U.S. cities rely on light rail to drive growth
Charlotte, North Carolina: more attractive city districts, thanks to new rail lines – sustainable city development in the USA
Many Americans live in the suburbs and work in the city. Yet this American way of life is in crisis. After all, the daily drive to work often takes as long as two hours – and the trip is becoming more expensive, due to rising oil prices. To relieve the burden on both residents and the environment, more and more U.S. municipalities are relying on intelligent light rail concepts and thus sustainable urban transport. And these concepts can do more than "just" solve traffic problems. More and more, they are proving to be a tool for purposefully promoting growth.
Passing rush hour traffic at 120 km/h.
Many cities in the United States are approaching gridlock and are therefore consistently turning to light rail. One example is Charlotte, North Carolina, where 16 new S70 light rail vehicles from Siemens recently went into service. This has noticeably relieved the city's chronically over-congested streets. And it has done much more.
Just three years ago, the line ran through an industrial wasteland. Since then – and despite the economic crisis – many new businesses and restaurants have sprung up in this area. Small wonder that urban planners use their light rail planning specifically to develop a sustainable city and to promote growth within the municipality. Jürgen Wilder, who heads Siemens Rolling Stock USA, explains the phenomenon: "A rail line will be reliable for the next 50 years." This sustainable transport is also why real estate prices rise along the planned line as early as the project planning phase of a light rail system.
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