RAIL TRANSIT IN AMERICA: A COMPREHENSIVE EVALUATION OF BENEFITS
This study analyzes the benefits of rail transit. The study is based on a detailed evaluation of transportation system performance in major cities in the United States. Results of the study indicate that metropolitan areas with large, well established rail transit systems have less traffic congestion, lower average per capita vehicle ownership and annual mileage, significantly higher per capita transit ridership, lower consumer expenditures on transportation, higher transit service cost recovery, and lower traffic death rates than otherwise comparable cities with less or no rail transit service. This suggests that rail transit systems provide social, environmental and economic benefits, and these benefits tend to increase as a system matures and expands. This report describes best practices for evaluating the benefits of public transit. It explores criticisms of investments in rail transit, and finds that many of the criticisms are based on inaccuracies.
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Supplemental Notes:
- This report is updated periodically while the text remains available at the URL indicated above. The actual date of publication, pagination, and other features may differ from that indicated in this record.
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Corporate Authors:
Victoria Transport Policy Institute
1250 Rudlin Street
Victoria, British Columbia Canada V8V 3R7 -
Authors:
- Litman, T
- Publication Date: 2015-12-10
Language
- English
Media Info
- Features: Figures; References; Tables;
- Pagination: 51 p.
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Analysis; Benefits; Best practices; Cities; Consumers; Cost recovery; Economic benefits; Environmental protection; Evaluation; Expenditures; Fatalities; Highway traffic; Investments; Motor vehicles; Ownership; Performance; Public transit; Rail transit; Ridership; Social benefits; Traffic congestion; Traffic crashes
- Uncontrolled Terms: Criticisms
- Geographic Terms: United States
- Subject Areas: Economics; Environment; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 00981868
- Record Type: Publication
- Files: TRIS
- Created Date: Nov 2 2004 12:00AM