The short‐term transport impacts of light rail: the evidence of secondary data from greater manchester's metrolink

Abstract

Secondary data, comprising rail passenger numbers, car traffic and bus passenger cordon counts, and figures from car parking surveys, are used to measure the impacts of Greater Manchester's Metrolink light rail transit investment. By the end of 1994 patronage had slightly exceeded that forecast, but not in the way expected. The substantial growth in off‐peak patronage, encouraged by the high frequency service, had more than compensated for slower and more locationally variable growth in peak passenger numbers. There is tentative evidence that Metrolink may have contributed to a modest reduction in car traffic, but mainly at off‐peak, rather than peak times. The more limited impact of Metrolink at peak times is probably due to a combination of: the adequacy of long‐stay parking in Manchester city centre; initially high peak fares from some stations; and competition from deregulated bus services.