Is Rail a Transit Success Story?
As cities in Ohio debate the addition of light rail to their transit systems, it may be worthwhile to consider its success where systems are already in place throughout the country.
Census Data Revealing
With the release of the 2000 Census data, such an evaluation of light rail is much easier to accomplish. What the data reveal is that in cities with major rail lines, transit ridership is either declining significantly or only increasing slightly. This is the case regardless of whether a city has had rail lines for some time, as with Atlanta or Washington, D.C., or has installed lines recently. San Diego began rail service in 1981 and Denver in 1994. [1]
Between 1990 and 2000, Atlanta’s transit system lost 22.5 percent of the journey to work market share. Washington, D.C. lost 18.4 percent. San Diego and Denver actually gained market share, but only 2.6 and 2 percent, respectively.
Dallas undertook a major transit investment to open three new light rail lines and one commuter rail line in the last decade. Yet ridership declined 23 percent drop from 1990 to 2000. [2]
Rail’s difficulty in reversing a trend away from transit may stem in part from its often downtown-oriented focus. Population and employment have in many cases shifted their growth outside of the downtown core. According to one estimate, on average 90 percent of employment occurs elsewhere. [3]
Congestion Relief Without Rail
Light rail as a means to increase transit ridership and reduce congestion can also face competition from less expensive options such as carpooling and telecommuting. The share of total employment of those working at home, for instance, has increased at dramatic rates.
Nearly every major metropolitan area in the United States saw telecommuting make a significant gain in market share from 1990 to 2000. Washington, D.C.’s grew by 20 percent, Denver and Dallas by 30 percent and Atlanta’s by nearly 56 percent. [4]
Notes
[1] For a full listing by major metropolitan area of transit’s journey to work market share change from 1990-2000, see http://www.publicpurpose.com/ut-jtw2000metro.htm.
[2] See "Dallas Transit Down, Car-Pooling, Telecommuting Up: Implications for Urban Transport Policy," available at http://www.publicpurpose.com/pp-jtw2000dart.htm.
[3] Ibid.
[4] See "USA Work at Home Data: Metropolitan Areas," available at http://www.publicpurpose.com/ut-jtw2000methome.htm.
