Light Rail in the USA, Part 1 Trivia Quiz

Answer: Newark Light Rail

The statewide New Jersey Transit Corporation (6th largest Public Transit Agency in the US - 2004 passenger trips) owns and/or operates most of the bus lines, all commuter rails (except Amtrak, PATH and PATCO Hi-speed) and all three Light Rail systems in the state of New Jersey. With one exception, all New Jersey Transit commuter rails feeds the transportation hubs of the Hoboken terminal or NYC's Manhattan Penn Station. The Atlantic City Line, the exception, terminates at Philadelphia's 30th street station. In addition, New Jersey Transit provides service in the New York counties of Orange and Rockland.

The Newark Light Rail, consists of two lines, the Newark City Subway (approx. 5 miles in length with 12 stops) and the Newark Light Rail (1 mile in length with 4 stops) with both lines terminating at Newark's Penn Station. Although its name suggests that it is a subway system, the Newark City Subway, with new Kinki Sharyo Light Rail cars and system/track updates, is now considered to be subterranean/elevated Light Rail. This line started life in 1935 as the Public Service Corporation's # 7 line - City Subway, hence it's name.

Answer: Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA)

Operated by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (8th largest Public Transit Agency in the US - 2004 passenger trips), the Green Line is the oldest line of Boston's historic subway system. It was named the Green Line as the routes runs through the Emerald Necklace area. Today, the Green Line consists of four branches with all four running through the Tremont Tunnel under the downtown area. The Tremont Tunnel, North America's oldest subway tunnel, was built in stages with opening dates of September 1, 1897 and September 3, 1899.

The Emerald Necklace, a group of a dozen or so linked parks in Boston and Brookline Massachusetts. The brainchild of Frederick Olmsted, the project to connect the Boston Common and the Public Garden to the country estate of Franklin Park began in 1878. In the 1880's, the Muddy River, Jamaica Pond and the Fens was include in the system and by 1900, a walking path following a gentle flowing stream with with numerous ponds and small lakes was completed.

Answer: Hudson-Bergen Light Rail

The Hudson-Bergen line, owned by the New Jersey Transit Corporation and operated by the 21st Century Rail Corporation. The Hudson-Bergen line weekday passenger trips were reported to 27,000 in March of 2006, 30,000 in February, 2007 and projected to exceed 34,000 by the end of 2007.

The Hoboken Terminal, listed in the both, State and National Registers of Historic Places, is a major transportation hub serving New Jersey Transit's Bus, Commuter Trains and the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail Line, Port Authority Trans Hudson and the NY Waterway/Billy Bey Ferry.

Answer: Maryland Transit Administration (MTA Maryland)

Maryland Transit Administration (11th largest Public Transit Agency in the US - 2004 passenger trips) opened his Light Rail system in April of 1992 with 22.5 miles of track providing service from Timonium to Comwell Station/Glen Burnie. Construction of three extensions began in July of 1995 to expand the system 7.5 miles.

The 4.5 miles, 5 station Hunt Valley extension, which opened on September 9, 1997, extended the line north of Timonium to the Hunt Valley Business and Industrial Park providing access to some 340 companies (with a workforce of over 30,000). The Penn Station extension, although only one third of mile long, created a direct link with Amtrak and MARC's Commuter Rail Service. The 2.7 mile BWI extension, with two stations, serves the airport's business district and the airport's International Terminal. Both, the Penn Station and BWI extensions opened on December 6. 1997.

With the opening of the three extensions, this Light Rail system, now with approximately 30 miles of track and 32 stations, steadily increased the daily ridership from 20,000 to over 36, 000 over a five year period form 1998 to 2002.

Answer: Port Authority of Allegheny County (PAAC)

The Port Authority of Allegheny County is Pennsylvania's second largest Public Transit and has the nation's 11th largest revenue fleet (as of fiscal year 2004). The Light Rail system, known as the "T", has 4 lines, 25-miles of track, 25 high platforms stations, 43 low-level stops and 3 subway stations. Service areas include the downtown area and several neighborhood and bedroom communities directly to the south of the downtown area.

How do you get to PNG Stadium on Light Rail? Just hop aboard any of the 4 lines inbound to the downtown area and get off at the Wood Street Station. Walk a block or so to the east, turn north on 6th Street, up a couple of blocks, cross the 6th Street Bridge and you are there.

Answer: Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA)

The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority, Ohio's largest Transit Agency, Light Rail System dates backs to 1913. When two brothers, Oris P. and Mamtis J. Van Sweringen, developers of the City of Shaker Heights, connected this suburb to the downtown via a private Light Rail right of way. Today, GCRTA's Green and Blue Lines run on the original Shaker Heights private Right of Ways.

Both of these lines, plus the heavy rail Red Line share stations and tracks from the Tower City Center (formerly the Cleveland Union Terminal) to the East 55th Station. Because both, light and heavy rail trains access these common stations, the station platforms have two heights to accommodate both kinds of trains.

The Waterfront extension completed in 1996 extends Green and Blue lines from the Tower City Center to the north near the shore of Lake Erie, then eastward paralleling the shoreline. This extension provides walking distant access to the Flats (the entertainment district), Browns Stadium, The Great Lakes Science Center, Burke Lakefront Airport, and of course, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Answer: Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA)

Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (4th largest Public Transit Agency in the US - 2004 passenger trips), with a service area of 2,200 square miles, provides public transportation in the Pennsylvania counties of Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and of course, Philadelphia and rail service to neighboring areas of New Jersey and Delaware.

Although the entire area provides an abundance of sites of historical interest, it is in the downtown area bordered on the north by the Vine St. Expressway (I-676), the east by the Delaware Express (I-95), the south by Walnut Street and the west by 7th street that you will find the Independence National Historical Park and many other famous historic sites. And, although more like a subway/elevated line than Light Rail, SEPTA's Market-Frankford Line can get you there.

Answer: River Line Light Rail

The River Line, so named because it parallels the Delaware River in it's 34 mile, 20 stop journey from Trenton to Camden. This New Jersey Transit owned line is operated by the Southern New Jersey Rail Group and is one of only two Light Rail systems in North America that uses diesel powered trains (Ottawa's O-Train is the other).

In addition to New Jersey Transit bus connections at most of its stations, Camden's Walter Rand Transportation Center Station connects with PATCO's Speedline Commuter Rail Line and Trenton's South Clinton Station connects with New Jersey Transit's Northeast Corridor Commuter Rail Line, SEPTA's R7 Commuter Rail Line and Amtrak.

The Capitol-Sandy Hook Bay Light Rail Line is a fictitious name created for this quiz (all rights reserved). Should New Jersey Transit decide to build a Light Rail line from Trenton to Sandy Hook Bay and try to use this name, the demand will be made that one of stations be named the "FunTrivia Station" complete with thousands of trivia questions adorning its platform.

Answer: The honeymoon's over, there is no Light Rail service to the Niagara Waterfalls

Come on now, you knew sooner or later, the "there is no Light Rail service" would have to be the correct answer. While Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority, which serves the cities of Buffalo and Niagara, NY, does have a 6.4 mile Light Rail system, this rail line service area is in Buffalo and not in Niagara. You will have to take a bus to get to the waterfalls.

Vision 42 is not a Light Rail system, but a citizen's initiative group that is seeking to eliminate vehicle traffic on Manhattan's 42nd Street (river to river) replacing it with a landscaped pedestrian boulevard and low-floor Light Rail Line. (see www.vision42.org for more info)

Cleveland, like Buffalo, also has a Light Rail system, is on the shores of Lake Erie and had a river that caught on fire. But Cleveland's Light Rail, like Buffalo's, will not get you to the Niagara Waterfalls.

Answer: Bi-State Development Agency (St. Louis Metro)

It's the end of the line for this "Light Rail in USA, Part 1- Systems East of the Mississippi River" quiz, as we have now crossed to the west side of the River.

The St. Louis MetroLink crosses the Mississippi River on the Eads Bridge, named after Captain James Eads, the bridge's designer and builder. When built in 1874 at a length of 6,442 feet, this bridge was the longest arch bridge in the world. Other firsts of the Eads bridge include, the use of true steel (ribbed steel arch supports), built exclusively using cantilever supports methods, and because of the extremely deep caissons, the work-related outbreak of caissons disease (bends) that resulted in fifteen fatalities, two permanent disabilities, and seventy-seven serious afflictions.

Oh, BTW, Light Rail does not cross the Mississippi River at neither, New Orleans or Minneapolis, besides, even if it did, both sides would still be in the same state.