I don't think light rail is a solution. Most light rail systems end up transporting people from rich white enclaves to city business and entertainment districts. The costs of the light rail projects come out of other transportation services, like buses, that are used by the poor.
Improved busing services would actually be much more helpful. For the cost of a single light rail line, a city could double or triple the amount of bus services they provide. (E.g. Phoenix's light rail line will cost $1.4 billion for a 20 mile run of a single line: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metro_Light_Rail_(Phoenix) ) .
Public transportation is pretty terrible in the US. But if you look at "successful" public transportation systems like New York, Boston and Chicago, you'll notice that they follow the heavy train trunk and bus service branches model, not the light rail model. Boston's Green Line may seem to be the exception to the rule, but there are only a few sections where Green line acts like a "light rail" system (with multiple stops a short distance apart while following surface roads). Most of the Green Line runs like the rest of the MBTA, with long runs between stations underground or their own rights of way.
I don't think light rail is a solution. Most light rail systems end up transporting people from rich white enclaves to city business and entertainment districts. The costs of the light rail projects come out of other transportation services, like buses, that are used by the poor.
ReplyDeleteImproved busing services would actually be much more helpful. For the cost of a single light rail line, a city could double or triple the amount of bus services they provide. (E.g. Phoenix's light rail line will cost $1.4 billion for a 20 mile run of a single line: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metro_Light_Rail_(Phoenix) ) .
Public transportation is pretty terrible in the US. But if you look at "successful" public transportation systems like New York, Boston and Chicago, you'll notice that they follow the heavy train trunk and bus service branches model, not the light rail model. Boston's Green Line may seem to be the exception to the rule, but there are only a few sections where Green line acts like a "light rail" system (with multiple stops a short distance apart while following surface roads). Most of the Green Line runs like the rest of the MBTA, with long runs between stations underground or their own rights of way.