82 replies to this topic

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However, it's my understanding that neither will alleviate congestion. It seems that there is an 'maximal' amount of congestion that commuters will tolerate, based on market conditions. If new roads are built or mass transit is made available, the newly available capacity on existing roads will be filled by people who are encouraged by 'sub-maximal' congestion to move out to the suburbs, or to travel in rush hour when they otherwise wouldn't have.

Hear, hear! This was covered in Cohen's "The Counterintuitive in Conflict and Cooperation" ~ 1988 http://www.rockefell...ientist1988.pdf

It covers all kinds of networks, including traffic. My favourite quote is:

"It might be inferred from these examples that real conflict and cooperation are, or can be, so complex or counterintuitive that they should be left to the management of experts... [ snip ] Such an inference is not justified. On the contrary, these examples show that conflict and cooperation require the fresh and unprejudiced analysis of thinkers who have no commitment, historical or bureaucratic, to established rules of thumb."

This is an example of Braess' Paradox, for those who want to search for more.

[G-Man]

They are smaller than the Spirit class because they operate from Nanaimo to Vancouver not Victoria to Vancouver. Not because of any betting by BC Ferries.

The docks at Nanaimo couldn't accept a larger vessel.

The new vessels accept marginaly more vehicles and passengers than the vessels they replace, something like 370 vs 340 vehicles and 1600 vs 1500 passengers.

This is not true. Two will operate between Nanaimo and Vancouver but one will operate between Victoria and Vancouver.

[LJ]

This is not true. Two will operate between Nanaimo and Vancouver but one will operate between Victoria and Vancouver.

Perhaps so, but larger vessels can not operate out of Nanaimo hence the ships that are recently built are now larger than the ones that they are replacing.

The Coastal class ships are not being built to replace the Spirit class ships, they are being built to replace the older smaller vessels on that route.

When it comes time to replace the Spirit class ships you can rest assured the replacement will be as big or bigger.