Why car-crazy cities are riding the rails

RTD Light Rail. Image credit: Flickr

Cities throughout the South and the West are realizing that a diverse and connective transportation system can benefit all users. In an article about the rush to build light rail in places like Denver, Houston, and Phoenix, the Houston Chronicle points out that light rail is part of a bigger shift toward "interconnected, intermodal mobility in the urban cores and the peripheries of even the most sprawling metros". Highways are no longer seen as the sole focus for these cities, especially as transit, bicycle paths, and pedestrian facilities are built to complement the roads. Though light rail is not currently planned in the North Front Range, improvements to transit, bicycle paths and routes, and sidewalk expansion within each of our communities are currently being implemented. Coupled with plans for I-25, Northern Colorado stands to have a transportation network serving drivers, riders, and walkers at the same time.

To read the article in the Houston Chronicle, please click the link.