BusinessTN

There will come a time when building more roads to move people around Memphis will not be an option.

For this reason and other factors—like increasing traffic congestion and decreasing air quality—Memphis officials are planning the first of what they hope to be many lengths of light rail transportation.

Light rail is so named because it is less bulky and more adaptable to various surfaces than traditional commuter rail. Powered by electrical lines from above, people can walk over light rail lines and the lines can be installed on existing surfaces close to buildings and curbs.

The technology can be found in major cities across the country, including recent successful installations in Dallas, Portland and Seattle.

The first installment of light rail in Memphis likely will connect the growing downtown area and the Memphis International Airport. The route was chosen because of its high traffic and the growing importance of downtown for locals and tourists.

“The access that light rail would provide to and from the airport would be greatly welcomed by an increasing number of people,” says Center City Commission President Jeff Sanford.

The $400 million project—now in its initial planning stages—is about seven years from completion, assuming federal money is approved on time, says Tom Fox, an assistant general manager with Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA).

But jumping though federal hoops may be easy compared to the other challenge facing Memphis transportation officials. Convincing people to actually use the new transit system instead of their cars will be tough, says MATA General Manager Will Hudson.

“We need to get citizens to think of some modes of transportation other than their cars,” Hudson says. “But ridership patterns are very hard to change.

Likewise, business travelers arriving at the airport may avoid the light rail line because of numerous stops it would likely make before arriving downtown, says Bob Beasley, a planning director for the Memphis International Airport.

“Tourists are likely to use the line “as a novelty,” Beasley says. “But the business traveler is usually in a hurry.”

According to its research, MATA officials say business riders likely will make up only 5% of total usage. The rest would be residents from the area surrounding the light rail line who will use it to commute to work or for shopping.

Nationwide, as light rail usage has increased, so has its vocal opposition. Opponents say light rail is underused and that more money should be spent on improving highways and highway congestion. A study by the Independence Institute, a Colorado think tank, says that cities building light rail lines spend half to four-fifths of their transportation budget on transit systems that carry only 0.5% to 4% of passenger travel.

Hudson responds to these criticisms by saying that many of these critics misrepresent issues, use biased information or include inaccurate analysis.

“Most critics focus only on operating costs, travel time, safety or environmental impacts,” Hudson says. “They ignore benefits such as reductions of congestion and indirect parking costs, increased accessibility, air quality improvements and public health benefits.

According to a MATA survey taken early last year, 73% of Memphis residents appear to back the light rail plan.

“Memphis can expect that people will begin to change their travel habits by using light rail for some of their trips,” Fox says. “Also, developers will create transit-friendly and pedestrian-friendly developments around the stations. The spread of sprawl will be slowed with more people choosing to live, work and play near the light rail system.”