LRT versus BUSES – Why Portland chose light rail – from the LRTA

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The following article written by Gerald Fox,Ai??Ai??former TriMet Rail Corridor Manager, is well worth a read as it gives good insight why Portland opted for modern light rail. http://www.lrta.info/tramforward/TAUT-Oct09-LRTvBus.pdfAi??Ai?? Gerald Fox, one must remember is the same chap, who in the early 90’s, published a study, “A comparison of Automated Guided Transit (AGT) and Light Rail Transit”, which concluded that given equal rights-of-ways, LRT was cheaper to build, operate, and maintain. Mr. Fox also wrote a letter to a Victoria transit group shredding the Evergreen Line’s business case.Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??http://railforthevalley.wordpress.com/2008/12/26/can-translinks-business-cases-be-trusted/

There is a growing number of people in the region who believe that buying and operating more buses will solve our local transit woes, yet the same people refuse to recognize the buses just do not attract much new ridership. Mr. Fox’s article mat shed some light on the bus/LRT issue and why Portland opted for light rail.

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