Are Benefits of Light Rail Worth Sacrifices of Foregone Bus Service

In 1945, use of public transit accounted for more than half of the urban travel done in the United States. By 2004, this figure had dropped to less than 3%, despite substantial government subsidies for public transit since the mid 1960s. In an effort to increase the percentage of urban travel on public transit, urban areas are often turning to light rail as an alternative to bus service. The author studies light rail efficiency and cost after analyzing operations in 19 of 20 cities with both light rail and bus service.