Light rail ridership exceeds expectation

[nickw252]

What sort of changes in the DC metro area have happened that were because of the rail lines? Was there a lot of transit oriented development shortly after it began operation? Re-gentrification of the urban areas? Less traffic congestion and smog?

[ArizonaBear]

Originally Posted by waltlantz

No way, only 2?! And it's where it is now? Geez. Anyways, the popularity will only go up once new lines are built.

Correct: and the line from F Square to Silver Spring opened up ca. spring 1978.

[waltlantz]

Originally Posted by nickw252

What sort of changes in the DC metro area have happened that were because of the rail lines? Was there a lot of transit oriented development shortly after it began operation? Re-gentrification of the urban areas? Less traffic congestion and smog?

I've only been on this earth scince 88 and using the metro scince the late 90s so I can't give you huge trends. But transit oriented development is most likely the norm in the DC given it's layout, density and rate of people relocating there. Alexandria and Arlington have developed the same way. Suburban Fairfax county is using TOD for the growing areas of Reston and Tysons Corner in conjuction with the expansion of metrorail further west from the beltway. If there is one thing that many people are tired of, it's traffic.

[roosevelt]

I see that Phoenix is finally accepting the fact they need the rail to go to Sky Harbor Airport; I heard the parking concessions at the airport killed any rail line before but now we have a new governor and new thinking.

Glendale now wants to change the rail's path from going downtown ( which is old, dead, tiny and full of so called 'antique' malls) and instead go straight to the Cardinal's stadium area which is developing into a huge area of shops, malls, restaurants and apartment-condos.

[buckeyenative01]

Yeah, but part of the reason they wanted the line to go towards Downtown Glendale was because of ASU West.