New Data on Transportation Trends

RALEIGH — As Charlotte, the Triangle, the Triad, and other communities debate the addition of light rail to their transit systems, it may be worthwhile to consider its success where systems are already in place. With the release of the 2000 Census data, an analysis of light-rail trends that prove enlightening to North Carolina policymakers. In U.S. cities with major rail lines, transit ridership is either declining significantly or increasing only slightly. Meanwhile, other trends in interstate usage and toll roads deserve attention.