What is it about?
In this study we identified and compared key station-level ridership factors associated with streetcar and light-rail transit in the United States. The results suggest that each mode serves distinct rider markets, with streetcars mostly serving tourist and special activity-centered riders while light-rail serves more utilitarian riders. The role of special activity centers is notably higher for streetcar systems.
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Why is it important?
Streetcar transit technology is making a surprising comeback in the U.S., but academic, technical, and planning literature on its performance and ridership factors is lacking as compared to light-rail and other transit systems (i.e. heavy-rail, bus, or BRT). Also, non-trivial public monies are being invested in these systems. Our study not only identifies key modern-era streetcar ridership factors for planning, policy and performance evaluation purposes but also clarifies key differences with light-rail systems, which often get commingled with streetcar systems in professional, academic, and non-academic publications.
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This page is a summary of: A comparative assessment of the factors associated with station-level streetcar versus light rail transit ridership in the United States, Urban Studies, February 2015, SAGE Publications,
DOI: 10.1177/0042098015571057.
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