Originally Posted by
JBMcB
Again, it depends on your reason for starting a mass transit system to begin with. If you are trying to enact some sort of social change, a light rail system does make sense. However, it's going to be a gamble, and an expensive gamble at that. If you take out a hundred million in building bonds to get it done, and ridership doesn't take off, you're saddled with the expenses and an underutilized railroad.
If your purpose in having mass transit is to move people where they need to go as cheaply and efficiently as possible, right now, a bus system is the way to go. It's relatively cheap, you can play with the routes easily, and if ridership declines you can sell off unused buses.
After a few years of use, if a particular bus run seems very popular, light rail can be looked into for that run. This way, instead of telling people where they need to go, you can find out where they want to go and respond to their needs.