Research Report 258 Effects of rapid transit on public transport and urban development: summary report

Publication Year

1991

Document Status

Current

Abstract

There has been a revival of interest in Britain in rapid transit system, especially in the form of light rail or modernised tramways, with proposals being prepared for many cities. Some of these systems may be eligible for government grants towards the capital costs. New guidelines for eligibility have recently been published which place a greater emphasis on the contributions which private developers might make towards the cost of the system. TRRL has undertaken a study of fourteen rapid transit systems in France, the USA and Canada to identify the effects which these systems have had on urban development. This review contains a description of each system and its effects on transport and urban development. It then brings the findings together into a set of conclusions and finally considers the relevance of the findings to British proposals in general.

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