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smallest US city with Light Rail/ Streetcars?


dtown

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I think Little Rock is the smallest with a light rail system, and not just some historic trolley line. El Reno (a western suburb of OKC) has a historic trolley line and there's only 20,000 people.

Little Rock's light rail system, River Rail, is a trolley (or streetcar) line. Maybe not "historic," but it is a trolley system.

http://www.cat.org/rrail/

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Most likely the smallest city with a real transit line is Morgantown, WVa. They have a 5 station elevated light rail system that has a 15K daily ridership.

Station Photo

Car on Platform

another station

Photo of system next to very small town

That is ABSOLUTELY amazing!

According to city-data.com, their population in 2000 was only 26,809 and their estimated population in 2005 was 28,292. A VERY small town by any standard!!

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Most likely the smallest city with a real transit line is Morgantown, WVa. They have a 5 station elevated light rail system that has a 15K daily ridership.

Station Photo

Car on Platform

another station

Photo of system next to very small town

thanks for all the info guys.

monsoon, when i click those links all it shows is a pic of Alfeed E. Newman. lol, seriously.

edit-i looked up info on it, and wow, thats a pretty cool system. they need different cars though, those are kinda ugly.

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thanks for all the info guys.

monsoon, when i click those links all it shows is a pic of Alfeed E. Newman. lol, seriously.

edit-i looked up info on it, and wow, thats a pretty cool system. they need different cars though, those are kinda ugly.

I just clicked those links and they still show the photos of the transit system. No MAD comics guy for me. ;)

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Yeah, I get Al as well......about that system though. They are not really light rail. Actually, they are more like elevated automatic buses. They are in a cement guideway but have rubber tires like a bus and are automated without drivers. The exception is the one in detroit which is on steel rails so could be called a type of light rail but is still classified as a people mover. I think it is really interesting. I believe that it is from the era when the feds were proposing people mover systems in down towns. They were built in Miami, Detroit, Jacksonville, Morgantown WVA., a suberb of Dallas called Los Colinas (Irving), and a very short line in Tampa. They were not terribly successful. Out of those the Tampa line is gone, Miami was expanded (and is really great now), Jacksonville was expanded but changed from a people mover to a monorail, Detroit is running well but has not been expanded, Los Colinas was shut down for several years and now only runs durring the prime lunch hours (but at least it is running again).

I think that they are interesting systems and well worth investment; however, their track record may hinder future placement of them in service.

Steve

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I believe he must have some kind of limits on download which is why alfred shows up randomly. His webpage on it is here. I agree that it technically isn't light rail, but because it has defined enclosed stations, has its own ROW, and even access limited via ticketed turnstiles, its more like a light rail system than most trolley systems. (which are more like electrified buses)

The system in Morgantown has a daily ridership of 15,000. That makes it more successful than many lines in small cities in this county and in my book that is a very successful system.

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I believe he must have some kind of limits on download which is why alfred shows up randomly. His webpage on it is here. I agree that it technically isn't light rail, but because it has defined enclosed stations, has its own ROW, and even access limited via ticketed turnstiles, its more like a light rail system than most trolley systems. (which are more like electrified buses)

The system in Morgantown has a daily ridership of 15,000. That makes it more successful than many lines in small cities in this county and in my book that is a very successful system.

You are right, the Morgantown system is VERY successful. I meant that the people mover systems in general were not too successful.

Despite the facts you mentioned, the Morgantown system is kind of like light rail but it is not. Stations and turnstiles do not make a system light rail, commuter rail, heavy rail or monorail, the actual train, cars, and type of guideway make a system the type it is, even if it is being used as a sort of electric bus on rails (but isn't that what trains kind of are anyway?).It is a people mover system. There were several built and I like them for what they are. There are different systems that have the features you mentioned, including monorails which is what most people confuse people mover systems with. They are just different types of transportation systems.

The morgantown system shows that if you build a good system in a good route then it will be supported. Cities around the country should take note of that fact.

Steve

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The morgantown system shows that if you build a good system in a good route then it will be supported. Cities around the country should take note of that fact.

Of course it helps to be located in a college town... where ridership is both energetic and largely without vehicles.

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Most likely the smallest city with a real transit line is Morgantown, WVa. They have a 5 station elevated light rail system that has a 15K daily ridership.

Station Photo

Car on Platform

another station

Photo of system next to very small town

Metro, I remember when it was proposed in the 60's and several magizines wrote it up as the first of many monorails to come. I was young and always wanted to ride on it. I actually did a few years back. What you should have mentioned is that it connects points primarily on the campus of WVU with one another and then on down the hill to downtown. Basically it is a transit system for the campus and a connection from campus to downtown for the students to ride to the bars.

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That just goes to show that any sized town/city can use at least a Light Rail system. My town (Providence, RI) would be a great place for light rail and if a town of 30K has a simple system, then Providence should be screaming for one too.

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