LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT: A MODERN RENAISSANCE

The evolution of light rail transit from the earliest street railways is traced. Between the demise of the electric interurban and streetcar systems and the resurgence in urban rail transit, the concept of light rail was lost. The rediscovery is not now motivated by sentimentality, but on the inherent advantages of this technology. Rapidly increasing costs in heavy rail development and uncertainty about new transit technology served to spark the new interest. It offers the opportunity to initiate rail transit development at rather modest costs. The flexibility of light rail technology allows transit service, system capacity and available resources to be traded off in a variety of ways.

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/sr/sr161/sr161-001.pdf
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/0360859X
• Supplemental Notes:
  • 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
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board (TRB)

  Washington, DC   
• Authors:
  • Mills, James R
• Conference:
  • National Conference on Light Rail Transit
  • Location: Philadelphia Pennsylvania, United States
  • Date: 1975-6-23 to 1975-6-25
• Publication Date: 1975

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Pagination: pp 3-6
• Monograph Title: Light rail transit
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Board Special Report
  • Issue Number: 161
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0360-859X

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alternatives analysis; Costs; Development; Evaluation; Light rail transit; Public transit; Streetcars; Transportation planning; Urban transportation
• Subject Areas: Finance; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Passenger Transportation; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; Railroads;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00129804
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Apr 21 1981 12:00AM