BIKE: No more cheap oil /Maintenance

[alan_drake]

> To quote one, "I don't care whether we're talking about airplanes, light rail cars, monorails, or buses; all these systems require that parts be checked and bolts be tightened every single day.  Daily maintenance.  When you don't do this, you're asking for trouble." 

The only daily maintenance on our 1923/24, our 1994 and our 2004 streetcars is to check for burnt out light bulbs, broken mahogany seats and clean them.  Every couple of months they are run over a pit and inspected underneath (or when an operator complains that something is wrong).  AFAIK, we have never lost any parts off of even our 80+ year old rolling stock.

Perhaps this is one reason why we can run a streetcar for less/hour than a bus.

> No matter, as I've mentioned roughly 
a dozen times, the new KL monorail has a perfect safety record after a 
year of operation.

I believe that a heavy piece of metal fell on a reporter's head and caused severe brain damage there.  I can find a link via Google if you need confirmation.

Grade seperation can cause it's own safety issues.  The system that I think best for emulation (WHEN a city has the $) is Copenhagen.  But they have had two drunks kill themselves on weekend nights on the escalators.

Alan