United States
In many cases there has been considerable opposition to new light rail systems, particularly in the United States. Many of these arguments reflect the particular U.S. political conditions, including uses of government funding, considerations of development goals in urbanizing areas, and positions and power of various advocacy and lobbying groups, as well as physical issues, including the relatively low density (as compared to much of Europe and Asia) of many U.S. conurbations, and the extent and use of highway systems. Arguments by opponents are often framed in terms of "how much automobile traffic can light rail replace," above all other considerations.
Arguments are generally along three lines:
- modern spatial arrangements are unsuited for fixed-line transit systems such as light rail
- light rail is too slow to compete with the automobile
- light rail does not generate a sufficient return on capital investment to make its construction worthwhile
Driving Forces by American political scientist and rail transit critic James Dunn, provides a good summary of these arguments.
Read more about this topic: Politics Of Light Rail In North America
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