THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, June 9, 1996 TAG: 9606090032
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A10 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY KURT KENT, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 130 lines
Hampton Roads matches up well with one of the most successful of all U.S. light rail cities, Portland, Ore.
But most metropolitan areas with light rail have more potential riders than Hampton Roads. Portland, though, stands at just about the same size as the Hampton Roads area. Both counted around 1.4 million residents in the 1990 census.
Hampton Roads also falls near the bottom of income statistics when compared to areas with light rail but is on a par with Portland. Both had 1989 median household incomes of about $31,000.
Light rail systems in the United States built in recent years mostly collect fares with a ``proof-of-payment'' setup. Passengers buy tickets from a machine, which stamps the date and time. Riders carry the tickets throughout their trips. Roving inspectors board cars from time to time to check the tickets. To encourage payment, the system hits freeloaders with a substantial fine - $50 in St. Louis, for example.
A glance at Hampton Roads' proposal and other light rail systems:
PORTLAND, ORE.
Metro population: 1.48 million
Household income: $31,071
Year light rail began: 1986
Miles of track: 15
Weekday trips: 26,000
Saturday trips: about 18,000-20,000.
Fares: Travel is free in downtown. It ranges up to $1.30 for a ticket to enter all zones. A day pass costs $3.25. Monthly passes and ticket books are sold. Children and seniors get discounts. Proof-of-payment is used.
Security: Twenty police officers patrol the rail and bus system full-time. They ride the rail cars and buses in plain clothes and in uniform. Closed-circuit television cameras at three stations show what's happening on the platforms. The transit authority hires extra security people to ride the trains during any large community event such as a major concert or festival. The number of assaults has been been decreasing since the early 1990s. But the transit union says security is inadequate.
Comment: The new home for the Portland Trail Blazers basketball team was built next to a light rail station. The basketball arena, which cost about $250 million, opened in the fall. Despite light rail's success, expansion faces opposition. A proposed $375 million extension will face a state-wide referendum in November, along with other transportation projects around Oregon.
BALTIMORE
Metro population: 2.38 million
Household income: $36,550
Year light rail began: 1992
Miles of track: 22.5
Weekday trips: 20,000
Saturday trips: 7,000-10,000
Fares: $1.35 one-way, no transfers. Passes: Daily $3, weekly $14, monthly $54. Proof-of-payment is used.
Security: MTA police travel trains, also checking tickets. Stations are patrolled by police from Baltimore and Anne Arundel counties.
Comment: The track runs by Camden Yards, home of baseball's Orioles. The one-day ridership record of 30,000 was set when Pope John Paul II spoke at the stadium. By June 1997, the line is expected to extend another 2.7 miles to the Baltimore-Washington International Airport, as well as .3 mile to Penn Station with its Amtrak line and 4.5 miles to Hunt Valley Shopping Center. Bikes are permitted on the trains at all times.
ST. LOUIS
Metro population: 2.44 million
Household income: $31,774
Year light rail began: 1993
Miles of track: 18
Weekday trips: 39,500
Saturday trips: 30,000 in April, varying by season.
Fares: $1 one way, unlimited stops in same direction within 2 hours. An unusual feature: ``Ride-free zone,'' 10 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays in central city, subsidized by Downtown St. Louis Inc. Proof-of-payment is used. Violators are fined $50.
Security: Police roam the cars, permanently patrol some stations, and visit other stations randomly.
Comment: The track passes Busch Stadium, home of the baseball Cardinals, and the Trans World Dome, home of football's Rams.
DENVER
Metro population: 1.85 million
Household income: $33,126
Year light rail began: 1994
Miles of track: 5.3
Weekday trips: 14,000
Saturday trips: About 5,500 (double projections)
Fares: $1 peak times, 50 cents otherwise. Transfers to buses are free. Proof-of-payment is used.
Security: Roving officers double as ticket-takers.
Comment: By the year 2000, another 8.7 miles will be added at a cost of $142.5 million.
HAMPTON ROADS
(To start, line woulf be Norfolk-Virginia Beach)
Metro population: 1.4 million
Household income: $30,841
Year light rail would begin: 2003
Miles of track: 18.3
Weekday trips: Projected 13,000-15,500
Fares: $1.25 one way, with unlimited transfers. For one fare, riders will be able to get on a feeder bus in their neighborhoods, transfer to the rail, get off and on an unlimited number of times, and catch a feeder line at the end of the trip to the office, hospital, or other destination. Proof-of-payment is proposed.
Security: The basic principle of ``see and be seen'' will be followed, said Dennis Probst, consultant to Hampton Roads transportation planners. ``All of the site locations and platforms will be as open and as visible as possible.'' Designers will plan for good lighting. Roving security people are proposed, with separate ticket-checkers.
Sources: Compiled from U.S. Census data, news reports and interviews with transit operators or consultants in each city. ILLUSTRATION: Photos
TRT
Riders on the MAX light rail line in Portland, Ore., can hop the
train for free within downtown.
Fans of the Baltimore Orioles can ride the train to see Brady
Anderson play at Camden Yards. Most successful light rail lines
serve sports arenas and other major recreational destinations. The
one-day ridership record for the Baltimore line was set when Pope
John Paul II spoke at Camden Yards.
KEYWORDS: TRT LIGHT-RAIL SYSTEM by CNB