Status of North American Light Rail Transit Systems Year 2003 Update

摘要

This paper reports on changes and additions to light rail transit (LRT) and streetcar systems in the United States and Canada that have occurred since the last National Light Rail Conference was held in 2000. Although there were no completely new LRT start-ups during this period, there were ― somewhat amazingly ― the light diesel multiple unit (DMU) line in southern New Jersey, and four new "streetcar" lines: two (San Pedro, California, and Tampa, Florida) using actual or replica "vintage" trolleys, and two (Portland, Oregon, and Tacoma, Washington) using modem streetcars. In addition, several cities extended existing lines: Jersey City and Newark, New Jersey; St. Louis, Missouri; Dallas, Texas (both Dallas Area Rapid Transit LRT and McKinney Avenue streetcar); Denver, Colorado; Salt Lake City, Utah; Los Angeles, San Jose, and Sacramento, California; Portland. Oregon; and Calgary, Canada. These developments are discussed in the text and reflected in the accompanying data tables. The paper also provides an overview of ongoing work to further extend existing LRT systems in North America, and progress on still more new starts. In the latter category, Houston, Texas, and Minneapolis, Minnesota, are under construction; LRT projects in Seattle, Washington, and Charlotte, North Carolina, are advancing through design; and a light DMU line in southern California has received its Ml funding grant agreement. In summary, interest in and implementation of LRT projects continues apace, now joined by new streetcar and light DMU services.