Light-Rail Projects Provide Options, Help Manage Growth

This article suggests that new light rail projects will become more common worldwide as the majority of people live in cities instead of rural areas and traffic problems grow. The article describes three current light-rail projects'one in Seattle, Washington, another in Charlotte, North Carolina, and a third in Oceanside, California. The first section of Seattle's Link system, which is the only section currently under construction, will connect downtown Seattle with Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and. The second will extend from downtown Seattle to the University of Washington, while the third segment will run from downtown Seattle to Bellevue and Redmond. The Sprinter light-rail system, which will carry passengers between Oceanside and Escondido, is under construction and is linked to a number of other transportation systems including Amtrak. The Charlotte light-rail project, known as the Lynx Blue Line, is being constructed alongside two of Charlotte's five major travel corridors. Details are provided for each of the projects.