Perference for LRT over buses no surprise to transit advocates

The Star Tribune reported that the Hiawatha light rail ridership numbers are 65% over predictions. Most of the discrepancy is due to riders' preference for LRT over buses. The Metro Council estimates that 40% of LRT riders never ride the bus.

The preference for rail over buses is no surprise for transit advocates. This phenomenon has been observed time after time in cities that (re-)build light rail systems. The Star Tribune article hits on the reasons why people prefer trains: "Rail's smooth ride and consistent schedule make it appealing to riders who would not consider the bus. The permanence of the track and the frequency of service make it easy to use without knowing a schedule."

Exactly. When the trolleys and streetcars were ripped up all over the nation by a conspiracy lead by GM, one of the arguments made to replace trains with buses was that bus lines could easily be reconfigured. It turns out that's exactly the wrong way to go. When a rail line and transit stop are put down, the land around it becomes instantly more valuable, because people know that they can count on that train stopping there several times a day for the indefinite future. In fact, cities like Portland are using that increase in value to fund LRT development through Tax Increment Financing.

The anti-transit Republicans in charge at the state capitol make transit funding for the core cities hard to come by. I hope that Minneapolis and St. Paul will get smart about using TIF to fund our own streetcar projects.