9th National Light Rail Transit Conference

TRB Transportation Research Circular E-C058 includes the proceedings of the 9th National Light Rail Transit Conference held November 16-18, 2003, in Portland, Oregon. The ninth national conference focuses on the planning, design, construction, operation, maintenance, and administration of LRT systems.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
FRONT MATTER

• Cover
• 2003 LRT Conference Planning Committee
• Forward
• Contents

OPENING GENERAL SESSION

• Status of North American Light Rail Transit Systems: Year 2003 Update

PLANNING AND FORECASTING FOR LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT

• Defining an Alternative Future: Birth of the Light Rail Movement in North America
• Joint Agency Planning for MetroLink Expansion in St. Louis, Missouri
• Actual Versus Forecast Ridership on MetroLink in St. Clair County, Illinois
• Community and Systems Planning for Muni's Third Street Light Rail Project
• How the Introduction of the HBLRT Changed the Demand for the Liberty State Park Park-and-Ride Facility

LOW-FLOOR LIGHT RAIL VEHICLES

• Structural and Crashworthiness Requirements of Light Rail Vehicles with Low-Floor Extension
• Light Rail Vehicles' Low-Floor Center Section
• Integrating New Light Rail Vehicle Technology into Mature Infrastructure

LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT AND OTHER MODES

• Blurring the Light Rail Transit–Bus Rapid Transit Boundaries: Rapid Light Transit

LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT TRAFFIC ENGINEERING

• Application of Part 10 of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices to Light Rail Transit Projects-A Review of Its Strengths and Weaknesses
• Preemption Versus Priority Service for Light Rail Transit Vehicles
• Application of NTCIP Standard 1211: Framework for Upgrading Downtown Baltimore Light Rail Transit Signal Priority

LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT AND TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT

• Light Rail and the American City: State-of-the-Practice for Transit-Oriented Development
• Hudson-Bergen Light Rail System and Economic Development on the Waterfront
• Third Street Light Rail Project Southern Terminal
• Delineating an Integrated, Multifaceted Light Rail Corridor for Northeast Baltimore City

CROSSINGS AND SHARED CORRIDORS

• "Limited LRT Connections" with the General Railroad System: How Small-Scale, Shared-Use Arrangements Advance U.S. Joint Operations Practices
• Safety Criteria for Light Rail Pedestrian Crossings
• Resolving Union Pacific Railroad Intermodal Concerns from TriMet's Interstate MAX LRT Line
• Shared-Use Corridors: A Survey of Current Practice and Recommendations for the Future

CRITIQUES: HOW ARE WE DOING?

• Ridership Trends of New Start Rail Projects
• Portland Streetcar: A Two-Year Report Card
• Peak-Period Service Supply Versus Observed Passenger Utilization for Rapid Bus and Rapid Rail Modes: Issues and Implications
• Light Rail and Urban Mobility: Is Light Rail Transit Justifying Its Investment?

CIVIL DESIGN

• Design and Construction of the Weehawken Tunnel and Bergenline Avenue Station for the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail Transit System
• Floating Slab Trackbed Design to Control Groundborne Noise from Newark-Elizabeth Rail Link Light Rail Transit
• Fitting Light Rail Transit into Historical Centers: The Rome Experience
• Embedded Track Design and Performance
• Debate of At-Grade Versus Grade Separation Construction Interstate MAX Project, Portland, Oregon

OPERATIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS

• Designing New Light Rail: Taking Engineering Beyond Vanilla
• San Diego Trolley: From Super Bowl Rookie to Super Bowl Veteran
• From Magnet Boards and Grease Pencils to Flat Panels and Overview Displays: TriMet Case Study
• Implementing Passenger Information, Entertainment, and Security Systems in Light Rail Transit

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

• Procurement of Federal Property for Light Rail Transit: Case Study of the Minneapolis Hiawatha Line
• Communicating the Timeline
• Developing the Design and Construction Contracting Plan for a Major Light Rail Extension Project
• Design-Build Contracts: Lessons Learned on the Gold Line Rail Project for APTA

PORTLAND POSTER SESSION

• MAX Light Rail Integration into the Community: Westside to Interstate MAX
• Environmental and Sustainable Elements in Light Rail Transit Design and Construction: The Green Line-From High Tech to No Tech
• Special Problems for Real Property Acquisition Valuations: Billboards and Parking Lots
• Federal Davis-Bacon Prevailing Wage Law and Light Rail Construction: Streamlining Implementation and Playing by the Rules
• From the Ballot Ashes: Rebirth of Interstate MAX

LIGHT RAIL ELECTRIFICATION

• Feederless Traction Power Design Considerations for New Streetcar Lines
• Operational and Safety Considerations for Light Rail DC Traction Electrification System Design
• Traction Power Supply for the Portland Interstate MAX Light Rail Extension
• Built-in-Place Substations: Beauty and Brains at the Right Price- TriMet's Traction Power Substations Evolve to a Higher Level
• One Break Point Is Enough: Traction Power Simulation in Portland

CLOSING GENERAL SESSION: LIGHT RAIL IN FAR PLACES

• Continuing Developments in Light Rail Transit in Western Europe: United Kingdom, France, Spain, Portugal, and Italy
• Light Rail Without Wires: A Dream Come True?
• Light Rail Down Under: Three Strikes and You're Not Out!
• From Mule Tracks to Light Rail Transit Tracks: Integrating Modern Infrastructure into an Ancient City—Jerusalem, Israel

BACK MATTER

• TRB Executive Committee List
• APTA Officers and Board of Directors
• "Get On Board"
• The National Academies