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Metrolink is really the only rail system here in Los Angeles connecting the suburbs to downtown, but it's pretty pricey. However, it beats the heck out of commuting if you work in downtown and live out in the suburbs.
Folks who utilize public transit here are are quite poor, and most of them make under $20K/year according to the MTA's own research.
Metrolink is really the only rail system here in Los Angeles connecting the suburbs to downtown, but it's pretty pricey.
It's extremely pricey for what you get! An infrequent diesel service that doesn't run very late. It's almost LIRR and MNRR prices. I think that it's the same or maybe more than NJT and Metra.
As a local the green line is pretty useless as it is now. They have to pull that green line all the way down to the southern edge of Torrance, up Aviation and eventually connect to the expo line. Having to go east to the hood to the travel west is plain inefficient.
I see a lot of transfer from the Blue to Green lines and vice versa, so I think this counts as suburb to suburb light rail. Not everyone rides the full length. From what I've noticed, in fact, a lot of people use it for hops to nearby cities, not to go all the way downtown. I've taken Blue from South Gate to LB myself. It's cheap and fast.
I see a lot of transfer from the Blue to Green lines and vice versa, so I think this counts as suburb to suburb light rail. Not everyone rides the full length. From what I've noticed, in fact, a lot of people use it for hops to nearby cities, not to go all the way downtown. I've taken Blue from South Gate to LB myself. It's cheap and fast.
Los Angeles does appear to be the top city when it comes to having suburb to suburb rail lines.
I think the problem is in many metros there are not many (or no) significant enough concentrations of jobs to warrant a transit line. Obviously there are places like Tyson's Corner, which have a lot of jobs in a suburban environment, but they don't exist everywhere.
A related issue is even if there's a large office park complex with a lot of jobs, the area it's located is sprawly and unwalkable enough that even getting from a rail station to your job may be unpleasant. Obviously shuttle buses making loops could be integrated, but waiting around for a local transfer generally makes people less likely to use mass transit.
Definitely agree with all of this.
For suburb-to-suburb connections, given the cost of LRT or true BRT, many cities would be better off spending that scale of dollars in other ways:
upgrading bus infrastructure to make buses faster, more reliably on-time, and to attract a broader user base;
upgrading pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure along routes;
revitalizing buildings and properties around stops/stations.
The #1 issue of any proposed rail system's feasibility can be summed up in one word, and that one word is density, and since a very small percentage of LA's 3.8 million residents work downtown, the proposed addition of another 1.9 mile light rail subway line downtown for the sole reason of bypassing Union Station is stupid, expensive and totally unnecessary.
SF, NYC & Chicago all have much more density, and in those cities many other folks of ALL income level utilize rail systems, which is not the case in LA.
Another boneheaded 'solution' in search of a 'problem' is the last thing this bankrupt city needs right now.
Another concept, presently used only in Philadelphia, is through-routing the suburban rail lines. You still go through downtown, but in many cases don't have to change seats for a suburb-suburb commute. The only issue is did SEPTA study which pairs of lines should be tied together?
Another concept, presently used only in Philadelphia, is through-routing the suburban rail lines. You still go through downtown, but in many cases don't have to change seats for a suburb-suburb commute. The only issue is did SEPTA study which pairs of lines should be tied together?
That's also common in commuter rail in Europe. The bigger benefit is multiple center city stops, most suburb to suburb journeys will still up requiring a transfer. Though with high enough frequencies and good planning it might be doable. For example, the LIRR has a transfer across the tracks between Manhattan-bound and Brooklyn-bound trains in Jamaica station with the other train usually leaving within a few minutes of each other, so the transfer penalty is small.
the G line in NYC isn't a suburb to suburb line but it's a rapid transit line that doesn't pass through the center city. Other than the Green Line in LA and they few others mentioned, I can't think of any similar rail line. The G is often use for transfers, but some people do use it for direct trips rather than to access a Manhattan-bound subway.
The Hudson-Bergen Light rail might be another instance. It passes through, Jersey City, which is more of a satellite city than a suburbs but it's not really a radial line. The rather poorly performing River Line, connecting Trenton to Camden is also similar.
The Hudson-Bergen Light rail might be another instance. It passes through, Jersey City, which is more of a satellite city than a suburbs but it's not really a radial line.
I do agree and that's why I didn't list it as being a "suburb to suburb" rail line.
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The rather poorly performing River Line, connecting Trenton to Camden is also similar.
New Jersey Transit just recently opened the Pennsauken Transit Center which connects the Riverline with the Atlantic City Line. It's expected to increase ridership for both rail lines.
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