Post Carbon Cities Blog
Portland, Oregon has reaped the benefits of its light rail and streetcar lines -- and is adding more, to the delight of public transport aficionados like me. Other U.S. cities are also adding rail-based transit or restoring some of the rail that existed in the past.
Portland, Oregon has reaped the benefits of its light rail and streetcar lines -- and is adding more, to the delight of public transport aficionados like me. Other U.S. cities are also adding rail-based transit or restoring some of the rail that existed in the past.
By Laurel Hoyt, Post Carbon Cities Program Staff
The Post Carbon Cities office is located in downtown Portland, Oregon two short blocks from the MAX light rail line. I may like this aspect of the location even better than the beautiful view from our 10th-story office window. Riding the train into town for work just seems so civilized -- and it is always impressive to look at the fellow passengers crowded together and visualize that many more cars on the street.
It's also a thankfulness exercise for this life-long environmentalist: according to TriMet (the Portland region's transit organization), 70% of the people on the light rail are "choice riders": that is, they have a car available or choose not to own one. MAX light rail results in the elimination of 72,000 car trips each weekday; combined with TriMet's impressive bus system, that's 201,800 car trips eliminated every day -- 63.2 million trips per year. No wonder we're laying tracks for more rail lines!
Building (or rebuilding) a rail network is not just limited to Portland. Streetcars are on the rise:
"...dozens of cities are building new streetcar lines. Charlotte, Little Rock, Memphis and Tampa, to name a few, are putting either vintage or antique cars on their streetcar lines or even brand-new cars with the sharp, clean angles that resemble those you see on light-rail lines. They join cities such as New Orleans that never got rid of their old streetcar lines in the first place." (Governing.com, "The Streetcar Surge," Nov 2007)
Add to that list New Haven, CT, Kenosha, WI, and the D.C. area, which are also investing in new, revitalized, or expanded light rail systems.
Streetcars, like light rail, take cars off the streets and make them safer and more friendly to pedestrians, creating the walkable, livable streets that many towns are striving for. Streetcars also have "retro" appeal and may be considered a tourist attraction or focal point of local pride. And as we head into a more uncertain energy future, light rail and streetcars have several other excellent qualities to recommend them:
- They reduce greenhouse gas emissions and pollution: Lessened dependency on private motorized vehicles will also help reduce emissions that contribute to climate change. (Public Transportation's Contribution to Greenhouse Gas Reduction, from the American Public Transportation Association)
- They create greater equity (and security) in providing more transportation options: Increasing transportation options means more mobility and independence for more people -- including those who cannot drive cars (the young, the old, the impoverished, the vision impaired) or simply choose not to do so. Isolation springing from lack of mobility can make people more vulnerable in uncertain times; they will be less able, on an ongoing basis, to access needed services. This can exacerbate health problems (through poor nutrition), and is notably a problem for the growing aging population.
- They encourage a more sustainable urban form: Many cities and municipalities are experimenting with "transit oriented development"; the density and mixture of uses that transit-friendly places have make them not just more livable, but also less dependent on cheap fuel.
- They run on electricity, and electricity is an omnivorous energy source: it can be generated in many different ways, so it's more flexible and potentially more reliable than any single energy source. Cities that have electrically-powered public transport in place will be equipped to take advantage of these innovations as we pass out of the age of cheap and abundant fossil fuels and into an uncertain future.
A MAX light rail stop in downtown Portland
Alex Marshall on Streetsblog puts the case thus:
"As a "mode," to use a planner-esque word, streetcars have a lot to offer. They are better than buses, which are the usual lower cost alternative, because they provide a smoother ride, even while traveling at higher speeds, and being more beloved by customers. One study showed that streetcars travel faster than buses, because drivers tend to defer to a train-like vehicle and get out of their way. As significant, they tend to attract more private development because rails in the street have a permanence that inspires confidence in commercial and residential developers."
(Streetsblog, "Good Streets Include Streetcars", 4 Dec 2007)
Add to that considerations of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and ensuring transportation against energy uncertainty, and those steel rails start looking even better.
Update 11 Dec: Businessweek Europe's article Subways: The New Urban Status Symbol also talks about rail-based transit, but with a more global frame of reference they find that subways are more popular for both speed and status reasons. Streetcars are characterized as "19th century."
So we're quaint. At least we can get to work.
Nighttime and MAX photos by Laurel Hoyt. 
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The December newsletter from Japan for Sustainability (not yet available on their website, but check in later) has a great little article called The Rebirth of Trams: The Promise of Light Railway Transit (LRT), which gives some background on the history of electric light rail -
"The world's first electric tram line opened in Berlin, Germany, in 1881, marking the beginning of a long history of street railways, or tram systems. They became a common fixture in many cities all over the world, valued for their simple installation and safe operation. Japan's first tram system started operation in 1895, and many more were introduced in cities across the country. At its peak, the tram networks had grown to 82 railway companies in 65 cities in Japan, with a total network length of 1,479 kilometers, playing a major role in transporting about 2.6 billion passengers a year. "
and the beginning of the rebirth:
"As a new form of urban transport, light rail transit (LRT) first appeared in Edmonton, Canada, in 1978, and its use as an integrated urban transport system has expanded to many parts of the world, now including over 50 cities in more than 20 countries. ... the next generation of LRT tram systems has come back as much more stylish, more efficient, and a more convenient form of transportation. ... LRT is not only a means of transportation but is ranked as a key element in urban development policy."
and a description of a new system recently installed in Toyoma:
"[T]he city of Toyama launched Japan's first full-scale LRT system on April 29, 2006. Nicknamed "Portram," it is an innovative system using a good design that people feel comfortable using. ... To cope with an aging population and serious environmental problems, Toyama introduced the LRT system as a step to realize its urban policy of shifting from a dispersed, car-oriented city to a compact city with an improved public transportation system."
The Portram has exceeded expectations, apparently. And the article, like so much in the Japan for Sustainability newsletter, is worth reading. Check it out!