a biological point of view, sedum tracks are not as great of an option for green track if the species used are not local. HOWEVER it is obviously still preferable to asphalt and concrete.
I had a double take on your thumbnail. The outside rails lineup with the edge of the grass so I only saw the two inside rails with a pole in the middle. LOL
Thanks for the video! I’m all for green track and I’m partial for sedum and any other drought or weather resistant plants over lawn. Lawn might look great, but it requires a high consumption of water and chemicals to make it look pristine and green. Over consumption of water and chemicals/pesticides isn’t exactly environmental friendly. Also, lawn’s stormwater retention quality isn’t that much better than concrete and asphalt. One might notice it’s very easy to step into a water puddle in the middle of a lawn after a rainy day…because the grass itself is unable to absorb all the stormwater, and the stormwater is unable to infiltrate the lawn and enter into the soil.
There’s a section of green track in Box Hill in Melbourne on the 109 tram route that’s possibly been there since the year 2000! 🙂
Sedum is a genus of plants, which are also often used for green roofs. They are succulents. "Succulent" is just a way to describe an anatomical feature of of a plant (they can store a lot of water in their tissue) . Just like tree or herb.
Clover and dandelion track
Bro it's asphalt not ashphalt
I can see that in some areas it would be very difficult for this to pass through the hazard and risk assessment process. Some parts of cities are devoid of green stuff and a green track could be a temptation for animals and indeed people to come and enjoy their only patch of green for half a km.
You have me convinced but I do have one question
How does it work without ballast?
As I learned not too long ago, the rocks that we put underneath our trains are actually really important
The difference between city and rural regions are remarkable. Get on a Bike and leave the City at nighttime. Every day I ride to work I immediately feel the temperature differnece. It's quite nice actually in warm summer nights, 2/3 of my work commute are trough the city and riding into the cold darkness is fantastic.
You should talk about Green Track in Stuttgart (Germany)
The have many of them and the are Looking really good.
The "improve the air" thing is a bit of a myth actually. Yes, plants remove CO2 from the air and replace it with oxygen, we all know that and that's great. They remove a bit of other air pollutants, but it's a really miniscule amount. I don't have an example for streetscapes but the articles debunking this benefit for indoor air pollution say you'd basically need to fill your home with plants to see a significant effect.
cities noise is quite tame without the cars though
Is there any major reason this cannot be applied to existing track in some way? I assume it has something to do with the grass needing soil and existing tracks not really catering to that need.
Acoustic absorption – just on that one point makes it worthwhile! All the other benefits make it seem even better!
Road salt?
I can understand the emergency vehicle argument about not wanting to drive on greenery if at all possible (although the blocks may help). I have, from time to time, had to drive on pastureland in my truck while weighted down with heavy loads. Greenery, when it is wet from rain or even just morning dew, gets quite slick to drive on for a vehicle with tires (even if those tires were meant for slick surfaces). It would not be good for an emergency vehicle to have its own emergency sliding off of a green track. Maybe the blocks would help, maybe not. Testing would need to be done first to analyze the efficacy of large and speedy emergency vehicles using them.
To quote another youtuber: "Cities aren't loud, cars are loud."
Not that trains are silent; but cars are louder. Not that concrete tracks don't contribute to the heat island; but asphalt is hotter. And not that hard surfaces around tracks don't contribute to groundwater problems, but cars take up more space. Hm, I'm noticing a theme here…
I'm all in favor of using green tracks (and trains in general) to dampen the negative effects of the cars!