Light Rail Transit Line Research Articles

The anticipation effect of a light rail transit line on housing prices in the Helsinki region

I analyze how housing markets in Espoo and Helsinki anticipate the construction of a new light rail transit connection called Jokeri Light Rail. I use geocoded micro-level housing transaction data from 2003–2019. As an econometric identification strategy, I utilize difference-in-differences estimation with a hedonic price model. My main result is that, on average, apartment prices increase by 5 percent more within 800 meters of the Jokeri Light Rail stops than apartments farther away. A rough estimate of the total windfall for homeowners indicates that the anticipated benefits exceed the cost estimate for the investment five to eight years before the Jokeri Light Rail becomes operational.

Characteristics of cabin noise of light rail systems

Light rail or light rail transit (LRT) is a form of urban rail transit system with rolling stock similar to a tram but operating at a higher capacity on exclusive surface or elevated tracks. They are typically run on rubber wheels with quieter cabins compared to that of higher capacity mass rapid transit systems. We recorded and analyzed cabin noise of 4 light rail lines: Danhai light rail line in Taipei New City (Taiwan) and Bukit Panjang, Punggol, and Sengkang LRT lines in Singapore based on a smartphone app with the accuracy of the microphone calibrated against a typical type 1 sound level meter. All 4 light rail lines are relatively quiet where each of their overall equivalent noise level is under 75 dBA. The more than 10 dB difference between the overall equivalent dBA and dBC for each line has indicated a significant presence of low frequency noise in the light rail lines. The difference between the overall maximum dBA and dBC is however not as large as the difference between the overall equivalent dBA and dBC for each line. More study would need to be conducted on the reduction of lower frequency noise for improving the aural comfort of the light rail systems.

Connecting people with jobs: Light rail’s impact on commuting patterns

This paper examines the impact of the opening of a light rail transit (LRT) line on commuting patterns in adjacent neighborhoods in a case study on Charlotte, North Carolina. The results show a reduction in commuting distance experienced by higher-wage workers, while it is increased for lower-wage workers after the opening of the city’s first LRT line. These results are expected as the alignment of the LRT line connects higher income neighborhoods to the areas with significant shares of higher-wage jobs. Low- and medium-wage workers in the LRT accessible neighborhoods did not seen a significant improvement in the spatial separation between their work place and place of residence after the opening of the LRT, which may conflict with goals of increasing accessibility for the transit dependent population.

The Social Justice Impact of the Transit-Oriented Development

Transit-oriented development (TOD) is often considered a solution for automobile dependency in the pursuit of sustainability. Although TOD has shown various benefits as sustainable development and smart growth, there are potential downsides, such as transit-induced gentrification (TIG). Even if there were no displacement issues with TIG, existing residents could be disadvantaged by a TOD due to affordability problems. This study focuses on these potential affordability issues and aims to evaluate the effects of TOD using residents’ discretionary income (DI) as an indicator of affordability. The light rail transit-oriented development (LRTOD) in Phoenix, AZ, is selected because of the timing of the introduction of development and the simplicity of the light rail transit line. In order to counteract problems induced by a non-random location of TODS, propensity score matching is used. The results indicate that LRTOD can give benefit to all TOD residents. Moreover, the effects of LRTOD on discretionary income of various types of households are not statistically significantly different. We have identified the different magnitudes of the effects of TOD between propensity score matching (PSM)-controlled and uncontrolled models. These indicate the existence of the selection bias of TOD implementation, justifying the adoption of the PSM method.

Effects of Traffic Loads and Track Parameters on Rail Wear: A Case Study for Yenikapi\u2013Ataturk Airport Light Rail Transit Line

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of traffic loads and track parameters, including track curvature, superelevation, and train speed, on vertical and lateral rail wear. The Yenikapi–Ataturk Airport Light Rail Transit (LRT) line in Istanbul was selected as a case study, and rail wear measurements were carried out accordingly. Passenger counts were performed in all wagons of the train on different days and time intervals to calculate the number of passengers carried in track sections between stations regarding traffic loads on the LRT line. Values of traffic load, track curvature, superelevation, and speed were determined for each kilometer where measurements of rail wear were conducted. A multiple linear regression analysis (MLRA) method was used to identify effective parameters on rail wear. Independent variables in MLRA for both vertical and lateral wear include traffic load, track curvature, superelevation, and train speed. The dependent variables in MLRA for vertical and lateral wear are the amount of vertical and lateral wear, respectively. The correlation matrix of the dependent and independent variables was analyzed before performing MLRA. Multicollinearity tests and cross-validation analyses were conducted. According to the results of MLRA for vertical and lateral wear, the obtained coefficients of determination indicate that a high proportion of variance in the dependent variables can be explained by the independent variables. Traffic load has a statistically significant effect on the amount of vertical and lateral rail wear. However, track curvature, superelevation, and train speed do not have a statistically significant effect on the amount of vertical or lateral rail wear.

Case-comparison study protocol for gauging effects of neighbourhood trends and sickness: examining the perceptions of transit-Induced gentrification in Prince George’s County

IntroductionImpoverished neighbourhoods and communities of colour often bear the brunt of unintended transit-oriented development (TOD) impacts. These impacts have been known to come in the form of transit-induced gentrification (TIG),...

Determining transit nodes for potential transit-oriented development: Along the LRT corridor in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

The aim of transit-oriented development (TOD) is to create a livable urban environment by improving the integration between land-use and transportation systems. The capital city of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, aims to promote a sustainable transportation system by launching its first light rail transit (LRT) network to control the current pattern of increased congestion and the need for mass transport. Planning for TOD around existing transit stations helps achieve improved transit choice and encourages local economic development. Therefore, this article proposes a methodology to quantitatively measure the existing TOD in terms of a TOD index within the walkable distance of transit nodes by measuring the criteria that define TOD levels. The TOD index is calculated for areas of 22 stations on the East-West LRT line of Addis Ababa. Depending on the value of the TOD index, certain stations are identified to have a potential TOD but poor transit accessibility. With these results, the recommendation to improve TOD planning can become accurate for each station, depending on its relevant factors. Such results also help identify each station's potential for TOD planning and its improvements toward future local developments.

Optimizing Property Income in Transit Oriented Development: A Case Study of Jakarta TOD

Transit-oriented development (TOD) can make a significant contribution to the development of Jabodebek Light Rail Transit (LRT) in Indonesia. The increase of property value affected by the existence of LRT station can be considered as one of the potential revenues for TOD projects. This study aims to estimate property income for housing, commercial, and office in the TOD-based areas. Interview is used to obtain the variable characteristics for the hedonic price modeling (HPM) suitability from the benchmark TOD areas with the case study TOD areas at the Jabodebek LRT line. The HPM coefficient of the value increase from the benchmark that has conformance characteristics with the case study will be used to calculate the magnitude of the increase of property value. It is found that due to the influence of the hedonic coefficient, the property income of Ciracas TOD is 414.5 billion rupiah with an internal rate of return (IRR) of 11.7%, the property income of Bekasi Timur TOD is 84 billion rupiah with IRR of 11.01%, the property income of Cibubur TOD is 152.97 billion rupiah with IRR of 19.51 %, and the property income of Jaticempaka TOD is 330.36 billion with IRR of 12.01%.

Evaluating the Relation Between Station Area Design Parameters and Transit Usage for Urban Rail Systems in Ankara, Turkey

Urban rail transit (URT) systems are particularly favoured by planners due to their potential in attracting car users. However, a URT investment must be complemented by land-use characteristics at macroscale (whole city) and design parameters at microscale (vicinity of the station). Despite the common referencing to key concepts (i.e. density, diversity and connectivity), the variability in their definitions and scales causes ambiguity in the determination of their quantified impact on URT ridership. Furthermore, their impact may be different in developing countries, where more mesoscale (corridor-based) effects are expected in the early stages of the URT network. This study aimed to evaluate mathematically the impact of eight selected station design and public transit supply variables on ridership, based on data collected at 14 stations of two existing rail system corridors, both metro (M1) and light rail transit (A1) lines in Ankara, Turkey. Principal component analysis (PCA) indicated three major groups of parameters: (1) land use, (2) public transit supply and (3) connectivity around stations. In single-variable regression models, density and diversity were not found to be statistically significant factors despite the commonly accepted conceptual relation to ridership. A multiple regression model with bus frequency and density (R2 = 0.902) explained the ridership in Ankara URT systems more significantly at its early development stage. There was a significant difference between developed factor relations for both M1 and A1 lines, suggesting that mesolevel impacts should be considered in the evaluation of URT systems.

Intention to use light-rail transit in Houston, Texas, United States: Findings from the travel-related activity in neighborhoods study

Using data from the Houston Travel-Related Activity in Neighborhoods (TRAIN) study, this study examined how various factors affect whether individuals intend to use newly opened light-rail transit (LRT) lines in Houston. The Houston TRAIN study is a natural experiment on the effect of new LRT lines on both transit use and physical activity. A mixed binary logit model was developed based on a dichotomous dependent variable and rich set of variables, including sociodemographic factors, health status, travel behavior and technology, and attitudes and perceptions. The mixed model also allowed accounting for the unobserved heterogeneity across individuals in their sensitivity to observed variables. The results indicated the important role of various factors influencing the decision on intent to use the new LRT lines. In general, demographics mattered but to a lower extent than psychological or personality-related variables. For example, attitudes and perceptions toward the public transit system and consciousness of physical activities derived by using public transit were important factors. Personal health constraints negatively influenced intention to use, while experience with the public transport system was among the positive indicators. The findings show the potential of future interventions in this community to promote use of the new system, such as educational campaigns that improve perceptions of public transit use and clarify the benefits of being active. While providing growing evidence that cognitive variables are important in measuring intention to use public transit, the results emphasize the positive role of efforts integrating transportation and health to develop effective and sustainable solutions.

The impacts of light rail on residential property values in a non-zoning city: A new test on the Houston METRORail transit line

The impacts of rail transit system on residential property values have been examined for many metropolitan areas in the U.S. But there are few studies on the effects of light rail in a non-zoning city. As the rail transit in the largest non-zoning city, Houston’s light rail transit line, or the so-called METRORail, has not received much attention from the planning research society since it opened to the public in 2004. A previous study by the author utilized 2007 household data to analyze the impacts of Houston’s METRORail line and found the net effects of the rail transit line change significantly at different distances from the rail stations. One limitation of that study was that the physical environment and neighborhood characteristics of the station areas may not have had notable changes over a relatively short time span, i.e., three years after the opening of the light rail. This study employs 2010 InfoUSA household data to re-examine the effects of Houston’s METRORail line. Similar to the previous studies, the author adopts a traditional ordinary linear regression (OLS) to investigate the contribution of a set of variables representing the physical, neighborhood, and accessibility characteristics of properties, and also employs a multi-level regression model (MLR) to examine the hierarchical structures of spatial data explicitly. In addition, this study tests the spatial autocorrelation in the modeling process and analyzes its effects on the results. The modeling results suggest that the METRORail line has had significant net positive effects on residential property values. The MLS model captures the difference of these effects with more spatial details. The spatial regression model improves model fit, but spatial autocorrelation is not completely eliminated.

The Health and economic effects of light rail lines: design, methods, and protocol for a natural experiment

BackgroundThe health impacts of community design have been studied extensively over the past two decades. In particular, public transportation use is associated with more walking between transit stops and shops, work, home and other destinations. Change in transit access has been linked with physical activity and obesity but seldom to health outcomes and associated costs, especially within a causal framework. Health related fiscal impacts of transit investment should be a key consideration in major transit investment decisions.MethodsThe Rails & Health study is a natural experiment evaluating changes in clinical measures, health care utilization and health care costs among Kaiser Permanente Northwest (KPNW) members following the opening of a new light rail transit (LRT) line in Portland, Oregon. The study is prospectively following 3036 adults exposed to the new LRT line and a similar cohort of 4386 adults who do not live close to the new line. Individual-level outcomes and covariates are extracted from the electronic medical record at KPNW, including member demographics and comorbidities, blood pressure, body mass index, lipids, glycosylated hemoglobin, and health care utilization and costs. In addition, participants are surveyed about additional demographics, travel patterns, physical activity (PA), and perceived neighborhood walkability. In a subsample of the study population, we are collecting direct measures of travel-related behavior—physical activity (accelerometry), global positioning system (GPS) tracking, and travel diaries—to document mechanisms responsible for observed changes in health outcomes and cost. Comprehensive measures of the built environment at baseline and after rail construction are also collected. Statistical analyses will (1) examine the effects of opening a new LRT line on chronic disease indicators, health care utilization, and health care costs and (2) evaluate the degree to which observed effects of the LRT line on health measures and costs are mediated by changes in total and transportation-associated PA.DiscussionThe results of the Rails & Health study will provide urban planners, transportation engineers, health practitioners, developers, and decision makers with critical information needed to document how transit investments impact population health and related costs.

On modes, metafunctions, and communicative acts: A Systemic-functional Multimodal Analysis of Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line 1’s publication materials

On modes, metafunctions, and communicative acts: A Systemic-functional Multimodal Analysis of Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line 1’s publication materials

Reconstruction of low-frequency bridge noise using an inverse modal acoustic transfer vector method

Low-frequency noise emitted by elevated viaducts in light rail transit lines has considerable adverse effects on inhabitants living nearby. Reliable prediction of the acoustic field radiating from the viaduct using forward numerical models is challenging because the model parameters that influence viaduct vibration are difficult to obtain. To avoid directly quantifying these parameters, such as wheel–rail combined roughness, an inverse method is presented to reconstruct the acoustic field using modal acoustic transfer vectors and the sound pressures at a small number of measurement points. First, a forward numerical method based on the train–track–bridge interaction analysis is performed to predict the structure-borne noise of a concrete box girder viaduct. Then, the calculated sound pressures are treated as virtual measurement results to illustrate the inverse method procedure. Both QR decomposition and singular value decomposition with Tikhonov regularisation are used in the inverse analysis. Third, the proposed inverse method is validated by comparing the sound pressure levels computed using the inverse method with the results simulated using the forward prediction method. Finally, the reliability of the inverse procedure is further validated through field tests of two U-shaped girder viaducts.

Cost of an urban rail ride: A nation-level analysis of ridership, capital costs and cost-effectiveness performance of urban rail transit projects in China

Although urban rain transit (URT) is an attractive alternative mode of daily travel, barriers exist in URT development across the world, in particular, the high cost of construction and operation and relative low rates of URT ridership. Despite these barriers, URT has gained considerable popularity worldwide in recent years; much of this trend is driven by projects in China. Despite this public support and implementation of URT projects, the ridership, capital costs and cost-effectiveness of URT projects remain largely unstudied. This paper addresses this planning and policy issue by examining line-level ridership and investment data for 97 heavy rail transit (HRT) lines and 12 light rail transit (LRT) lines in 28 Chinese cities. Comparative analysis is conducted so as to evaluate the performance and cost-effectiveness of HRT and LRT. Multiple linear regression analysis is used to explain the variability of URT cost-effectiveness and how it varies depending on land use density, project design, system service, and multimodal transit integration. Findings indicate that land-use density, line length, number of transfer stations, operation time, and bus ridership significantly contribute to higher levels of URT ridership, while URT ridership decreases significantly with train headway and the station’s distance from the city center. It is cost-effective to develop URT in high-density cities in spite of high costs, and some, if not all, LRT lines are more cost-effective than HRT lines. As of this analysis, the overdevelopment of HRT in China has failed to plan for multimodal transport integration and operational optimization. However, these shortcomings are also opportunities for Chinese transportation and land-use planners to develop more cost-effective URT projects that also improve the level of service available to the public.

Who uses smart card? Understanding public transport payment preference in developing contexts, a case study of Manila's LRT-1

The culture of “tingi-tingi” or sachet economy provides a strong backdrop to better understand the payment mode preference of the riding public in the Philippines. First, the use of single journey tickets (SJT) reflects the purchasing practices amongst the urban poor thereby affecting the promotion and uptake of public transport smart cards. Second, as a glocalization strategy, it can inform what, how, when, and why services that has global uptake can be tailored towards the realities of a differentiated, local market conditions.Categorical principal component analysis (CATPCA) is presented to determine the key variables explaining the likelihood of uptake of smart cards for public transport passengers in the Philippines. The Metro Manila Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) presents an appropriate context to examine how the glocalization of smart cards can help improve the quality of public transport services, and to provide planning and policy recommendations on smart card uptake and integrated ticketing, with the end goal of improving public transport provision and management. LRT-1 alongside its change in management, also introduced a new smart card payment system. However, more than half continue to use single journey tickets.The model parameters are estimated using primary survey data collected from LRT-1 passengers. Transit smart card has been widely used around the world and effectively reduces waiting time for passengers who used to purchase paper tickets.The main results of the model reveal that: (1) only groups with high education background, stable income, or with stable job would likely to use smart card; (2) passengers with lower education level, lower income, or with unstable job prefer to use single journey ticket; and (3) the sachet economy is strongly associated with the purchasing practices amongst Filipinos, particularly the urban poor, hence may affect the promotion and uptake of public transit smart cards. These findings may inform changes to the introduction of alternative payment schemes and the planning of public transport policies that recognise the need for an effective glocalization strategy, paving the way towards improved public transport service and provision.

Changes in Service and Associated Ridership Impacts near a New Light Rail Transit Line

Los Angeles (LA), for many years a city with limited rail transit, is substantially expanding its public transit system. This paradigm change in transportation policy and investment creates new requirements for monitoring. One area needing evaluation is whether new, high quality transit options, such as light rail, near existing transit services increase sustainable transportation mode shares and reduce car travel. Few studies have explored light rail’s role as a catalyst to increase overall transit use and achieve sustainability goals within an auto-oriented city like LA. Metro’s data show that trips taken on its bus and rail system dropped overall by 10.5% between 2009 and 2016, but its rail ridership grew 21% during the same period due to the debut of the Gold Line and Expo Line extensions. We analyze changes to bus service and associated ridership impacts that resulted from the opening of these two LRT lines in LA. The immediate effect of the city’s bus service changes along the Gold Line light rail extension appear to be associated with a net “bus plus rail” ridership decline in that corridor. In contrast, the Expo Line corridor experienced an initial increase in ridership during the two years immediately after its opening, possibly because the bus service was not reduced by the same magnitude as along the Gold Line extension. Our findings indicate that changes in bus service made to coincide with the introduction of new light rail transit (LRT) can negatively affect the overall transit ridership in the corridor. Planners and policy makers should closely monitor changes in bus service and ridership associated with new rail transit to ensure investments results in an overall net increase in more sustainable travel.

Impact of light rail transit on traffic-related pollution and stroke mortality.

This paper evaluates the changes in vehicle exhaust and stroke mortality for the general public residing in the surrounding area of the light rail transit (LRT) in Houston, Texas, after its opening. The number of daily deaths due to stroke for 2002-2005 from the surrounding area of the original LRT line (exposure group) and the control groups was analyzed using an interrupted time-series analysis. Ambient concentrations of acetylene before and after the opening of LRT were also compared. A statistically significant reduction in the average concentration of acetylene was observed for the exposure sites whereas the reduction was negligible at the control site. Poisson regression models applied to the stroke mortality data indicated a significant reduction in daily stroke mortality after the opening of LRT for the exposure group, while there was either an increase or a considerably smaller reduction for the control groups. The findings support the idea that LRT systems provide health benefits for the general public and that the reduction in motor-vehicle-related air pollution may have contributed to these health benefits.

Light Rail Leads to More Walking Around Station Areas.

Areas around Light Rail Transit (LRT) stations offer ideal conditions for Transit-Oriented Development (TOD). Relatively dense, mixed-use neighborhoods can have positive impacts on mobility, health, and perceptions of neighborhood safety among nearby residents, primarily through walking activity for both transit and other purposes. To examine how station areas may attract new activity, this study analyzed changes in walking around station areas among people living close to an LRT station before and after the opening of a new transit system. This study examined walking behavior among the subset of 214 participants living within one mile of one of 13 LRT stations from among a sample of residents living close or further away from a new LRT line in Seattle. They completed a survey and a travel log and wore an accelerometer and a GPS for 7 days both before (2008) and after the opening of the Seattle area LRT (2010). Walking bouts were derived using a previously developed algorithm. The main outcome was the individual-level change in the proportion of daily walking within one quarter Euclidean mile of an LRT station. Overall walking decreased from before to after the LRT opening while station area walking did not change significantly, indicating a shift in walking activity to the station areas after the introduction of LRT. Increases in the proportion of station area walking were negatively related to participants' distance between home and the nearest LRT station, peaking at <0.25 mile and decaying beyond >0.75 mile. Male gender, college education, normal weight status, less access to cars, and frequent LRT use were also significantly associated with greater positive changes in the proportion of station area walking. The shift in walking to station areas after the completion of light rail provides evidence that the local proximate population is attracted to station areas, which may potentially benefit both transit use and TOD area economic activity. The residential catchment area for the shift in LRT area walking was < 0.75 mile of the LRT stations.

Automated Tool for Geographic Information Systems That Supports Transit Network Design by Identifying Urban Activity Centers

Public transit is central to sustainable multimodal transportation systems; however, designing an effective transit network remains an analytically challenging and complex task. Given the spatial nature of the problem, geographic information systems (GISs) can support transit network design by identifying subsections of urban areas within and between which very high travel demand exists. Once these corridors are identified, local knowledge and expertise may be used to develop routings that satisfy these demands. This paper presents a spatial approach to assist in designing transit networks and describes the development and application of an automated, spatial multicriteria aggregation algorithm implemented as a user-friendly GIS tool coded by using the Python scripting library (ArcPy). Using population and employment densities, spatial adjacency, and geographic and administrative boundaries, the GIS tool leverages readily available demographic data to classify and merge traffic analysis zones into larger urban activity centers. The tool then aggregates regional origin–destination matrices to visualize only the flows associated with the activity centers. The results show that this approach significantly reduces the number of origins and destinations to be considered in designing the network but retains a large proportion of regional trips. This paper demonstrates how the tool can be applied through an example from the region of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, where the local transit agency is developing a transit network to support a central light-rail transit line.