Why not use buses, which are cheaper and avoid utility relocations?
The lower costs of the bus option have gained it popularity among transit planners, and low-floor, clean fuel buses may indeed provide a good interim solution. However, buses lack light rail’s “pizzaz” for attracting discretionary riders, its passenger comfort when fully loaded, and in particular, its permanence for guiding development. The significant gains in commercial real estate values projected in the vision42 economic studies, which in turn will generate sufficient tax increases to pay for the system, are totally dependent upon the rail option—as a permanent transit investment. Modern, low-floor light rail will be much faster than today’s buses—both because its exclusive right-of-way will be easier to enforce, and because its low floors and multiple doors will allow speedier boarding. Low-floor buses have been designed, but their wheels require that much of the floor space be consumed by enormous wheel wells. Smaller-wheeled buses have also been designed, but they require an ext
