A push towards light rail transit

April 24, 1:04 PMAtlanta Alternative Transportation ExaminerMatt Cornelius

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An artist's rendering of what the Beltline might look like.

Public transportation is on the rise in the U.S. A report released last month tallied overall ridership numbers at 10.7 billion in 2008 - up 38 percent since 1995 and at its highest mark since 1965.

That same rise was seen locally in Atlanta with MARTA experiencing the nation’s biggest increase in ridership among all major U.S. systems last year – up 8.6 percent.

Although demand for comprehensive and efficient public transit is increasing, traditional bus and subway systems are unable to fully meet that demand.

Here in Atlanta, MARTA passengers complain that trains don’t provide access to enough areas of the city, and that buses encounter the same traffic gridlock as individual commuters. Those seeking public transit throughout the city are left looking for a better option in their commute.

That’s the idea behind light rail transit, or LRT. Light rail is a continuously running railway system that runs at street level, and typically at lower speed and capacity than subway trains. It is a midway point between heavy rail, like MARTA trains, and slower streetcars and trams.

Light rail transit has seen the biggest percentage increase among forms of public transportation, according to the American Public Transportation Association, and has been sprouting up in cities across the U.S.

The Atlanta Beltline project has long seen the benefits such a system could have on the city of Atlanta, and has dedicated much of their proposed 22-mile loop around the city to LRT.

To help understand how LRT works, here’s a slideshow of ten other cities that have already set theirs in motion.