Light Rail
New Transit Lines Open Early, Under Budget
New TRAX light rail lines in Salt Lake City opened a year early and 20% under budget.
One Lane, One Way, $1 Billion
The weekend closure of the 405 freeway in L.A. highlights the city's limited mobility but also the skewed way transit and transportation projects are debated.
Keeping Rail On Track
Rail projects throughout the U.S. are hard hit by the downturn in the economy. The agencies behind them are trying to find ways to keep the projects from falling apart.
Detroit Finalizes Light Rail Route
The City of Detroit has finalized the route of a planned light rail line traveling down one the of the city's main corridors and linking to downtown.
The Bus and The Train Are Friends
Bus rapid transit has seen a recent spike in interest, and with that interest has come the analysis that BRT takes away from light rail projects and vice versa. But as this post points out, they need each other and work better when both are around.
Light Rail Among Cuts in Proposed North Carolina Budget
A new budget proposal in North Carolina could pull all funding for a long-planned extension of Charlotte's light rail system.
Billion Dollar Rail Proposed in Victoria
Planners in Victoria, British Columbia, are proposing a new light rail line for the city. Despite its $1 billion price tag, the transit line is expected to see wide support.
Friday Funny: Detroit Light Rail in the House
Enjoy this detailed demonstration of Detroit's Light Rail Proposal, using rap and LEGOs to communicate the message that light rail in the center of the road is better than then on the sides.
Hawaii Gets Mass Transit
A rapid transit system gets closer to reality in Honolulu as officials conduct groundbreaking ceremony, while some still object to the project for aesthetic reasons.
Transit Breaks Ground in Honolulu, But Will Development Follow?
Ground has broken on Honolulu's long-planned rail system, but locals still worry that the new transit won't lure new development to town.
New TOD Residents Become Anti-Transit NIMBYs
King Farm, a 440-acre development in the D.C. suburbs, was designed to be the perfect transit-oriented development, with a light rail to be built later. Now, residents have decided they don't want the transit to ever be built.
Staten Islanders Keep it in the Borough
The need to replace the Bayonne Bridge has inspired a discussion on Staten Island over including transit, and possibly light rail, over the new span. Yonah Freemark looks at the numbers, and isn't so sure.
DC Streetcars to Be a Shot in the Arm
It was nearly 50 years ago, when streetcars were seen on the roadways of downtown Washington, DC. Dan Tangherlini, the former transportation director for the District discusses why streetcars matter in the United States capital.
Slow Going for Light Rail in Dallas
A new 28-mile expansion makes the city's system is the largest in the nation, but is it actually changing travel habits? Yonah Freemark investigates.
Ridership Predictions Lowered, But Subway Plans Move Ahead
Despite predictions of ridership that are lower than previously thought, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency is still pushing ahead with plans to build a subway line in the center of the city.
Dark Clouds Over L.A.'s Light Rail
Los Angeles is in the midst of expanding its light rail system. But a new idea to speed up the process has backfired and caused delays and major increases in estimated costs.
Transit Transformation in New Orleans
Jonna McKone asks, "How can transportation and urban development—from housing to public spaces to landscaping—repair a blighted American city?"
Abu Dhabi Eyes Tram Network by 2014
Feasibility studies underway in Abu Dhabi predict that a new light rail tram network could be operational by 2014.
Light Rail Plans Emerge in Saudi Arabian Capital
The Saudi Arabian capital of Jeddah is looking to build a $5.6 billion light rail system.
Will Light Rail Kill Businesses?
Rick Harrison tells a parable of a small businessman who's auto shop is decimated when a traffic engineer decides to put a median on the adjoining road, eliminating left turns into his shop. Will light rail essentially do the same?
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