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30 Jun 09

Light rail - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

en.wikipedia.org/Light_rail - Preview

LRT Transit transport

The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) in its Glossary of Transit Terminology defines light rail as: "An electric railway with a 'light volume' traffic capacity compared to heavy rail.
it is common to classify streetcars/trams as a subtype of light rail rather than as a distinct type of transportation
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- The traditional type, where the tracks and trains run along the streets and share space with road traffic. Stops tend to be very frequent, but little effort is made to set up special stations. Because space is shared, the tracks are usually visually unobtrusive.
- The first of the new light rail systems in North America began operation in 1978 when the Canadian city of Edmonton, Alberta adopted the German Siemens-Duewag U2 system, followed three years later by Calgary, Alberta and San Diego, California. The concept proved popular, and although Canada has few cities big enough for light rail, there are now at least 30 light rail systems the United States.
- a tradeoff between speed and frequency of stops. Services that stop frequently have lower overall speed, and are therefore less attractive for longer trips.
- Heavy rail, light rail, monorail, and Bus Rapid Transit are all forms of rapid transit — which generally signifies high speed and widely-spaced stops. Trams are a form of local transit, making more frequent stops.

17 Apr 09

News: 10 Reasons to Love a Streetcar: The 'streetcar effect' – offering Austinites far more than a free ride - The Austin Chronicle

www.austinchronicle.com/...story - Preview

Transit USA

Street Smart compellingly makes the case that "It's time for a streetcar renaissance." It explains why Austin is one of 80 U.S. cities pursuing, or already operating or building, a new streetcar system.
1) Streetcar systems shape a city – positively. Well-conceived streetcars do much more for a city besides move people from point A to point B. As fixed-rail transit, they uniquely shape urban land-use, development, and growth patterns. The "streetcar effect" serves to stimulate desirable development along the line. In fact, streetcar lines shaped how most American cities (including Austin) developed in the early 1900s.
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- the public investment in streetcar rails along a fixed route is an assurance of permanence. Developers and investors need to mitigate risk; they get no help from a bus route, which could move or disappear overnight. Emerging data from numerous U.S. cities show that developers will vigorously invest in compact, high-density development along a streetcar line, almost from the moment that it's confirmed.
- 2) Streetcars are place-making tools that promote compact, walkable, people-friendly development.
- Known as a "pedestrian accelerator," the streetcar encourages outings that are part walking, part streetcar ride.
- 3) People like to ride streetcars.
- People don't mind standing at a trackside stop for 10 minutes, because they feel confident that the streetcar will come – even without seeing a schedule or route map. Other American cities recently have replaced bus lines with streetcar lines on the same route, then documented their power to attract many more riders.
- 4) A streetcar entices people to ride regional rail.
- Commuters will only switch to transit if they are delivered to their final destination – within a couple of blocks. Failing to provide that "last mile" transport can doom an entire regional rail system. If far-flung suburbanites hate the bus, and their offices are too far to walk from the last rail or rapid-bus stop, then they'll just keep driving, however long their commutes.
- 5) Streetcars are green transportation.
- 6) Streetcars attract tourists, conventioneers, and visiting grandchildren as fun "transportainment."
- 7) Where streetcars go, private development follows.
- 8) By generating new value and revenues, a streetcar system can pay for itself.
- In most cities, funding comes through public entities from the business sector – often through special tax assessments or tax-increment financing on surrounding business-improvement districts.
- 9) Streetcars are much less expensive than light-rail.
- 10) Streetcars can be historic and charming – or sleek and modern.

16 Apr 09

Obama Pushes Vision for High-Speed Rail | 44 | washingtonpost.com

voices.washingtonpost.com/...michael_d_shear_declaring.html - Preview

Transit USA

"A major new high-speed rail line will generate many thousands of construction jobs over several years, as well as permanent jobs for rail employees and increased economic activity in the destinations these trains serve," Obama said in prepared remarks. "High-speed rail is long-overdue, and this plan lets American travelers know that they are not doomed to a future of long lines at the airports or jammed cars on the highways."
The declaration of support for rail did not include any new proposals or money. Rather, it was a restatement of the initiative he launched in the past several months.
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- California Corridor (Bay Area, Sacramento, Los Angeles, San Diego)

02 Apr 09

Mass Transit and a Soaring Car Culture Clash in China - NYTimes.com

www.nytimes.com/...27transit.html - Preview

Transit Systems

Today, Guangzhou has 71 miles of subway lines, most of them opened in the last three years, and yet large areas of the ever-expanding city are still distant from the nearest subway stop.
The city plans to open an additional 83 miles by the end of next year — and an underground tram system and a high-speed commuter rail system. A long-term plan calls for at least 500 miles of subway and light rail routes, and there are discussions on expanding beyond that.