Light Rail in North America - Light Rail in Canada

Light Rail in Canada

In general, Canadian cities have rates of public transit use which are two to three times as high as comparably sized U.S. cities. Census data for 2006 show that 11.0% of Canadians use public transit to commute to work, compared to 4.8% of Americans. This means that transportation planners must allow for higher passenger volumes on Canadian transit systems than American ones.

As a result of lower government funding, Canadian cities have to recover a much higher share of their costs out of operating revenues. This lack of funding may explain why there is resistance to the high capital costs of rail systems and there are only a few light rail systems in Canada.

Read more about this topic:  Light Rail In North America

Famous quotes containing the words light, rail and/or canada:

    Science is spectral analysis. Art is light synthesis.
    Karl Kraus (1874–1936)

    For this is the mark of a wise and upright man, not to rail against the gods in misfortune.
    Aeschylus (525–456 B.C.)

    What makes the United States government, on the whole, more tolerable—I mean for us lucky white men—is the fact that there is so much less of government with us.... But in Canada you are reminded of the government every day. It parades itself before you. It is not content to be the servant, but will be the master; and every day it goes out to the Plains of Abraham or to the Champs de Mars and exhibits itself and toots.
    Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)