Number 10: Light rail is better than any other transit mode at attracting former car commuters--this gets a higher percentage of cars off the road. In Denver, 48% of Light Rail riders had never previously used public transit; in St. Louis, the figure was 70%

Number 9: A Light-Rail-led bus system will actually get people to where they want to go without the hassle of today. The bus fleet will be upgraded and doubled at minimum, and the routes adjusted to minimize waits between buses. Bus ridership in all Light Rail cities has increased dramatically after the opening of the rail line.

Number 8: Two words: Zero Pollution. There will be no pollution from the electric light rail vehicles as they move through neighborhoods and business districts. Additionally, we can use non-polluting solar power wherever practicable in the generation of the electricity.

Number 7: No other transportation system has comparable economic development power. In Dallas, every dollar invested in their light rail line returned $1.20 in direct private investment in the vicinity of the stations within 4 years.

Number 6: Light rail riders can use their cellphones, put on makeup, use their laptop, or read the paper while riding to work without posing a danger to themselves or anyone else!

Number 5: A high-quality transit system could enable your family to get by with one car, saving an average of $7,000 per year per car. Given the current average of two cars per household in the Tucson metro area, that could add up to a savings of more than $2 BILLION a year for Tucson families.

Number 4: The Feds will match local funds for Light Rail with 60% federal funding; a $500 million Light Rail line could cost us in Tucson as little as $9 million a year to build, including the trains! And all that matching federal money will go to create high-paying Tucson jobs for Tucson workers.

Number 3: One in five trips made on Broadway on an average weekday are already being made by bus on our existing substandard transit system. A light rail system could make that two in five trips or higher. That means over 20% fewer cars clogging up the road and less need for road expansion.

Number 2: Which would you rather have in your neighborhood: a Light Rail line or a 16-lane freeway? Both carry the same number of people at capacity, and the Light Rail line would cost about 80% less than the freeway.

And the Number 1 Reason to Build Light Rail in Tucson: It's embarrassing that Phoenix did this before we did! In March 2000, Phoenix voters overwhelmingly supported a 4/10-cent sales tax dedicated exclusively to transit, with Light Rail as a flagship. There is no reason we can't do it here!

Check our Links page for other sources for more questions & answers.

And see our Member Quotes page to read what Sensible Tucsonans are saying about transportation.