Oshkosh Trams, Can we do Better!

[skyfixer8]

time and mileage limit put on tractors by local company that lets us use them.

[CHICAGORANDY]

Correct, Deere does not donate tractors, the local dealer Riesterer & Schnell is the tram sponsor and they then sell the tractors after AirVenture with no more than 100 hours on the clock.

[CHICAGORANDY]

Saw the e-mail from EAA today - looks like the trams and buses will be joined into one 'shuttle' service sharing the same stops? I dunno, the buses and tractors don't seem to share the same interchanges very well, partially due to size and turning radius conflicts and mostly due to the long time it takes to unload/load passengers on the bus vs the tram cars. I wonder about major traffic jams at the switch-over points.

We shall see I reckon - EAA promises updates and more info in a couple weeks.

[Floatsflyer]

Saw the e-mail from EAA today - looks like the trams and buses will be joined into one 'shuttle' service sharing the same stops? I dunno, the buses and tractors don't seem to share the same interchanges very well, partially due to size and turning radius conflicts and mostly due to the long time it takes to unload/load passengers on the bus vs the tram cars. I wonder about major traffic jams at the switch-over points.

You correctly point out the major problems and conflicts presented when deciding to join at the hip these two operationally different conveyances. IMO, this will create many more problems than solutions as well as diminish the Osh experience. I'll continue to do what I've always done--WALK! It's much faster and damn good for ya. But I'm very sympathetic to those with mobility issues that this might make their experience less comfortable.

[CHICAGORANDY]

For those unfamiliar, the school buses have a single doorway, or at most two doors, with steps to climb, so passengers move thru VERY slowly. On a tram each row of 4/5 people has immediate egress just by sliding off the bench seat onto the ground. It takes mere seconds to unload a full tram of 40+ folks, same goes for loading. Since the turn around points are single lane, I can see a lot of trams stacked up behind a school bus with pedestrians and passengers clogging the grounds. A recipe for an accident or injury if ever there was one. This of course presumes the turn around stations are unchanged from last year.

For people moving efficiency, IMHO, buses need to be in a bus lane, trams in a tram lane. Creating separate stops along the routes would help too I'm thinking. I also wonder out loud about the inherent problems trying to move a school bus through the very pedestrian crowded areas like Vintage to the Tower turn-around.

[robert l]

FlyingRon, I'm one of those that can't walk all day. In 2015 my buddy and I came to A/V, I'm 70, bad knees from 46 years of construction work. My friend is 45 and very impatient so we didn't wait for the trams very much. As a result, I missed an entire day trying to recuperate at our camp site, which in itself was a long walk. When we come again, and we will, I guess we will just go our separate ways and meet up at some point. I very much appreciate all the volunteers and although there is room for improvement, it's still the greatest show on earth !
Bob

[CHICAGORANDY]

Seniors with bad knees (and YES, I'm one of them - lol) and the less than able-bodied are EXACTLY the passengers the trams are there to assist. We also carry the young (under 65), fit, able-bodied visitors who we appreciate understand when they get bumped from a tram seat to allow the first group ride priority.

[Wrongway Feldman]

From warbirds & review to ultralights it is 3,344 feet.
From the Main gate to the flight line it is 2,250 feet.
My feet hurt just thinking about.
Is there enough in the budget for one of THESE?
Will probably need FAA approval.

[Floatsflyer]

Is there enough in the budget for one of THESE.

Probably not, hope not. However, I would not be surprised to learn that somewhere in a file cabinet in Jack's office, there's a folder labeled "Future Disneyland-Type Plans for Year Round Oshkosh Aviation World".

[Cary]

I keep threatening to rent a 3 wheeler electric cart, but that would really label me as old, so instead I suffer through some walking and waiting for trams/buses--some knee issues but mostly now sciatic nerve pain. I bicycle to a couple of parties off airport and to the museum, and I have ridden it to the outdoor movie a couple of times, but of course bikes aren't allowed on the grounds during the day.

I don't claim any expertise in transportation issues. I like the trams, and I think generally they work out very well. I do object when someone who probably rides around on a golf cart makes the decision to cut off the trams early on the last day. One year the airshow was still going on when the trams were suddenly curtailed! Another hour would have made a big difference.

Cary