Assessing Transit Changes in Columbus, Ohio, and Sacramento, California

2005 ◽  
Vol 1930 (1) ◽  
pp. 62-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Schumann
Keyword(s):  
Federal Funding ◽  
Light Rail ◽  
Rail Transit ◽  
Transit System ◽  
Transit Systems ◽  
Bus Transit ◽  
The Past ◽  
Voter Approval ◽  
Capital Funding ◽  
Bus Service

This paper compares the changes experienced by transit systems in two state capitals of similar size: Columbus, Ohio, and Sacramento, California. Over the past two decades, Sacramento added a light rail transit (LRT) starter line and experienced significant ridership growth on its multimodal rail and bus system, while Columbus remained all-bus and experienced a decline in patronage. Reasons underlying the divergent performances of these two systems are analyzed and discussed. It is concluded that, in Sacramento, willing political leadership took good advantage of a one-time opportunity for federal funding to build an LRT starter line; that adding LRT made transit more visible and effective and encouraged voter approval of additional local operating and capital funding; and that all of this resulted in a synergy that attracted more riders to the total LRT and bus transit system and led to extension of the rail system to a third corridor in 2003. Although planning for LRT was begun in Columbus during these same years, a serious interruption in the flow of local funds hampered transit development, required cuts in bus service, and prevented development of that region's planned LRT line. Columbus currently has an LRT project in preliminary engineering, and recent reports suggest a consensus to proceed may be emerging.

Privatisation of fixed-rail transit systems: a case study of Malaysia's STAR and PUTRA

2006 ◽  
Vol 33 (7) ◽  
pp. 846-853 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdul-Rashid Abdul-Aziz
Keyword(s):  
Capital City ◽  
Light Rail ◽  
Rail Transit ◽  
Light Rail Transit ◽  
Kuala Lumpur ◽  
Transit System ◽  
Transit Systems ◽  
The Public ◽  
Privatisation Programme

Since the early 1980s, many public utilities have been privatised under Malaysia's privatisation programme. A few, however, have since prematurely returned to government hands, among them the two light-rail transit systems in the capital city of Kuala Lumpur, STAR and PUTRA. This paper chronicles the pre- and post-privatisation events of both facilities before attempting to provide rational explanation behind their untimely surrender to the public domain. Based on publicly available material, this paper argues that neither the quality of government negotiators nor the length of time devoted to negotiating could be attributed to the bailout. Nor is there hint that political favouritism and corruption were at play. More than likely, despite the copious incentives provided to the two concession companies, the two projects proved financially unviable.Key words: build–operate–transfer (BOT), Malaysia, privatisation, light-rail transit system.

Corrosion Control of Modern Light Rail Transit (LRT) Systems

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Berman ◽  
Quentin P. Williams
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
The United States ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Light Rail ◽  
Rail Transit ◽  
National Bureau ◽  
Light Rail Transit ◽  
Corrosion Control ◽  
Transit System ◽  
Transit Systems

Since the introduction of electrified transit systems in the United States there has been a number of advancements in the field of corrosion control related to light rail transit (LRT) systems. Modern day direct current (dc) powered LRT systems have been designed with a variety of corrosion control features built-in. Most of the research into corrosion control and the mitigation of stray currents known as electrolysis in the early days of electrified transit systems first appeared extensively in papers prepared and presented by personnel of the National Bureau of Standards. This research has led to better protection against corrosion of transit systems and nearby structures throughout the years. Due to the ever increasing number of transit systems being built or upgraded, it’s essential to incorporate the installation, testing and monitoring of corrosion control measures in these transit systems. By integrating these corrosion control features into the design of LRT systems and subsystems, it will help to prevent premature corrosion failures on LRT fixed facilities and other structures. This paper identifies the main causes of corrosion and how corrosion control can be implemented into the design of LRT systems to prevent damage to the transit system and other structures.

Understanding Stray Current Mitigation, Testing and Maintenance on DC Powered Rail Transit Systems

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saud Memon
Keyword(s):  
Current Control ◽  
Design Criteria ◽  
Light Rail ◽  
Rail Transit ◽  
Stray Current ◽  
Soil Resistivity ◽  
Transit System ◽  
Transit Systems ◽  
Testing Procedures ◽  
Transit Agencies

All direct current traction power systems using rails for return of traction current have a level of current leakage. This leakage of current is dependent on both design and operating factors affecting the efficiency of the rail return path and is referred to as stray current. Stray currents have been detected since the first electric railways were placed into operation during the latter half of the nineteenth century and have serious effects on utility structures and the neighboring infrastructure at large. Stray currents can create safety hazards thereby rendering the design of stray current mitigation an important element of the overall design of a rail transit system. Like any other design/construction project, a baseline survey is an important and significant step in the data collection and fact finding process for a light rail system. Such a survey would aid in finding the soil resistivity data and the results of the stray current levels on existing buried metal utilities. Similarly defining the design criteria for stray current mitigation, monitoring, and testing for a new light rail design project is also important. Most of the design criteria for the older rail transit systems have been developed as an aftermath of the corrosion problem and/or after the design of new extension to the system. Some older transit systems still do not have a specified design or mitigation criteria for stray current, and corrosion issues are handled as they surface and are prioritized based on severity. In the absence of guidelines, it is hard to understand the reasoning behind the limiting criteria suggested in the transit agency manuals particularly when there is no record of testing or soil resistivity investigation. For these older transit systems the limiting criterion was developed based on the information from other transit services. Having applicable design criteria for stray current control and mitigation will help standardize the process for the transit and will lower the cost of mitigation. This paper has been written by a Civil Engineer with an effort to understand the source and the scientific reasoning behind the limiting values suggested by the transit agencies associated with stray current testing procedures and its control. In order to understand the limited stray current corrosion criteria and the respective testing, various transit agencies were interviewed. These interviews were supplemented by a thorough review of the respective transit agency criteria manual/guidelines (where such information was available and accessible). Critical evaluations of the testing procedures were conducted to analyze if these tests and mitigation methods were effective.

Harmonic Analysis and Filter Design for the Light Rail Transit Systems

2013 ◽  
Vol 479-480 ◽  
pp. 210-214
Author(s):  
Cheng Ting Hsu ◽  
Hung Ming Huang ◽  
Tsun Jen Cheng ◽  
Lian Jou Tsai
Keyword(s):  
Harmonic Analysis ◽  
Distribution System ◽  
Filter Design ◽  
Harmonic Distortion ◽  
Dynamic Responses ◽  
Light Rail ◽  
Rail Transit ◽  
Light Rail Transit ◽  
Transit System ◽  
Transit Systems

This paper presents the light rail transit system (lrts) impact on the harmonic pollution of distribution feeder. To investigate the dynamic responses of the system voltage and current, the distribution system and lrts models are set up well by using the Alternative Transients Program (ATP). The harmonic analysis of the distribution system with the lrts is executed under various operation scenarios. The 6-pulses and 12-pulses rectifier are adopted for the lrts with a direct current (dc) power supply to the trams. Furthermore, the well-designed filters have also applied to improve the harmonic distortion resulted from the lrts.

Light Rail in Britain and France

2005 ◽  
Vol 1930 (1) ◽  
pp. 79-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. William Vigrass ◽  
Andrew K. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Capital Investment ◽  
Light Rail ◽  
Construction Costs ◽  
Transit Systems ◽  
Secondary Sources ◽  
The Past ◽  
Transit Ridership ◽  
Great Divergence ◽  
Street Railways ◽  
Heavy Rail

Great Britain and France have experienced a dramatic resurgence of light rail in the past two decades. Beginning in the early 1980s, following a 30-year abandonment of street railways in favor of motorbuses, cities in both countries developed new light rail transit systems as a response to declining transit ridership, faded downtowns in need of revitalization, and the high construction costs of heavy rail and metro. Britain and France have pursued greatly different approaches to the implementation of light rail. The purpose of this paper is to point out these differences and, through the use of case studies, draw conclusions as to the efficacy of each approach. A few cities in each country were studied with secondary sources. Commonality within each country was observed with great divergence between the two countries. In Britain, the requirements for light rail are onerous: a specific act of Parliament is needed for each new start. Each system must achieve full recovery of operating and maintenance costs and contribute toward capital investment while competing against unregulated buses. That some British systems have been built and successfully attract traffic is to the credit of their proponents. France has a more uniform approach published in government circulars. All French cities of substantial size must have a “versement transportes,” a 1% to 2% tax on salaries and wages dedicated to regulated and coordinated public transport. French new starts, which have no need to attain 100% cost recovery (the versement transportes covers operating losses), have been implemented in about half the time of those in Britain.

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