LIGHT RAIL: PROSPECTS AND PERSPECTIVES

In the 1970s this author, while employed by Regional Plan Association (RPA), a New York region-based planning and research not-for-profit organization, participated in two large studies that sought to define the land use conditions consistent with a variety of public transit modes. In "Public Transportation and Land Use Policy", transit cost and demand estimates were determined for hypothesized residential and nonresidential densities and development patterns. The result was a generalized topography of "where transit works." Modes examined included taxi, dial-a-bus, local bus, express bus, light rail, automated guideway transit, rapid transit, and commuter rail. Following this effort, in "Urban Rail in America", a more specific effort to define appropriate demand thresholds for light rail, rapid transit, and downtown people movers was undertaken. These thresholds, based on service frequency, operating savings, capital investment levels, and energy and savings, were applied to the major urban regions in America to establish a generalized level of national investment for fixed-guideway transit. The findings of these two works as they relate to light rail are reviewed briefly because such material is readily available elsewhere. The primary focus of this paper is on observations about light rail from the perspective of a planner who is currently responsible for helping to shape the future transit system of the fourth largest transit system in the nation, NJ Transit. (Author)

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/state-of-the-art/2/2-004.pdf
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0309039177
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper appeared in Transportation Research Board State-of-the-Art Report 2, Light Rail Transit: System Design for Cost-Effectiveness. Presented at the Conference on Light Rail Transit held May 8-10, 1985, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
• Authors:
  • Zupan, J M
• Conference:
  • Conference on Light Rail Transit
  • Location: Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, United States
  • Date: 1985-5-8 to 1985-5-10
• Publication Date: 1985

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References;
• Pagination: p. 13-15
• Monograph Title: Light rail transit: system design for cost-effectiveness
• Serial:
  • State-of-the-Art Report
  • Issue Number: 2
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0892-6891

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Demand; Land use; Light rail transit; Line extensions (Rail transit); People movers; Policy; Rail transit; Rapid transit; Transportation planning; Urban renewal
• Uncontrolled Terms: Thresholds
• Geographic Terms: New Jersey
• Old TRIS Terms: Fixed-guideway transit
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Economics; Finance; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Policy; Public Transportation; Society; I10: Economics and Administration;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00457380
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309039177
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Aug 27 2004 10:01PM