Light Rail worsens traffic and air pollution

Laissez Faire Institute September 2006
Issue Brief
Why Light Rail Is Bad for Scottsdale

Highlights
o using tax dollars to build light rail will mean
the loss of 20 lane miles of streets for every
mile of light rail track laid
o annual cost for a daily light rail commuter is
over $6,000
o light rail traffic fatality rates per passenger
mile are more than twice as high as bus
fatality rates
o traffic congestion and air pollution would be
worse if light rail is built
o a decision to go forward with light rail will
cost the community jobs and income


Too much money is allocated to LRT
Based on the ridership forecasts made by MAG and Valley Metro, light rail (LRT) will account for an average of two-tenths of 1% of the travel over the next 20 years. Scottsdale’s transit ridership is below average. Spending a billion dollars to build a Scottsdale light rail line is spending too much money for too little in return. Allocating so much of our tax dollars to LRT is disproportionate and will result in neglect of needed road improvements.

Foregone road improvements
The dollars spent to build each mile of light rail could be used to build more than 20 lane-miles of city streets. Considering that over 99% of the travel will be using roads, this is a heavy price to pay to serve the two-tenths of 1% who will be using light rail.


Light rail rides are too expensive
Valley Metro reports that the cost per passenger trip (i.e., each time one person boards the trolley) for light rail is more than $13. The
annual cost for a daily light rail commuter is over $6,000. The passengers certainly wouldn’t be willing to pay this much for their own rides. Why should taxpayers who will never ride the train be forced to pay so much?

Roads deliver better value
Based on the traffic and ridership
forecasts made by MAG and Valley Metro, the
tax cost to move one person one mile by light
rail is more than a dollar. The tax cost to move
one person one mile by streets is 6 cents. Taxes
spent on light rail give us far less service per
dollar spent.

Light rail is dangerous
Light rail traffic fatality rates per passenger mile are higher than bus fatality rates and are even higher than urban automobile fatality rates. Light rail serious crime rates are eight times higher than the bus service it would displace. Replacing bus service with light rail will degrade the community’s safety.

Light rail will cost jobs and retard prosperity
The source of economic growth is profit.
Investments that make a profit grow. This creates
more jobs and wealth for the people of the
community. Investments that generate losses
consume wealth and eliminate jobs. Light rail
generates huge losses and survives only via a
parasitic relationship with taxpayers.
Consequently, a decision to go forward with light rail is a decision that will cost the community jobs and income.

So-called performance standards a delusion
The light rail lobby claims that LRT
performance will be monitored. However, there
are no identified performance standards. No transit official is able to define the boundary between a successful and unsuccessful system. The national standard for a “successful” system is simply one that can get and spend tax dollars. No cost is ever deemed too high. No number of riders is ever deemed too low. Phoenix’s light rail proposal made it to “highly recommended” status with the Federal Transit Administration because it imposed a tax to help fund the system, not because it is cost-effective.

LRT is a failure everywhere
There is no city in America where light rail operates at a profit. The highest share of traffic for any light rail system in America is 1% (Portland, OR). Such small shares of travel demonstrate the failure of light rail to make a significant contribution to meeting transportation needs. Testimonials from the tiny fraction of the population that use light rail are not a useful guide to decision making. Why wouldn’t these riders be satisfied? Taxpayers are picking up 90% of the cost of their rides.

Light rail worsens traffic and air pollution
The Central Phoenix/East Valley Light
Rail Project: Final Environmental Impact
Statement prepared by Valley Metro shows that
both traffic congestion and air pollution would
be slightly worse if light rail is built compared
with not building it. How can we justify
spending billions of tax dollars to worsen these
urban problems?

Impact on Daily Traffic
Auto Speeds Build No Build
Region 22.3 mph 22.4 mph
Corridor 17.7 mph 17.9 mph
Source: This is a composite of tables S-8 & S-9 in the Central Phoenix/East Valley Light Rail Project: Final Environmental Impact Statement (Valley Metro)

Conclusion
The light rail lobby has seduced city-
after-city to sign-on to eternal deficits in order to
build and operate these systems. Scottsdale
should not follow this Pied Piper of waste. There
is no need to panic or give in to the bullying and
special interest pleading of the transit lobby.

Carbon Monoxide Parts/Million in Year 2020
No-Build Build Light Rail Impact of Build Option
Average One Hour Levels 6.5 6.8 +0.3
Average Eight Hour Levels 4.6 4.8 +0.2
Source: Central Phoenix/East Valley Light Rail Project: Final Environmental Impact Statement (Valley Metro), p. 4-51.

This document was published by the Laissez Faire Institute, 828 N. Poplar Court, Chandler, Arizona 85226; (480) 940-9824;