Letter from America

摘要

When Edmonton, Alberta, inaugurated its pioneering light rail line back in 1978, we all thought it was a one-off. Nobody else, we knew, was going to follow because nothing could reverse the inexorable trend against rail transit in the U. S. and Canada. But our crystal ball was wrong.Today, 15 light rail systems built after Edmonton's are operating, in addition to the 7 heritage streetcar systems that endured due to various special circumstances, such as tunnels or lengthy stretches of private right-of-way, or extremely heavy ridership as in Toronto. And four more are under construction plus others on the drawing boards.