petros; said:
Trains and nat gas buses make perfect sense but trolleys not so much.
Actually, Philadelphia is considering the modernization and expansion of SEPTA's trolley system to benefit its 100,000 daily passengers:
https://philly.curbed.com/2018/1/16/16882588/septa-new-trolley-proposal
As it is, they no longer use the old PCCs and use the Euro style trams for light rail & trolleys. It works quite well and provides a very useful alternative for their subway & bus system. This is the same experience in Boston and San Francisco.
Here in Gopherland, we have had much discussion about the proposed expansion of our light rail. Recently, I sent an email to our local transportation director and asked her to consider installing a trolley, trolleybus, and express bus service because of the great success of our light rail. Of these, yes, an express bus is the best alternative (on heavily trafficked streets) because trolleys are restricted to areas covered by tracks whereas bus routes can be readily altered where necessary. However, the trolleybus does not need tracks but it does need overhead wiring. Such wiring can be installed to facilitate alternate routes where needed.
A few years ago I was acquainted with a professor at the University of Minnesota who advocated personal rapid transit (an elevated line comprised of individual motorized cars):
https://www.citylab.com/life/2014/0...sit-is-probably-never-going-to-happen/380467/
Thankfully, we did not invest any money on this project. Strangely enough, there are still people around who insist this is the future of urban transportation. While we can all agree that our urban areas need infrastructural enhancement, the better way is to bring back the old trolley system with maybe one or two express buses where advisable.