“In their old age, most likely, but that’s something.”
Jerusalem, July 11 – A middle-aged resident of this city expressed optimism today that his descendants, possibly as soon as two generations hence, could have lifespans that overlap with the launch of service on the municipal tram route extensions and expansions on which work began years ago.
Amit Golani, 48, disclosed to confidants Tuesday that he feels an inexplicable sense of hope that his great-grandchildren, should he have any, or possibly even his grandchildren, will one day set foot on a working light rail car other than the single line running through the city. He visualizes them boarding trains on lines that have been under construction for four years and appear nowhere near completion.
“Look, they actually started laying track here,” Golani observed as he walked in the Mount Scopus neighborhood. “Until earlier this year, the route of this line was just a fenced-off area. But they did some digging, and laid some wires and other infrastructure along this length of road since then. All that remains is digging out certain unexcavated portions of track, laying out more infrastructure, laying track along several more kilometers, setting up the power and lighting, building the stations, delivery of the vehicles, training more crews and maintenance personnel, and doing extensive testing.”
“It’s so exciting,” he continued. “At this rate it could take only a few more decades till the new lines are operational. My own grandchildren, of which I have none yet, stand a chance of being among the passengers on this line. In their old age, most likely, but that’s something.”
The light rail expansion and extension plans call for a connection of the existing “red” line toward the southwest, linking the rest of the city with Hadassah Medical Center at Ein Kerem. A separate “green” line will intersect with the existing line and reach Mt. Scopus, home to a campus of The Hebrew University. Yet other work will bring the outlying neighborhoods of Gilo, Giv’at Shaul, Ramat Eshkol, Malha, and others into the light rail network. Forecasts in the original publicity materials saw the first extensions opening this year; in reality, experts do not foresee even the projects at the most advanced stage coming on line before 2030.
“I guess what I most envy them for,” added Golani, “is the altered vista they will see that I never will. Just imagine the unfinished projects that today remain on the drawing board or mired in red tape, or even not thought of yet, but that will disrupt traffic, create unsightly construction, and proudly display signs featuring laughably short predictions for completion, that will afflict my grandchildren and great-grandchildren.”
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