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Evaluating rail transit benefits: A comment

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  • Litman, Todd

Abstract

Several recent articles criticize urban rail transit investments on grounds that they are ineffective at reducing traffic congestion and financially wasteful. This commentary challenges that view. It summarizes some of the findings of more detailed analyses of transit benefits and suggests that there is abundant evidence that high quality, grade-separated transit does reduce urban traffic congestion, and that urban transit improvements can be cost effective investments when all economic impacts are considered.

Suggested Citation

  • Litman, Todd, 2007. "Evaluating rail transit benefits: A comment," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 14(1), pages 94-97, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:trapol:v:14:y:2007:i:1:p:94-97
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    3. Tirachini, Alejandro & Hensher, David A. & Jara-Díaz, Sergio R., 2010. "Comparing operator and users costs of light rail, heavy rail and bus rapid transit over a radial public transport network," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 29(1), pages 231-242.
    4. Liudan Jiao & Liyin Shen & Chenyang Shuai & Yongtao Tan & Bei He, 2017. "Measuring Crowdedness between Adjacent Stations in an Urban Metro System: a Chinese Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(12), pages 1-14, December.
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    6. Kepaptsoglou, Konstantinos & Stathopoulos, Antony & Karlaftis, Matthew G., 2017. "Ridership estimation of a new LRT system: Direct demand model approach," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 146-156.
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    14. Aydin, Nezir & Celik, Erkan & Gumus, Alev Taskin, 2015. "A hierarchical customer satisfaction framework for evaluating rail transit systems of Istanbul," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 61-81.
    15. Jinbao Zhao & Wei Deng & Yan Song & Yueran Zhu, 2014. "Analysis of Metro ridership at station level and station-to-station level in Nanjing: an approach based on direct demand models," Transportation, Springer, vol. 41(1), pages 133-155, January.
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