A non-profit volunteer community-based action group, whose
mission
13 Reasons We Need Passenger Rail
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A modern small automobile with two passengers generates
almost 25 times the air pollution, per passenger mile, as a four
car commuter train at 35% capacity.
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Two sets of commuter rail tracks will handle the passenger
traffic of at least six lanes of highway.
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The tracks for a commuter train already exist here; those
for a light rail system can be laid within existing
infrastructure, preserving open space and minimizing land and
business condemnation.
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A new light-rail line costs about a third of a new highway
or loop road, and recent developments in track-laying technology
can shave 60% to 70% off that cost.
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Trains are faster, quieter, and smoother than buses. In
addition, they avoid traffic jams and most accident scenes.
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Modern commuter and light-rail trains are
built to run forward or backward, eliminating the need for huge
turnaround loops.
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Rail deaths and injuries are almost nothing compared to
those in automobiles.
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Rail cars and locomotives have been known to last up to 100
years with decent maintenance.
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Railroad tracks are cheaper and easier to maintain than
roads and highways.
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There is no rubber tire disposal problem with trains
(a much bigger issue than many people realize).
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Most skeptical commuters who try trains are converted
within a trip or two.
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Commuter and light rail lines have triggered a boom,
revitalizing rundown neighborhoods and buildings in areas where
they have been located. Land values in older communities are
rising, a dent is being made in suburban sprawl and even some
long-abandoned hazardous waste sites are slated for clean-up,
having become more attractive to housing, retail, and office
developers.
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Railroad transit is a big part of the
"intermodal"--
or many modes of transportation--thinking that has become more
popular nationally and worldwide every year--not to mention
mandated by federal law since 1991.