SMART is Commuter Rail in the NTD
Author: Mueller
Date: 03-30-2021 - 22:29
SMART is not light rail.
SMART is commuter rail and if anyone is interested in the different
definitions, from the FTA-NTD Glossary.
Light Rail:
A transit mode that typically is an electric railway with a light volume traffic capacity compared to heavy rail (HR). It is characterized by:
• Passenger rail cars operating singly (or in short, usually two car, trains) on fixed rails in shared or exclusive right-of-way (ROW);
• Low or high platform loading; and
• Vehicle power drawn from an overhead electric line via a trolley or a pantograph.
Commuter Rail (CR)
An electric or diesel propelled railway for urban passenger train service consisting of local travel which operates between a central city and outlying areas. Service must be operated on a regular basis by or under contract with a transit operator for the purpose of transporting passengers within urbanized areas (UZAs), or between urbanized areas and outlying areas. Commuter rail is generally characterized by multi-trip tickets, specific station-to-station fares, railroad employment practices, relatively long distance between stops, and only 1-2 stations in the central business district.