Interstate High Speed Rail and Rapid Transit

In our quest for space-efficient Sustainable Transportation Infrastructure that reduces Highway & Hub Airport congestion, as well as air pollution, America must complement High-Speed Rail and Regional Rail with more Metro Heavy Rail, Metro Light Rail, and Bus Rapid Transit projects. We must also do a few more things to increase their ridership demand — Thomas Dorsey, Soul Of America

Rapid Transit Naming Conventions

Before a mild dive into America’s Rapid Transit needs, some naming conventions are in order.

First, depending on the naming convention of each American transit agency, “Metro Rail” means Heavy Rail, Light Rail, or both. Since they have substantially different infrastructure costs and vehicles, I differentiate them as “Metro Heavy Rail” and “Metro Light Rail.”

Second, Metro Light Rail, often shortened to “Light Rail”, is called “Tram” in Europe.

Third, Regional Rail is typically under 155 miles (250 kilometers), and Commuter Rail is typically under 47 miles(75 kilometers) common in Europe. Commuter Rail is called “Suburban Rail” in Europe. Regional Rail and Suburban Rail are closely related because they share track, signaling, and station infrastructure.

Since 1974, Europe has accelerated Suburban Rail upgrades by replacing diesel trains with electric trains and adding over/underpasses for higher train speeds, frequencies, reliability, safety, and zero smog emissions. They’ve also been making station platforms level with train floors for faster passenger entry & exit. By 2040, nearly all European Suburban Rail will be upgraded to 87-99 mph (140-160 kph), and Regional Rail will be upgraded to support 112-137 mph (180-220 kph) Top Speeds for shorter trip times.

In North America, San Francisco Bay Area, Toronto, Montreal, Philadelphia, Chicago, Boston, and Baltimore-Washington Commuter Rail upgrade project managers are conflating Europe’s Regional Rail and Suburban Rail naming conventions. Instead of calling North American Commuter Rail upgrade projects “Regional Rail” projects, it is more accurate to call them “Upgraded Commuter Rail” in North American parlance or “Suburban Rail” in European parlance.

Rapid Transit Modes

Commuter Rail

Supports 25-35 mph Average Speeds; In North America, most trains run on many miles of rail shared with freight trains and often have 1-track segments that limit the frequency of trains traveling in opposite directions; by 2026, nearly all will use diesel-electric locomotives for lower smog and greenhouse gas emissions; they have lower schedule dependability because autos, people, and animals cross tracks at too many places. Stations rarely have platforms level with train floors, which slows entry & exit.

Stations are designed for 150-300 rider capacity. Trains typically run every 60 minutes at Peak and 2-3 hours Off-Peak. Construction Cost Per Mile is Very Low, Operational Cost Per Mile is Very Low, matching a low level of service.

Suburban Rail/Upgraded Commuter Rail

Supports 35-50 mph Average Speeds; Electric trains draw current by extending pantographs up to overhead electric wire (or by trains drawing current from a 3rd electrified rail in NYC); they have 2 Tracks with intermittent Siding Track for freight trains to pull aside, more railroad over/underpasses, street closures, and automated train control for higher schedule reliability; most lines have or plan to add station platforms level with train floors for faster entry-exit; most trains run every 10-30 minutes.

Most lines have or plan to add station platforms level with trains for 300-400 rider capacity; most trains run every 15-45 minutes. Construction Cost Per Mile is Low, Operational Cost Per Mile is Low.

Metro Heavy Rail

Support 27-35 mph Average Speeds; Electric trains draw current from a 3rd rail. Tunnels and over/underpasses separate trains from automobiles for high schedule dependability. Station platforms are level with train floors. Trains are designed for 500-900 rider capacity; trains run 2-5 minutes at Peak, 8-15 minutes Off-Peak. A single Metro Heavy Rail line can transport 4-5 times more commuters/hour than a 6-lane freeway. Construction Cost Per Mile is Very High, Operational Cost Per Mile is Medium.

Automated Light Metro Rail

Supports 27-35 mph Average Speeds; Driverless electric trains draw current from a 3rd rail.  Viaducts and tunnels completely separate trains from automobiles for high schedule dependability. Station platforms are level with train floors. Stations are designed for 300-400 rider capacity. Trains run every 2-5 minutes Peak, every 6-10 minutes Off-Peak. Construction Cost Per Mile is High, Operational Cost Per Mile is Low.  Vancouver, Montreal, and Honolulu have Automated Light Metro Rail systems.

Metro Light Rail

Supports 18-20 mph Average Speeds; Electric trains draw current by extending pantographs to overhead electric wire. The have dedicated lanes and some street closures to reduce roadway crossings. Station platforms are low, but level with train floors. Trains are designed for 100-250 rider capacity. Trains run 4-8 minutes at Peak, 8-15 minutes Off-Peak. Construction Cost Per Mile is Medium, Operational Cost Per Mile is Medium; European-style Trams are common to Metro Light Rail systems in Seattle, Houston, Portland, Charlotte, and Phoenix.

Another version of Metro Light Rail with dedicated lanes, more street closures, and more over/underpasses to achieve 22-32 mph Average Speeds. Station platforms are higher, but level with train floors. Trains are designed for 150-300 rider capacity. Trains run 4-8 minutes at Peak, 8-15 minutes Off-Peak. Construction Cost Per Mile is Medium, Operational Cost Per Mile is Medium. Many Metro Light Rail lines are being built as a substitute for more expensive Metro Heavy Rail.

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)

Supports 16-22 mph Average Speeds; they mostly run on Dedicated Busway, but have fewer over/underpasses and street closures than Metro Light Rail; sub-par BRT designs run a portion of their route in mixed-traffic like local buses, lowering their average speed; BRT has 75-90 seats; they run every 6-8 minutes at Peak, 12-15 minutes Off-Peak; station platforms may or may not be level with bus floors. Buses are designed for 70-100 rider capacity; Construction Cost Per Mile is Low, Operational Cost Per Mile is High due to more drivers per rider; by 2035 most BRTs will transition to electric power, drawing their total construction costs closer to some Metro Light Rail lines.

The Los Angeles Metro Orange Line is the nation’s best BRT line for ridership. Since its buses are typically overcrowded, the BRT line should be converted to Metro Heavy Rail or Metro Light Rail.

Streetcars

Streetcars are not Rapid Transit, but exist in many American cities. Vintage Streetcars in New Orleans, San Francisco, Memphis, Dallas, Savannah, and Tampa have been good for tourism and a moderately good value for taxpaying citizens. In some cities, their vehicles are renovated with private funds. The typically support less than 60 passengers.

Modern Streetcars in America have modern vehicles and longer distances between stops like European Trams, but rarely run in dedicated lanes and don’t have signal priority at roadway crossings. Average Speed is 10-11 mph. In multi-car configuration, they can transport 80-120 passengers. Modern Streetcars don’t run at high frequency, and don’t have multi-line systems that cover most of the city. Consequently, no Modern Streetcar system in America attracts high ridership.

Highways Wrecked Many Black & Brown Communities In America

American Auto Culture came into dominance in 1946, just after World War II, when more national and state highways sprouted around America. Buses began their swift replacement of streetcars. The Highway Lobby and sympathetic politicians abused Auto Culture to convince most American voters that we only needed new highways and boulevards. The primary beneficiaries were White veterans using the GI Bill to purchase new homes with bigger yards in the suburbs. The direct results were White Flight, Suburban Sprawl, and decimation of tax dollars for streetcars, buses, and Metro Heavy Rail (in a handful of big cities).

In 1956, federal funding of the Interstate Highway System supercharged White Flight, Suburban Sprawl, and the death of streetcars. A side effect was the destruction of many stable Black & Brown communities by plowing new highways through them. By constructing the nation’s largest freeway network and promoting it in movies and on television, the Los Angeles Metro Area became the poster child of “Highway Expansion-White Flight-Suburban Sprawl.”

Other metro areas embraced LA’s approach that spread White Americans further from downtown jobs, retail, colleges, hospitals, and entertainment venues. Suburban malls and business parks sprang up like mushrooms. That federal policy embraced matching grants from states, which also increased Vehicle Miles Traveled between urban and suburban areas.

Though new highways plowed through mostly Black & Brown communities, a million Black veterans from World War II were denied full benefits from the GI Bill. Americans of Hispanic, Asian, and Pacific Island origins faced similar denial of GI benefits, but their population percentages were much smaller in the 1940s and 1950s. Along with Restrictive Covenants, most Black & Brown veterans were denied opportunities to purchase affordable homes in the suburbs.

By 1962, the Kennedy Administration noticed that Highway Expansion-Suburban Sprawl-White Flight was draining retail & tax revenue from the nation’s big cities. Unfortunately, JFK did not have sufficient influence to convince Congress to fund urban-oriented Rapid Transit projects.

In summer 1964, the Johnson Administration convinced Congress to introduce the Urban Mass Transit Administration intended to fund nearly a dozen Metro Heavy Rail projects in big cities. When the Vietnam War ramped up in early 1965, their funding was cut, and most cities killed or delayed Metro Heavy Rail projects.

Today, White, Black & Brown middle-class residents share those congested urban-suburban highways. They have lower speeds at Peak Hours, sapping American productivity. Highway and boulevard congestion also keeps smog & greenhouse gas emissions high despite more Remote Work, Electric Vehicles, and Hybrid Vehicles. Population growth and highway-sprawl development are increasing Vehicle Miles Traveled, too.

Since our politicians cut federal & state funding of Rapid Transit, even the NYC Metro Area falls short of a world-class, mesh-like Rapid Transit Network like Paris or Tokyo. That’s because Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx boroughs of NYC don’t have enough Metro Heavy Rail lines between them without going through Manhattan.

Instead of 20% open, the Second Avenue Subway from Harlem to Wall Street in Manhattan should be complete. The Brooklyn-Queens Interborough Express and other Metro Rail lines crisscrossing Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx should be open. NYC Commuter Rail & Regional Rail upgrades should have begun two decades ago.

Commute troubles are worse in the rest of America. Large metro areas are dipping to 19-22 mph average highway speeds at Peak Hours. Commutes are getting longer. More Suburban Sprawl development and highway widenings induce more traffic congestion. These trends are no surprise to transportation planners and urban planners. San Francisco was one of the early cities to halt urban destruction by freeways.

Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Phoenix, Seattle, Miami, Philadelphia, Boston, and others have proven that highway widening beyond 8 lanes induces more sprawl development and more vehicle trips on highways. Consequently, widened highways get congested again only 2-3 years later in medium & large metro areas. For that reason, building 20-26 lane freeways like Houston and Dallas is insane on the membrane.

Nor will Autonomous Vehicles solve highway congestion in the next 40-50 years. Read this informative article by The Conversation explaining why.

Excessive Highway Lanes Sap Rapid Transit Project Funding

From 1964 to 1974 (Vietnam War), our political leaders maintained a high percentage of federal & state funding for highway expansion, but cut the percentage of funding for rapid transit. After the war, rapid transit project funding never reached the inflation-adjusted levels promised in 1964. This chart by TheTransportPolitic.com only covers 2010-19, but accurately summarizes America’s 1974-2024 over-investment in Highways compared to under-investment in Rapid Transit.

Rapid transit’s funding gap with highways is starkly evident in America’s Top 40 Metro Areas. While highway expansion enabled more Sprawl and Middle-class Flight, Rapid Transit demand tanked. Excluding the NYC Metro Area, only 6 metro areas have 8+ Rapid Transit lines of any type:

10M Chicago Metro Area – 8 Heavy Rail, 12 Commuter Rail lines
4.9M Boston Metro Area – 3 Heavy Rail, 11 Commuter Rail, 5 Light Rail lines
6.1M Philadelphia Metro Area – 3 Heavy Rail, 12 Commuter Rail, 4 Light Rail lines
6.3M Washington Metro Area – 6 Metro Heavy Rail, 5 Commuter Rail, 1 Light Rail (u/c) lines
7.5M San Francisco Bay Area 5 Heavy Rail, 2 Commuter Rail, 8 Light Rail lines
19.1M Los Angeles Metro Area – 2 Heavy Rail, 7 Commuter Rail, 5 Light Rail (1 u/c) lines

Chicago, Boston, and Philadelphia have partial mesh networks because most of their Metro Rail infrastructure was completed before 1946. Washington and the San Francisco Bay Area continued attracting federal & state funding since 1964 to form partial Rapid Transit Mesh Networks today. If not for racist attitudes about Rapid Transit, Atlanta, Baltimore, Miami, and Cleveland would also have better Rapid Transit networks today.

By 2009, most American metro areas awakened to their need to at least build Metro Light Rail or BRT networks in dedicated guideways and lanes. They can’t build fast enough without more federal, state and county transit funding.

Though many city officials appreciate Modern Streetcar’s ability to attract Transit-Oriented Development around them, that transit mode is slow, low capacity, and does not have traffic signal priority. Streetcars increase automotive congestion when sharing roadway with automobiles. That is why I consider Modern Streetcar projects in Detroit, Cincinnati, Milwaukee, Kansas City, and Tampa to be disappointing substitutes for Metro Light Rail.

Vibrant Airport-Passenger Rail-Highway-Rapid Transit Infrastructure Was Possible

As Europe proves in similar-sized metro areas, the best way out of this dilemma is to expand “Rapid Transit Mesh Networks.” We can develop new communities around intermodal transit centers in large & medium metro areas. As of 2024, America’s Top 53 Metro Areas have 1+ million population. Our Top 36 Metro Areas have 2+ million. Our Top 15 Metro Areas have 4+ million. Our largest metro areas are Chicago (10 million), Los Angeles (19 million), and NYC (21 million).

European metro areas prove that “Rapid Transit Mesh Networks” preserve & enhance what we love about urbanity. One example of benefits to Europe’s metro areas is their Rapid Transit Mesh Networks place residents within 1/4 to 1/2 miles of a Metro/Tram Station or 1/4 to 1 mile from a Suburban Rail Station. Most adult residents in France, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, and the UK drive cars but average significantly fewer Vehicle Miles Traveled because they have Rapid Transit Mesh Networks.

Rapid Transit Mesh Networks built a Strong Transit Culture that rivals the Strong Automotive Culture in metro areas.

NYC anchors America’s only metro area with a Strong Transit Culture that attracts over 55% of daily commuters. It has a hyper-dense population that supports 24 Metro Heavy Rail lines, 12+ Commuter Rail lines, and 2 Light Rail lines that attract very high ridership per mile. NYC also demonstrates how Rapid Transit saved taxpayer money by avoiding 3-to-4 times more land-taking for highway lanes.

What Do Rapid Transit Mesh Networks Look Like In Europe?

How many rapid transit lines are appropriate for our large & medium metro areas? American metro areas should follow the best practices of European metro areas. After the 1973 OPEC Oil Embargo, European metro areas have been upgrading their Suburban Rail, expanding Metro Heavy Rail, and Trams to form mesh networks that attract over 60% of commuters. Aside from Paris, several rail maps linked below demonstrate successful Rapid Transit Mesh Networks by population size in Europe:

1.1M Nice metro area – 3 Trams, 3 Suburban Rail lines
2.3M Lyon metro area – 4 Heavy Rail, 7 Trams, 5 Suburban Rail lines
3.2M Rome metro area – 3 Heavy Rail, 3 Trams, 7 Suburban Rail lines
4.7M Berlin metro area – 9 Heavy Rail, 24 Suburban Rail lines
4.9M Milan metro area – 7 Heavy Rail, 9 Suburban Rail lines
6.0M Madrid metro area – 12 Heavy Rail, 3 Trams, 9 Suburban Rail lines
14.7M London metro area – 11 Heavy Rail, 3 Tram, 15+ Suburban Rail  lines

Make Rapid Transit a Funding Priority

Though NYC is addressing its shortcomings this decade, Chicago, San Francisco Bay Area, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington, and Los Angeles need 50-to-300% more mileage to form Rapid Transit Mesh Networks with high-frequency service by 2040. They must influence other metro areas to upscale the infrastructure and adopt a similar Transit Culture.

Let’s review their Commuter Rail, Metro Heavy Rail, Metro Light Rail, and intermodal transportation plans for growth.

Opened in 2003, AirTrain JFK in NYC is America’s first Automated Metro Light Rail Line. In 2023, Honolulu opens America’s second Automated Light Metro Rail Line. Given that American transit unions prefer drivers, I doubt that many more will be built.

Around 1995, Grand Central Terminal transformed into an intermodal transportation center bustling with retail & hotel activity from dawn to midnight. The recently opened Moynahan Hall expanded New York Penn Station capacity and features HSR, Regional Rail, Metro Heavy Rail, Intercity Buses, Uber, Lyft & Taxis that attract very high ridership. Awe-inspiring Grand Central Terminal, World Trade Center Transportation Hub and transit-oriented Manhattan and Brooklyn help NYC be more attractive as the most visited international destination in North America.

Chicago is upgrading old Metro stations, buying new Metro trains, expanding three Metro Heavy Rail lines, and building a BRT circulator connecting Amtrak, Metro Heavy Rail, and Commuter Rail lines. Eventually, Chicago Union Station and nearby Oglivie Transit Center will connect High-Speed Rail, Regional Rail, Commuter Rail, Intercity Buses, Metro Rail, BRT, taxis, Uber & Lyft.

Boston is extending 2 Metro Light Rail lines, gradually electrifying Commuter Rail, and modernizing subway stations. It is also upgrading South Station, an Intermodal Transportation Center with more retail space to host more HSR & Regional Rail (by Amtrak), Commuter Rail, Metro Heavy Rail, Metro Light Rail, Intercity Buses, Uber, Lyft & taxi activity.

Philadelphia 30th Street Station is upgrading to an Intermodal Transportation Center with more office & retail space to host more frequent HSR, Regional Rail, Metro Heavy Rail, Metro Light Rail, Intercity Buses, Uber, Lyft & taxi activity. Philadelphia is upgrading commuter Rail to Regional Rail status as part of Regional Rail upgrades. At long last, Philadelphia is also planning 2 Metro Heavy Rail extensions.

Washington Metro Rail lines intersect at several Metro Rail stations and go to Washington Union Station. The latter is a spectacular intermodal transportation center for HSR, Regional Rail, Commuter Rail, Metro Heavy Rail, Intercity Buses, Tourbuses, Uber, Lyft & Taxis. In 2022, Washington Metro Heavy Rail expanded to Dulles International Airport. By 2026, the Washington Union Station waiting area will expand, and more offices & residences will open over its tracks. A Metro Light Rail line is under construction, running on the Maryland side of the Washington Metro Area and connecting to Washington Metro Heavy Rail stations. Remaining Commuter Rail to Regional Rail upgrades should be completed by the mid-2030s.

BART, Metro Light Rail, Commuter Rail, Vintage Streetcars, Cable Cars, and Ferries are within 2 blocks of the San Francisco Salesforce Transit Center. The 49-mile Caltrain Commuter Rail electrification between San Francisco and San Jose recently opened. By 2031, a short tunnel opens to allow Caltrain to enter Salesforce Transit Center, more railroad over/underpasses open, BART extends to downtown San Jose, and to San Jose Diridon Intermodal Transportation Center.

In the 1990s, Los Angeles, America’s 2nd largest metro area, awakened to its dire need for Rapid Transit. Today, Los Angeles County is building more Metro Light Rail and Metro Heavy Rail mileage than all other American metro areas.

In 2025, LAX Metro Transit Center opens for Metro Light Rail connections to Inglewood, Leimert Park Village, Santa Monica, Culver City, USC, and Downtown LA. Over 2026-28, the LAX Airport People Mover opens to the LAX Metro Transit Center, and two other Metro Light Rail lines open or expand. One Metro Heavy Rail line extends to the LA Museum District, Beverly Hills, Century City, and Westwood near UCLA in time to support the 2028 LA Summer Olympics.

Over 2029-32, another Metro Light Rail line opens, and more railroad over/underpasses open to benefit commuter and Amtrak trains heading to an upgraded Los Angeles Union Station. Given its nearly 20 million population, LA needs a Rapid Transit Mesh Network similar to this 2045 Los Angeles Rapid Transit Vision Map.

Call to Action for Other Metro Areas

Atlanta, Dallas, Baltimore, Miami-Fort Lauderdale, Houston, Phoenix, Denver, Seattle, San Diego, Portland, Cleveland, St. Louis, Sacramento, Pittsburgh, Denver, Salt Lake City, and Minneapolis-St. Paul needs 3x to 5x more project funding to form Rapid Transit Mesh Networks that attract 30-35% of daily commutes by 2050.

Norfolk-Virginia Beach, Raleigh-Durham, Charlotte, Nashville, Buffalo, Hartford, Austin, Nashville, Detroit, Milwaukee, Louisville, Tampa, Orlando, Las Vegas, San Antonio, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Kansas City, and Richmond also need large Metro Light Rail and BRT systems to attract 25% of daily commutes by 2050.

Yonah Freemark of The Transport Politic & Urban Institute studied the importance of Rapid Transit and increasing bus frequency in 100,000+ population urban areas. His study reveals a strong correlation between people with no Rapid Transit access and low-frequency bus service to higher unemployment levels. Consider those benefits as America’s Top 250 Metro Areas jog to 250,000+ population and our Top 70 Metro Areas race to 2+ million by 2050.

America needs successful Rapid Transit and Amtrak Regional Rail networks as complementary partners to High-Speed Rail projects described in Part 6.

Part 6: Interstate High Speed Rail Progress