But I’d you do BRT now and then light rail later, you will have spent more having to have done both. Projecting ridership, population shifts, revenue, maintenance, and operating costs would almost certainly gone into the planning.
At least for the STL Green Line example here, the choice of LRT over BRT seems to have less to do with that kind of analysis and more to do with the source of the income. A lot of the money was raised on the promise of a N/S rail, and that’s made it difficult to advocate for anything else regardless of metrics. Some of the money is also grants specifically earmarked for rail. Don’t know if that applies everywhere. I think the flashiness of rail makes it easier to raise revenue for, regardless of if its the right decision for the situation.
But I’d you do BRT now and then light rail later, you will have spent more having to have done both. Projecting ridership, population shifts, revenue, maintenance, and operating costs would almost certainly gone into the planning.
At least for the STL Green Line example here, the choice of LRT over BRT seems to have less to do with that kind of analysis and more to do with the source of the income. A lot of the money was raised on the promise of a N/S rail, and that’s made it difficult to advocate for anything else regardless of metrics. Some of the money is also grants specifically earmarked for rail. Don’t know if that applies everywhere. I think the flashiness of rail makes it easier to raise revenue for, regardless of if its the right decision for the situation.