Streetcars and light rail services serve different rider markets in American cities

The proliferation of streetcar projects in US cities is one of the most significant transportation developments of recent years, yet little is known about the factors that contribute to streetcar ridership or whether these factors differ from those related to light rail use. Using statistical models, Luis Enrique Ramos-Santiago and Jeffrey Brown examine differences in the factors related to ridership on US streetcar and light rail systems. They find that there are important differences in the role that service characteristics, and socioeconomic and land use factors have on streetcars versus light-rail ridership, suggesting that the two modes of transport serve distinct rider markets within the metropolitan transportation network.