Abstract:
One of the important features of light rail transit (LRT) is the ability to locate tracks in downtown streets and transit malls, thus eliminating the high capital cost of grade-separated aerial structures or subways. The designs of transit tracks in pavement have evolved over the past 100 years in domestic streetcar systems. This paper traces this evolution by looking back at the initial streetcar track designs, by reviewing the development of heavy streetcar tracks, and finally by reviewing the track details and costs of seven recent North American LRT projects. Comparison of these seven projects shows a wide variation in design criteria and a resultant cost range of $67 to $270 per single-track feet. The conclusion is that much work remains to be done to establish cost-effective design criteria for transit track in pavement.
Supplemental Notes:
This paper appears in Transportation Research Board Special Report No. 221, Light Rail Transit: New System Successes at Affordable Prices - Papers presented at the National Conference on Light Rail Transit, May 8-11, 1988, San Jose, California, Conducted by the Transportation Research Board. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved
