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[quote user="matthewsaggie"] There are so many variables in estimating costs for rail and roads , especially in urban areas, that comparisons are really marginal. The next section of Independence Blvd. here in Charlotte, (US-74) to be widened to 6-8 lanes with busway in middle (possible future LRT route) is currently estimated at $152 Million for 1.4 miles, or a little over $100M per mile. Right-of-way purchase, remember this is an urban area, and keeping traffic moving on temporary road, temporary lanes etc, for the 80,000+ vehicles a day that use the road will probably consume more then 50% of that money.  As was mentioned earlier, CLT's rail line was $46M per mile.[/quote] Aggregate cost is only part of the story.  A more relevant number is the cost per vehicle mile traveled or the cost per passenger mile.  These are a function of how many people pass a given point over a period of time. Using numbers from a recent Charlotte Observer article, as well as the U.S. Census, I calculated that approximately 2.64 per cent of the people in Charlotte or 1.94 per cent of the people in Mecklenburg County use the light rail system.  To be sure, as the system is expanded, a higher percentage of the population will be able to use the light rail trains, but it is unlikely that they will ever be used by a significant per cent of the population.  This is also true for Dallas and Austin.  Most Americans prefer to drive to and from work, play, and entertainment.  This is true even if it costs them more than public transport, and it is likely to remain true.  The major reason is the convenience of the automobile.  Beyond that, although many people will not admit it, they don't want to sit next to someone who is shouting into a cell phone, has not bathed for a week, and is restricted to a four letter vocabulary.   I have often wondered how many of the folks who extol the virtues of public transport use it on a regular basis.  I worked for the implementation of the DART light rail system.  When the system was inaugurated, the speaker's platform at Union Station was dotted with local luminaries, including the members of the DART Board of Directors.  They sang the praises of public transit to the hilt.  Not a single one of them were regular users of public transit.
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