FOREWARD TO LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT

The papers presented in this report cover a wide range of subjects related to light rail transit including a description of system concepts, such as performance characteristics of such transit; comparison with other modes; and applications. The technology and operational aspects of light rail transit are treated in a set of papers that address permanent way requirements, electrification and control systems, and U.S. and foreign vehicle developments. Of major significance are the economic considerations of light rail transit. A number of papers also discuss the various costs of construction, operation, and maintenance as well as social costs and benefits. The observation is made that the current trend to move away from a unimodal solution to a system that blends a number of discrete transit elements, each of which is closely tailored to demands and local conditions, should make light rail transit desirable for cities that require a fixed guideway system.