Light rail in the United States

Light rail is defined in the United States (and elsewhere) as a mode of electrified (or in a few exceptional cases, diesel-powered) rail-based transit, usually urban in nature, which is distinguished by operation in routes of generally exclusive, though not necessarily grade-separated, rights-of-way. This is distinguished from 'heavy rail' systems, also known as rapid transit or 'metro' (e.g. subway and/or elevated), which are fully grade-separated from other traffic, and which are characterized by higher passenger capacities than light rail. Arguably, traditional streetcars (also known as trolleys in the North America, or as trams outside of North America especially in Europe), which is rail-based transit that takes place in shared roadways with automobile traffic (i.e. with street running) and thus doesn't operate in exclusive rights-of-way, can be considered to be a sub-set of light rail, though the two modes of transit are often treated as distinct in the United States.

Light rail transit in the United States

Two Hudson-Bergen Light Rail trains in Jersey City, New Jersey, USA.

According to the American Public Transportation Association, of the 30-odd cities with light rail systems in the United States, the light rail systems in six of them (Boston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Portland (Oregon), San Diego, and San Francisco) achieve more than 30 million unlinked passenger transits per year.[1]

The United States has a number of light rail systems in its mid-sized to large cities. In the oldest legacy systems, such as in Boston, Cleveland, Newark, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and San Francisco, the light rail is vestigal from the first-generation streetcar systems of the 19th and early 20th centuries, but were spared the fate of other streetcar systems due these systems having some grade separation from traffic and high ridership.[2] A number of second-generation light rail systems were inaugurated in the 1980s starting with San Diego in 1981, with a few more built in the 1990s,[2] and many more opened in lower density cities since the early 2000s.

History of streetcars and light rail in the United States

From the mid-19th century onwards, horse-drawn trams (or horsecars) were used in cities around the world. The St. Charles Avenue Line of New Orleans' streetcar system is the oldest continuously operating street railway system in the world, beginning operation as a horse-drawn system in 1835.[3]

From the late 1880s onwards, electrically powered street railways became technically feasible following the invention of a trolley pole system of collecting current by American inventor Frank J. Sprague who installed the first successful electrified trolley system in Richmond, Virginia in 1888. They became popular because roads were then poorly surfaced, and before the invention of the internal combustion engine and the advent of motor-buses, they were the only practical means of public transport around cities.[4]

The streetcar systems constructed in the 19th and early 20th centuries typically only ran in single-car setups. Some rail lines experimented with multiple unit configurations, where streetcars were joined together to make short trains, but this did not become common until later. When lines were built over longer distances (typically with a single track) before good roads were common, they were generally called interurban streetcars or radial railways in North America.

Legacy systems

After World War II, six major cities in the United States (Boston, Newark, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, San Francisco; Toronto in Canada marks the seventh city in North America with a continuing first-generation streetcar system) continued to operate large first-generation streetcar systems.[2] Additionally, a seventh American city, Cleveland, maintained an interurban system (e.g. the Blue and Green Lines) equivalent to what is now "light rail", that opened before World War I, and which is still in operation to this day.[2]

Location System Year
originally
opened[5]		 Lines Current
type		 Comments
Boston MBTA Green Line,
Ashmont–Mattapan
High Speed Line		 1897,
1929		 4,
1		 Light rail While changes were made to the original 1897 Tremont Street Subway in 1962 and 2004, and to some of the line routes over the years, and the Green Line's streetcar "A" Branch was closed in 1967, both systems have run intact with mostly uninterrupted service since their opening dates.
Cleveland Blue and Green Lines 1913 2 Light rail
(Interurban)		 Aside from line and station renovations in the early 1980s, and the Waterfront extension in 1996, these lines have operated essentially uninterrupted as light rail/interurbans from their opening.
Newark Newark Light Rail
(aka. Newark City Subway)		 1935 2 Light rail Outside of an extension in 2002, and the switch to modern LRT vehicles in 2001, this line still operates essentially unchanged since the 1930s. A second, modern LRT line, called the Broad Street Extension, opened in 2006.
New Orleans New Orleans Streetcars 1835 4 Heritage streetcar The St. Charles Avenue Line of the New Orleans streetcar system is the oldest continuously operating street railway system in the world, beginning operation as a horse-drawn system in 1835; the line was electrified in 1893. The Canal Street Line dates to 1861, and was electrified in 1894; however, the line was closed in May 1964, and wasn't re-inaugurated with restored service until 2004. The Riverfront Line and Loyala Avenue Line are "new", and didn't open for service until 1988 and 2013, respectively.
Philadelphia SEPTA Routes:
Subway–Surface Trolley, Route 101 & 102 Trolley Lines, Girard Avenue Line		 1906 (both),
(1859)/2005		 5,
2,
1		 Light rail / Streetcar,
Heritage streetcar		 The Subway–Surface Trolley Lines began operation as a mixed subway (Market Street Tunnel)/streetcar system in 1906, and have continued operation essentially unchanged, including the use of single-car trolley vehicles, since that time – however, three of the original eight lines were replaced by buses in the 1950s.
Similarly, SEPTA Routes 101 & 102 (aka. the Media-Sharon Lines) began operation as rail lines in mostly exclusive rights-of-way (i.e. light rail) in 1906, and have also operated mostly unchanged since then.
Additionally, SEPTA Route 15 (aka. the Girard Avenue Line) dates to 1859 as a horse car line, and was electrified in 1895; it was replaced with buses relatively late, in 1992, but service on the line was resumed with heritage streetcars in 2005 – a portion of the line is closed for construction, but is approximately scheduled to reopen in 2016.
Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Light Rail 1903 / 1984-87 2 Light rail Began as a first-generation streetcar network (operated by Pittsburgh Railways), but was converted to light rail. By the 1970s, most of the original streetcar routes (now operated by PAT) were converted to bus, and it was decided to renovate the remaining streetcar lines (all of which still used the 1904 Mt. Washington Transit Tunnel) as light rail. This included the construction of a new 1.1 miles (1.8 km) downtown subway tunnel section. The converted light rail system opened for service in 1984, with the downtown subway tunnel opened in 1985, and the rest of the system opened in 1987. The light rail system was further renovated in 2004. A subway extension to the North Shore opened in 2012.
San Francisco Muni Metro,
F Market & Wharves		 1917 / 1980-82 7,
1		 Light rail / Streetcar,
Heritage streetcar		 Began as a first-generation streetcar network, but was partially converted to light rail. While most of San Francisco's original streetcar lines had been converted to buses in the post-World War II years, five lines that had dedicated rights-of-way or used narrow tunnels (e.g. the Twin Peaks Tunnel and the Sunset Tunnel) could not be converted to buses. By the 1950s and 1960s, planning for the Market Street Subway was undertaken that would serve both the planned rapid transit BART system, and operate as a new subway tunnel for the five remaining streetcar lines. The partial switch to the Muni Metro light rail/subway service began in 1980, with full service commencing in 1982 – while operation in the Market Street Subway portion of Muni Metro can be considered true "light rail" service, the remaining surface portions of the five original Muni Metro lines still operate as streetcars. The surface Market Street streetcar line ceased service in 1982; however, it was continued as a seasonal summertime "festival" streetcar line – full surface streetcar service was restored to Market Street in 1995 as the heritage streetcar F Market & Wharves line. A sixth Muni Metro line, called T Third Street, operating as a true "light rail" line, was added to the system in 2007; a new subway extension of this line, called the Central Subway, is under construction, and is scheduled to open in 2019.

When several of these cities upgraded to new technology (e.g. San Francisco, Newark, and Pittsburgh), they called it "light rail" to differentiate it from their existing streetcar systems since some continued to operate portions of both the old and new systems.

Second-generation systems

In the United States, most of the original first-generation streetcar systems were decommissioned from the 1950s onward through approximately 1970 as the popularity of the automobile increased. Although a few traditional streetcar or trolley systems still exist to this day (e.g. New Orleans), the term "light rail" has come to mean a different type of rail system. Modern light rail technology has primarily German origins, since an attempt by Boeing Vertol to introduce a new American light rail vehicle was a technical failure. After World War II, the Germans retained their streetcar (Straßenbahn) networks and evolved them into model light rail systems (Stadtbahn). Except for Hamburg, all large and most medium-sized German cities maintain light rail (Stadtbahn) networks.[6]

The renaissance of light rail in the United States began in 1981, when the first truly second-generation light rail system was inaugurated in the United States, in San Diego, California; the San Diego system adopted the German Siemens-Duewag U2 as the light rail vehicle. (This was just three years after the first North American second-generation light rail system opened in the Canadian city of Edmonton, Alberta in 1978, and which used the same German Siemens-Duewag U2 light rail vehicles as San Diego's system adopted.)[2]

Historically, the rail gauge has had considerable variations, with a variety of gauges common in many early systems (e.g. the broad Pennsylvania trolley gauge, etc. used by New Orleans' streetcars and by the light rail systems in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh). However, most modern second-generation light rail systems now operate on standard gauge rail.[6] An important advantage of standard gauge is that standard railway maintenance equipment can be used on it, rather than custom-built machinery. Using standard gauge also allows light rail vehicles to be delivered and relocated conveniently using freight railways and locomotives. Another factor favoring standard gauge is that low-floor vehicles are becoming popular in second-generation light rail systems, and there is generally insufficient space for wheelchairs to move between the wheels in a narrow gauge layout.

List of light rail systems operating in the United States

As of July 2014, there are a total of over 45 operational light rail-type systems (noting that some cities, such as Philadelphia, Portland, San Francisco and Seattle, have more than one light rail system) that offer regular year-round transit service in the United States: 26 modern light rail systems,[7] 6 modern streetcar systems, and approximately 10 heritage streetcar systems (not including the San Francisco cable car system). These include the seven 'legacy' systems described above; the remainder are second-generation "modern" light rail (or streetcar) systems, or are "heritage" streetcar systems, opened since 1980.

The United States, with its 26 systems, has a much larger number of "true" light rail systems (i.e. not including streetcar and heritage streetcar systems), by far, compared to any other country in the world (the next largest are Germany with 10 light rail systems, and Japan with 7).[8]

All of the operational regular transit light rail and streetcar systems in the United States are listed in the following table:

City/Area served State System Year
opened		 System
length		 Stations Lines Year
last
expanded		 Type of vehicle System
type
Atlanta  GA Atlanta Streetcar[note 1] 2014[9] 2.7 mi (4.3 km)[9] 12[9] 1[9] n/a Siemens S70 Streetcar
Baltimore  MD Baltimore Light Rail[note 2] 1992 33.0 mi (53.1 km)[10] 33[10] 3[10] 2006 ABB Traction Light rail
Boston  MA MBTA Green Line[note 2][note 3] 1897[11] 22.6 mi (36.4 km)[12] 66[12] 4[12] 1959 Kinki Sharyo Type 7, AnsaldoBreda Type 8 Light rail
Boston  MA Ashmont–Mattapan
High Speed Line[note 2]		 1929[11] 2.6 mi (4.2 km)[12] 8[12] 1[12] n/a PCC streetcars (1943–46) Light rail[note 4]
Buffalo  NY Buffalo Metro Rail 1985 6.4 mi (10.3 km) 14[13] 1 n/a Tokyu Car Corporation Light rail
Camden–
Trenton		  NJ River LINE (NJ Transit)[14][15] 2004 34 mi (55 km)[14] 20[15] 1[15] n/a Stadler GTW Diesel
Light rail
Charlotte  NC Lynx Rapid Transit Services 2004 9.6 mi (15.4 km)[16] 15[16] 1[16] n/a Siemens S70 Light rail
Cleveland  OH Blue and Green Lines[note 5] 1913[17] 15.3 mi (24.6 km)[18] 34[18] 2[18] 1996 Breda LRVs Light rail
Dallas  TX Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) 1996[19] 85 mi (137 km)[20] 61[20] 4 2014[21] Kinki Sharyo Light rail
Dallas  TX Dallas Streetcar 2015 1.6 mi (2.6 km)[22] 4[22] 1[22] n/a Brookville Liberty[23] Streetcar
Dallas  TX McKinney Avenue Transit Authority 1989 4.2 mi (6.8 km) 12 1 2002 [various] Heritage streetcar
Denver  CO RTD Light Rail 1994[24] 47 mi (76 km)[25] 46[25] 6[25] 2013 Siemens SD-100 Light rail
Houston  TX METRORail 2004[26] 12.8 mi (20.6 km)[27] 24[28] 1[27] 2013[27] Siemens S70 Light rail
Jersey City  NJ Hudson–Bergen Light Rail
(NJ Transit)[14][29][note 2]		 2004 17 mi (27 km)[14] 24[29] 3[29] 2006 Kinki Sharyo Light rail
Kenosha  WI Kenosha Streetcar service[30] 2000[30] 2.0 mi (3.2 km)[30] 17[30] 1[30] n/a PCC A15-class (1951) Heritage streetcar
Little Rock  AR River Rail Streetcar[31] 2004[31] 3.4 mi (5.5 km)[31] 15[32] 1[32] 2007 Birney-type streetcars Heritage streetcar
Los Angeles  CA Metro Rail[note 2][note 6] 1990[33] 70.3 mi (113.1 km)[33] 65[33] 4[33] 2012[33] Siemens P2000, Nippon Sharyo P865 & P2020, AnsaldoBreda P2550 Light rail
Memphis  TN MATA Trolley[34] 1993[34] 6.3 mi (10.1 km) 25[35] 3[35] 2004[34] [various], plus replicas from Gomaco Trolley Company Heritage streetcar
Minneapolis–
Saint Paul		  MN METRO: Blue & Green lines 2004[36] 21.8 mi (35.1 km)[36][37] 37[36][37] 2[36][37] 2014 Bombardier Flexity Swift & Siemens S70 Light rail
Newark  NJ Newark Light Rail
(NJ Transit)[14][38][note 2]		 1935 6.2 mi (10.0 km)[14] 17[38] 2[38] 2006 Kinki Sharyo Light rail
New Orleans  LA New Orleans Streetcars[39][40] 1835 22.3 mi (35.9 km)[39][40] streetcar-like surface stops 4[39] 2013[39] Perley Thomas cars
and replicas		 Heritage streetcar
Norfolk  VA The Tide 2011[41] 7.4 mi (11.9 km)[42] 11[42] 1[42] n/a Siemens S70 Light rail
Oceanside–Escondido  CA SPRINTER 2008[43] 22 mi (35 km)[43] 15[43] 1[43] n/a Siemens VT642 Desiro DMUs Diesel
Light rail
Philadelphia  PA SEPTA Routes 101 and 102[note 2] 1906 11.9 mi (19.2 km)[44] 52[45] 2[45] ???? Kawasaki K cars Light rail
Philadelphia  PA SEPTA Subway–Surface
Trolley Lines[note 2]		 1906 19.8 mi (31.9 km)[44] 16[45] 5[45] ???? Kawasaki K cars Streetcar
Philadelphia  PA SEPTA Route 15
(Girard Avenue Trolley)[note 2]		 2005 8.4 mi (13.5 km)[45] ???? 1[45] n/a SEPTA PCC II Heritage streetcar
Phoenix  AZ Metro Light Rail 2008[46] 20 mi (32 km)[46] 28[46] 1[46] n/a Kinki Sharyo Light rail
Pittsburgh  PA The T:
Pittsburgh Light Rail		 1984 26.2 mi (42.2 km)[47] 53[47] 2[47] 2012[47] Siemens SD-400,
CAF Class 4300		 Light rail
Portland  OR MAX Light Rail 1986 52 mi (84 km)[48] 87[48] 4[48] 2009 Bombardier Type 1;
Siemens Types 2 & 3;
Siemens S70 Type 4		 Light rail
Portland  OR Portland Streetcar 2001[49] 7.35 mi (11.83 km)[49] 76[49] 2[49] 2012[49] Škoda 10 T,
Inekon Trams 12-Trio,
United Streetcar 100		 Streetcar
Sacramento  CA Sacramento RT Light Rail 1987[50] 38.6 mi (62.1 km)[50] 50[50] 3[50] 2012[50] Siemens–Duewag U2,
CAF Class 200		 Light rail
St. Louis  MO MetroLink 1993[51] 46 mi (74 km)[52] 37[52] 2[52] 2006 Siemens SD-400 and SD-460 Light rail
Salt Lake City  UT TRAX 1999 44.8 mi (72.1 km)[53] 50[54] 3[54] 2013 Siemens SD-100 and Siemens S70 Light rail
Salt Lake City  UT S Line 2013 2.0 mi (3.2 km) streetcar-like surface stops 1 n/a Siemens S70 Streetcar
San Diego  CA San Diego Trolley 1981[55] 53.5 mi (86.1 km)[55] 53[55] 3[55] 2005[55] Siemens SD-100 and Siemens S70 Light rail
San Diego  CA San Diego Trolley's Silver Line[56][57] 2011[57] 2.7 mi (4.3 km)[58] 9[57] 1[57] n/a PCC streetcar Heritage streetcar
San Francisco  CA Muni Metro[note 2] 1980[59] 35.7 mi (57.5 km)[59] 120[59][note 7] 6 (+1)[59] 2007 Breda LRVs (high floor) Streetcar
San Francisco  CA F Market & Wharves line[60][61][note 2] 1995[61][62] 6.2 mi (10.0 km)[60] 32[60] 1[60] 2000 PCC streetcars & others Heritage streetcar
San Francisco  CA San Francisco
cable car system[60][63][note 8]		 1878[63] 5.2 mi (8.4 km) streetcar-like surface stops 3[60][63] 1952 Historic Cable cars Cable car
/Heritage streetcar
San Jose  CA Santa Clara VTA Light Rail 1987[64][65] 42.2 mi (67.9 km)[64] 62[64] 3[64] 2005[64] Kinki Sharyo LFLRV Light rail
Seattle  WA Central Link (Sound Transit) 2009 15.6 mi (25.1 km)[66] 13[66] 1[66] n/a Kinkisharyo-Mitsui Light rail
Seattle  WA Seattle Streetcar:
South Lake Union (SLU) Line		 2007[67] 1.3 mi (2.1 km)[68] 11[68] 1[68] n/a Inekon Trams 12-Trio Streetcar
Tacoma  WA Tacoma Link (Sound Transit) 2003 1.6 mi (2.6 km)[66] 6[66] 1[66] n/a Škoda 10 T Light rail
Tampa  FL TECO Line Streetcar System[69] 2002 2.7 mi (4.3 km)[69] 11[70] 1[70] 2010 Birney-type streetcars Heritage streetcar
Tucson  AZ Sun Link 2014[71] 3.9 mi (6.3 km)[71] 22 1 n/a United Streetcar Streetcar
Notes
  1. ↑ This system also has a heavy rail rapid transit/metro portion (see List of metro systems); the figures and statistics presented here represent the light rail portion of the system only.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 2.10 This system also has a heavy rail rapid transit/metro portion (see List of metro systems), and connections to a commuter rail system; the figures and statistics presented here represent the light rail portion of the system only.
  3. ↑ While the MBTA Green Line is light rail, the MBTA Blue, Orange, and Red lines of the MTBA system are rapid transit/subways and are not included here.
  4. ↑ The Ashmont–Mattapan High Speed Line is run with historic PCC streetcar rolling stock, but is considered by the MBTA to be a regular light rail line rather than a "heritage streetcar" line.
  5. ↑ While the Blue and Green Lines are light rail, Cleveland's other transit line, the Red Line, is rapid transit.
  6. ↑ This includes just the light rail lines (Blue, Expo, Gold and Green lines) of L.A. Metro Rail only. The Red and Purple lines of L.A. Metro are rapid transit/subway lines and are not included here.
  7. ↑ Muni Metro: 33 stations (9 underground; 24 surface), with an additional 87 streetcar-like surface stops.
  8. ↑ It is debatable whether this system truly qualifies as "light rail" (or as a true "transit" system either), but it is included in the table anyway for completeness.

Light rail systems in the United States under construction

The following table lists entirely new light rail or streetcar systems under heavy construction.[72] LRT systems that are in the planning stages (e.g. Los Angeles Streetcar), but not yet under construction, are not listed; expansions of existing LRT systems are also not listed here.

City/Area served State System Planned
opening		 System length Type of vehicle System type
Charlotte  NC CityLYNX Gold Line 2015 1.5 mi (2.4 km)[73] Gomaco Streetcar
Cincinnati  OH Cincinnati Streetcar 2016 3.6 mi (5.8 km)[74] CAF Urbos 3 Streetcar
Dallas  TX Dallas Oak Cliff Streetcar 2015 1.6 mi (2.6 km)[22] BEC Liberty Streetcar
Detroit  MI Detroit M-1 Rail Line 2016 3.3 mi (5.3 km)[75] Inekon Streetcar
Honolulu  HI Honolulu High-Capacity Transit Corridor Project 2017 20 mi (32 km)[76] AnsaldoBreda Light rail
Kansas City  MO Kansas City Downtown Streetcar 2015 2 mi (3.2 km)[77] CAF Urbos 3 Streetcar
Washington, D.C.  DC DC Streetcar
(H Street NE/Benning Road Line)		 2015 2.4 mi (3.9 km)[78] United Streetcar Streetcar

See also

References

  1. ↑ "American Public Transportation Association (APTA) - Transit Ridership Report - Fourth Quarter 2012" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association (APTA) (via: http://www.apta.com/resources/statistics/Pages/RidershipArchives.aspx). March 2013. Retrieved 2013-07-13.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 "This Is Light Rail Transit" (PDF). Transportation Research Board. pp. 7–9. Retrieved 2014-08-06.
  3. ↑ "About the RTA". New Orleans Regional Transit Authority. Retrieved 2013-05-14.
  4. ↑ Taplin, Michael (1998). "The History of Tramways and Evolution of Light Rail". Light Rail Transit Association.
  5. ↑ Demery, Jr., Leroy W. (October 25, 2010). "U.S. Urban Rail Transit Lines Opened From 1980: Appendix". publictransit.us. Retrieved 2014-07-24.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Bottoms, Glen (2000). Continuing Developments in Light Rail Transit in Western Europe (PDF). 9th Annual Light Rail Transit Conference, Portland, Oregon: Light Rail Transit Association. Retrieved 2007-01-02.
  7. ↑ Johnson, Matt (January 12, 2015). "See America's light rail and streetcars at the same scale". Greater Greater Washington. Retrieved 2015-01-14.
  8. ↑ Taplin, Michael. "A world of trams and urban transit". lrta.org. Light Rail Transit Association (LRTA). Retrieved 2014-08-07.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 "A Better Way to Get Around". Atlanta Streetcar. Retrieved 2014-12-30.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 "Visitors Ride Guide" (PDF). Maryland Transit Administration (via: http://mta.maryland.gov/content/visitors). Retrieved 2013-07-14.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 "MTBA - About the MTBA - History - The Rapid Transit Commission and the BERY". Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. 2013. Retrieved 2013-08-07.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.5 "About the T - Financials - Appendix: Statistical Profile" (PDF). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. 2007. Retrieved 2013-07-13.
  13. ↑ "Metro Rail 7 Day Timetable" (PDF). NTFA-Metro. July 2, 2013. Retrieved 2013-08-07.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 14.5 "NJ Transit Facts At a Glance Fiscal Year 2014" (PDF). NJ Transit. March 2015. Retrieved 2015-04-02.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 "River Line - Light Rail" (PDF). NJ Transit. March 2013. Retrieved 2013-07-14.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 "LYNX Home". Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS). Retrieved 2013-08-07.
  17. ↑ "About RTA: History of Public Transit in Greater Cleveland". Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority. 2012. Retrieved 2013-07-21.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 "2012 Annual Report - Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority". Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority. December 31, 2012. Retrieved 2013-07-21.
  19. ↑ "DART.org - DART History". Dallas Area Rapid Transit. 2013. Retrieved 2013-07-23.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 "Facts about Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART)". Dallas Area Rapid Transit. February 26, 2013. Retrieved 2013-07-23.
  21. ↑ "Orange Line now direct between the airport and downtown DFW Airport Station Connects DART to the World". Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART). August 18, 2014. Retrieved 2015-01-10.
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 "Dallas Streetcar". Dallas Area Rapid Transit. Retrieved 2015-04-12.
  23. ↑ "Dallas signs Liberty deal". Tramways & Urban Transit, May 2013, p. 166.
  24. ↑ "RTD - Facts & Figures - Central Corridor Light Rail Line". Regional Transportation District. January 2013. Retrieved 2013-07-23.
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 "RTD - Facts & Figures". Regional Transportation District. May 24, 2013. Retrieved 2013-07-23.
  26. ↑ "FY2012 Business Plan & Budget" (PDF). Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Houston, Texas. 2012. Retrieved 2013-08-10.
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 27.2 "METRO About Us". Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Houston, Texas. Retrieved 2013-07-23.
  28. ↑ "METRORail Rider Guide" (PDF). Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Houston, Texas. December 22, 2013. Retrieved 2014-01-08.
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 29.2 "Hudson-Bergen - Light Rail" (PDF). NJ Transit. March 2013. Retrieved 2013-07-14.
  30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 30.2 30.3 30.4 "Streetcar Route Map" (PDF). Kenosha Streetcars Today (via: http://www.kenoshastreetcarsociety.org/today). Retrieved 2013-07-14.
  31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 31.2 "River Rail - Central Arkansas Transit Authority". Central Arkansas Transit Authority (CATA). Retrieved 2013-08-18.
  32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 "River Rail System Map" (png). Central Arkansas Transit Authority (CATA). 2013. Retrieved 2013-07-14.
  33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 33.2 33.3 33.4 "L.A. Metro - Facts at a Glance". Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro). June 13, 2013. Retrieved 2013-06-28.
  34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 34.2 "MATA - Memphis Area Transit Authority - Trolley History". Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA). 2013. Retrieved 2013-08-18.
  35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 "MATA - Memphis Area Transit Authority - Trolley Map". Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA). 2013. Retrieved 2013-08-18.
  36. ↑ 36.0 36.1 36.2 36.3 "METRO Blue Line - Facts About Trains and Construction". Metro Transit. 2013. Retrieved 2014-06-15.
  37. ↑ 37.0 37.1 37.2 "Metro Green Line Fact Sheet". Metropolitan Council. 2014. Retrieved 2014-06-15.
  38. ↑ 38.0 38.1 38.2 "Newark - Light Rail" (PDF). NJ Transit. June 2013. Retrieved 2013-07-14.
  39. ↑ 39.0 39.1 39.2 39.3 "New Orleans Streetcars - New Orleans Online". The Official Tourism Site of the City of New Orleans: NewOrleansOnline.com. 2013. Retrieved 2013-07-16.
  40. ↑ 40.0 40.1 "APTA Streetcar and Heritage Trolley Site - New Orleans Overview". American Public Transportation Association. Retrieved 2013-07-16.
  41. ↑ "Light Rail Service to Begin August 19, 2011". Hampton Roads Transit. Retrieved 2013-08-10.
  42. ↑ 42.0 42.1 42.2 "The Tide - Hampton Roads Transit". Hampton Roads Transit. 2013. Retrieved 2013-07-15.
  43. ↑ 43.0 43.1 43.2 43.3 "NCTD Sprinter". North County Transit District (NCTD). 2013. Retrieved 2013-06-30.
  44. ↑ 44.0 44.1 Demery, Jr., Leroy W. (November 2011). "U.S. Urban Rail Transit Lines Opened From 1980" (PDF). publictransit.us. pp. 37–40. Retrieved 2013-11-02.
  45. ↑ 45.0 45.1 45.2 45.3 45.4 45.5 "SEPTA - Spring 2012 Route Statistics" (PDF). Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority. 2012. Retrieved 2013-06-28.
  46. ↑ 46.0 46.1 46.2 46.3 "Light Rail System 2011 Facts and Figures" (PDF). Valley Metro. August 14, 2012. Retrieved 2013-07-15.
  47. ↑ 47.0 47.1 47.2 47.3 "Port Authority of Allegheny County - Company Info & Projects - Agency Profile". Port Authority of Allegheny County (PAT). 2013. Retrieved 2013-07-15.
  48. ↑ 48.0 48.1 48.2 "TriMet At-a-Glance". TriMet. 2014. p. 6. Retrieved 2014-08-06.
  49. ↑ 49.0 49.1 49.2 49.3 49.4 "Streetcar History | Portland Streetcar". Portland Streetcar, Inc. 2012. Retrieved 2013-06-30.
  50. ↑ 50.0 50.1 50.2 50.3 50.4 "Sacramento Regional Transit District: Fact Sheet" (PDF). Sacramento Regional Transit District. September 2012. Retrieved 2013-06-30.
  51. ↑ "History - The 1990s - MetroLink". Bi-State Development Agency (Metro). 2010. Retrieved 2013-08-11.
  52. ↑ 52.0 52.1 52.2 "Procurement Information". Bi-State Development Agency (Metro). 2010. Retrieved 2013-08-11.
  53. ↑ "Front Lines 2015 Map" (PDF). Utah Transit Authority. Retrieved 2013-07-02.
  54. ↑ 54.0 54.1 "TRAX and FrontRunner Map" (PDF). Utah Transit Authority. April 2013. Retrieved 2013-08-11.
  55. ↑ 55.0 55.1 55.2 55.3 55.4 "San Diego Trolley Fact Sheet" (PDF). San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (via: http://www.sdmts.com/Trolley/TrolleyFactSheet.asp). February 2011. Retrieved 2013-06-21.
  56. ↑ "San Diego MTS Vintage Trolley". San Diego Metropolitan Transit System. 2013. Retrieved 2013-06-22.
  57. ↑ 57.0 57.1 57.2 57.3 "San Diego Vintage Trolley". San Diego Vintage Trolley, Inc. 2013. Retrieved 2013-06-22.
  58. ↑ "San Diego Vintage Trolley - Route and Fares". San Diego Vintage Trolley, Inc. 2013. Retrieved 2013-08-18.
  59. ↑ 59.0 59.1 59.2 59.3 "Muni Metro Light Rail | SFMTA". San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. 2013. Retrieved 2013-06-30.
  60. ↑ 60.0 60.1 60.2 60.3 60.4 60.5 "Rider Information – Market Street Railway". Market Street Railway. Retrieved 2013-08-18.
  61. ↑ 61.0 61.1 "Historic of Market Street Railway". San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. 2013. Retrieved 2013-06-30.
  62. ↑ "Historic Streetcars | SFMTA". Market Street Railway. 2013. Retrieved 2013-06-30.
  63. ↑ 63.0 63.1 63.2 "Cable Cars | SFMTA". San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. 2013. Retrieved 2013-06-30.
  64. ↑ 64.0 64.1 64.2 64.3 64.4 "VTA Facts: Light Rail System Overview" (PDF). Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA). November 14, 2012. Retrieved 2013-06-30.
  65. ↑ "Light Rail Service – Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority". Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA). 2013. Retrieved 2013-06-30.
  66. ↑ 66.0 66.1 66.2 66.3 66.4 66.5 "Schedules – SoundTransit". SoundTransit. 2013. Retrieved 2013-06-30.
  67. ↑ "The Seattle Streetcar Network". Seattle Streetcar. Retrieved 2013-08-11.
  68. ↑ 68.0 68.1 68.2 "South Lake Union Streetcar (SLU)". Seattle Streetcar. Retrieved 2013-06-30.
  69. ↑ 69.0 69.1 "TECO Line Streetcar System – Streetcar System". TECOline Streetcar System. 2012. Retrieved 2013-07-02.
  70. ↑ 70.0 70.1 "Downtown Network Map" (PDF). Hillsborough Area Transit Authority (HART). February 2013. Retrieved 2013-07-02.
  71. ↑ 71.0 71.1 "Why do we need a streetcar? – The streetcar route". Sun Link Tucson Streetcar. Retrieved 2014-07-26.
  72. ↑ "APTA Streetcar and Heritage Trolley Site - Future Systems". American Public Transportation Association (APTA). Retrieved 2014-01-11.
  73. ↑ "CityLYNX Gold Line". Charlotte Area Transit System. Retrieved 2014-02-26.
  74. ↑ "Streetcar – Design & Route". City of Cincinnati. 2014. Retrieved 2014-01-11.
  75. ↑ "About M-1 Rail". M-1 Rail. Retrieved 2014-08-03.
  76. ↑ "Facts and Figures – Honolulu". Honolulu Rail Transit. Retrieved 2014-01-11.
  77. ↑ "KC Downtown Streetcar" (PDF). kcstreetcar.org. Kansas City Advertising & Marketing Agency. 2014. Retrieved 2014-07-06.
  78. ↑ "DC Streetcar - H/Benning". District Department of Transportation (DDOT). 2014. Retrieved 2014-01-11.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Light rail in the United States.