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	Links > System Sites — United States: updated 8 November 2016

LRTA Links: System Sites - United States

Official and unofficial sites covering particular light rail, tram, metro, suburban rail, funicular, peoplemover, monorail, trolleybus, and similar types of transit systems. The range of systems covered in the same as that in the SystemsNews section of Tramways & Urban Transport and thus includes existing, under-development, and proposed systems as well as heritage operations which operate on public highways (rather than as part of a museum). Also includes sites advocating the development of particular new systems or expansions of existing systems.

The organization parallels that in T&UT. Official sites of system operators/developers are listed by city name (and system name for cities with more than one system). Related sites (official and unofficial) are then listed by site name under the official site.

Note: For lines which primarily operate as part of a museum, see the Museum Sites section. For historical systems which are no longer in operation, see the Personal And Club Sites section.

• Astoria - Astoria Waterfront Trolley site describing the Astoria, Oregon, riverfront heritage tram line (created in 1999) which is operated with a restored 1913 tram (from San Antonio, Texas) towing a generator car.
  Link and description updated 8 November 2016
• Austin - Official Capital Metro Transit site covering the MetroBus and MetroRail services. For an archive of information about the previously proposed light rail plan, see the related articles on the Light Rail Now site below.
  Link and description updated 18 January 2014
• See Also:
  • Public Policy Sites - Light Rail Now! Light Rail Progress
• Baltimore - Maryland Mass Transit Administration (MTA) site covering the light rail, metro, suburban rail (MARC), and bus services of greater Baltimore with basic rider information (including fares, passes, and schedules), downtown and system maps, trip planner, visitor's ride guide plus news (service updates, press releases) and online pass sales. Also further information about Regional Transit.
  Link updated 18 January 2014
• Boston - Extensive site of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) covering light rail and metro service (both termed "subway") was well as suburban rail, bus, and ferry services - the oldest and 4th largest system in the US. There are schedules (online and printable), maps (system, route, and station), station details (by clicking in route maps), and fare details (with pass sale locations and online purchase). The About the MBTA section has information on projects, history (back to 1631!!), news and events, career opportunities, and more.
  Link and description updated 18 January 2014
• Buffalo - Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA), serving Buffalo Niagara, an extensive site covering the light rail and bus systems.
  Link and description updated 18 January 2014
• Camden-Trenton - See Light Rail page under NJ Transit for link to River LINE information
  Updated 18 January 2014
• Charlotte - home page of the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS)
  Link updated 18 January 2014
  • Streetcar (Trolley) History Guide - Portion from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission site with historical information about the trams of Charlotte. There's a scholarly history of Streetcars in Charlotte, a Short History of Streetcar No. 1, two historical photo galleries, a virtual tour of the sites along the current Charlotte Trolley line, plus several research reports and surveys on historically significant sites (such as the Myers Park waiting station).
• Dallas - Extremely comprehensive Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) site covering the light rail system and the Trinity River Express commuter line, as well as the bus system and HOV lanes. Rider information includes maps (system, route), schedules (by route and by stop), trip planner, fare and pass infomation (including annual passes and online purchase options), station details (including connecting services, local attractions, and station artwork), Destination Deals (merchant discounts), and Travel Agent (destination and service guide). About DART details the structure of the agency, the Board of Directors, the member cities, key staff, chronological history, ecomonic impacts, and more... . Other sections have complete contact information, organization guide, employment and business opportunities, financial documents, publications (including their Rider Insider and Inmotion newsletters), news, media guide, and educational resources. In English with selected content on Spanish version of site.
  Link and description updated 18 January 2014
  • McKinney Avenue Transit Authority - Operators of the "heritage streetcar system in the heart of Dallas, Texas." Everything you need to know about finding and riding (or chartering) the trams, plus details of the four car (and growing) fleet (from Oporto, Melbourne, and Dallas) plus an extensive photo album and current news.
• Dallas/Forth Worth Airport - Portion of the DFW Airport site about the new Skylink system, the "world's largest airport train", which entered service in 2005 to replace the previous people mover.
  Link and description updated 18 January 2014
• Denver - Regional Transportation District (RTD) site which covers the light rail and bus systems with maps, timetables, and trip planner.
  Description updated 18 January 2014
• Fort Collins - Site of the Fort Collins Municipal Railway Society which operates this historic Birney car service down Mountain Avenue in Fort Collins, Colorado, including all details you might need to ride. Nicely illustrated history of tram service in the city.
  Link updated 8 November 2016
• Houston - How To Ride METRO page; Schedule page for Metro Red Line; part of the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO) site. Navigate to other pages.
  Link and description updated 8 November 2016
• Las Vegas - Extensive site for privately-developed Las Vegas Monorail which connects many of the hotels along the east side of city's casino "Strip" area with complete rider information (fares, interactive map, schedule) and station directory (with details about the casinos and other attractions served by each station) plus historical background of the project (including the predecessor monorail linking two hotels), "fast facts", press releases, advertising opportunities, Board of Directors profile, and limited employment information.
  Description updated 18 January 2014
• Los Angeles - Comprehensive site for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) covering all forms of transit including the metro (Red Line) and light rail (Blue and Green Line) systems (along with bus service, freeway improvements, etc) with timetables, system maps (large files), route maps, fare information, trip planner, news, press releases, plus several pages of "Facts at a Glance". Other sections cover the Authority itself, meeting schedules and agendas, employment opportunities, and doing business with MTA (including contract opportunities, bids, and awards).
  Link updated 8 November 2016
  • Expo Line - Site of the Friends 4 Expo Transit group advocating development of light rail in the Exposition Boulvard corridor west to Santa Monica. Map of the approved alignment (and proposed extension), plenty of background information (including an interesting population density map), news on the development process, and more. Full contact information for everyone that should be contacted to support the project plus highlighted copies of selected MTA reports related to the project.
  • Grove Trolley - Part of the Tourist Information page from The Grove shopping centre site describes the short, battery operated tram line (opened in March 2002) connecting the parking area, the centre, and the adjacent Farmer's Market centre.
    Link and description updated 18 January 2014
  • Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension - Official site of the Metro Gold Line Construction Authority which built the light rail line to Pasadena (service in 2003) and which is now devoted to the task of further extending the line east to Montclair with project description (including maps) plus details of proposed station locations. The site also has an overview of the Authority (and its board members) with meeting information (including agendas and minutes).
    Link updated 8 November 2016
  • Port of Los Angeles Waterfront Red Car - Semi-official coverage (by Railway Preservations Resources, consultants to the project) covering the heritage tram line ("San Pedro Trolley") being developed by the Port of Los Angeles to return Pacific Electric "Red Cars" to the waterfront. Site includes project map, illustrated station location descriptions, current construction news and photos (including replica car construction and the return of PE 1058 to the rails), open house information, and a special gallery of photos covering how PE served San Pedro before service ended in 1958.
• Minneapolis - Site for Metro Transit (the operating division of the Metropolitan Council) which provides bus service in the Twin Cities and is the operator of the Blue Line (Hiawatha), see this page for links to schedules, maps, park & ride, riding the line, paying fares, Safety & Security and some facts & figures.
  Blue Line link added and description updated 18 January 2014
  • See Also:
    • St. Paul - Central Corridor
• New Jersey - Extensive official NJ transit site covering most light rail, suburban rail, regional rail, and bus services throughout the state. Coverage includes schedules and fares (with journey planner and system maps), extensive ticketing information (including purchase locations and online purchase options), rider guides (with station details, downloadable maps, and connecting service informaton), and service advisories (including construction updates). There's also information about business and career opportunities, marketing programs, their orgainiztional structure and history, plus overviews of their capital improvement programs. Finally, there's a news section (with press releases, event information, and deals offered by merchants) plus a special My Transit section where you can signup for personalized updates.
  See the Light Rail page for links to Light Rail schedules, Alerts &: Advisories and Fare Information for Hudson-Bergen Light Rail, Newark Light Rail and River LINE.
  Link and description updated 18 January 2014
• Newark - AirTrain - Site within the main Port Authority of New York and New Jersey site which covers the AirTrain monorail service between terminals (and parking) at Newark Liberty International Airport and connecting to the associated train station. Maps can be downloaded and printed (PDFs). There is also fare infomation (primarily for train station users since the line is free within the airport), frequently asked questions and service updates.
  Link and description updated 18 January 2014
• New Orleans - New Orleans Regional Transit Authority (NORTA) site covering the historic St. Charles Streetcar line, the newer Canal St. Streetcar and Riverfront line, plus the city's bus and other transit services. There's basic fare and pass information, timetables (by line with maps and service advisories), employment and contracting opportunities, news, a section on the history and organization of the authority.
  Link and description updated 18 January 2014
• New York - AirTrain - Part of the main Port Authority of New York and New Jersey site for the AirTrain light rail service linking the JFK Airport terminals to each other and to the city's subway system and the suburban rail system.
  Link and description updated 18 January 2014
• New York - PATH - Another part of the main Port Authority of New York and New Jersey site which covers the traditional "Trans-Hudson" subway service which connects points in Manhattan to Hoboken and Newark, New Jersey.
  Link and description updated 18 January 2014
• Oceanside - Portion of the North County Transit District site covering the east-west SPRINTER light rail. Launched in March 2008, this 22-mile rail system connects Oceanside, Vista, San Marcos, and Escondido, serving 15 stations along the Highway 78 corridor.
  Link and description updated 18 January 2014
• Philadelphia - PATCO - Port Authority Transit Corporation site for the "Hi-Speedline" metro service from Philadelphia to Lindenwold, NJ, which began service in 1969. Map, fare, and timetable information, history section with photos, plus monthly guide to special events and other attractions you can reach via the line.
  Link updated 18 January 2014
• Philadelphia - SEPTA - Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority site covering trolley, light rail, trolleybus, subway, regional rail, as well as bus and other services. Timetables and maps, career opportunities, bid requests, plus various reports.
  Link and description updated 18 January 2014
• Phoenix - Valley Metro site; Providing Public Transportation Alternatives for the Greater Phoenix Metro Area
  Link and description updated 8 November 2016
• Pittsburgh - web site for the Port Authority of Allegheny County provides public transportation throughout Pittsburgh and Allegheny County.
  Link and description updated 8 November 2016
• Pittsburgh Railways OnLine - Website which covers the PCC and Light Rail eras of transit in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Extensive history of PCC car use in Pittsburgh. Limited information on LRT car use.
  Description updated 8 November 2016
• Portland - Portland Streetcar - City of Portland project which has brought tram service back to downtown as a complement to Tri-Met's light rail and bus service.
  Description updated 18 January 2014
• Portland - Tri-Met - Comprehensive site of Tri-Met covering light rail, "vintage" tram service, bus system and more.
  Description updated 18 January 2014
• Sacramento - Official Sacramento Regional Transit District (RT) site for the city's light rail and bus systems with information in various sections. Schedules, Fares & services section includes; timetables by route, system map, diagrammatic route maps, fare and ticket details, rider's guide. Planning & Construction includes; Light Rail and other Fact Sheets. RT Newsroom and About RT sections include; Press Releases, Events Calendar, Short Range Transit Plan, RT At a Glance and RT History. There is also a Career and Business Opportunities section.
  Description updated 18 January 2014
  • The South Line - Phase 2 - Official Regional Transit site for this extension.
    Description updated 18 January 2014
• St. Louis - Official Metro (Bi-State Development Agency) site for the area's light rail and bus networks. Complete rider guide with fares, schedules, ticket information, and maps. Other sections cover topics such as the Agency's history, facts and figures, board of commissioners, plus business opportunities, press releases, contact information, and annual report from FY 2000 onwards. News & Projects section includes “Moving Transit Forward” which is a comprehensive, thirty-year plan for transit improvements.
  Description updated 18 January 2014
  • Tram System and its designer Dick Bowser. Description of the unique "tram" system that takes visitors to the top of the St. Louis Gateway Arch. Part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Park website.
    Links and description updated 18 January 2014
  • Citizens For Modern Transit - Well organized and presented site by the local advocacy group.
• St. Paul - See Minneapolis.
  • Central Corridor - Site for the Light Rail Transit project. This is the Green Line — St. Paul to Minneapolis
    Description updated 8 November 2016
• Salt Lake City - Utah Transit Authority's comprehensive site covering TRAX light rail, bus, and related services.
  Link and description updated 8 November 2016
• San Diego - Multi-agency, multi-modal San Diego Commute site operated by the Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) covering tram (San Diego Trolley) and bus service in San Diego county. See also the COASTER commuter train which describes itself as providing breathtaking coastal scenery as it runs north and south through San Diego County, serving eight stations between Oceanside and downtown San Diego.
  Links and descriptions updated 8 November 2016
• San Francisco - AirTrain - Rail transit at San Francisco International Airport which connects the various terminals with BART and other sites within the airport.
  Link and description updated 18 January 2014
• San Francisco - BART - Bay Area Rapid Transit's comprehensive site with complete trip planner including fares and schedules, ticket options (including online purchase), system map, station information (with local maps, connecting transit, and accessibility diagrams), customer contact information, etc. The About Bart section details the board of directors, assorted task forces, job opportunities, business opportunities, the police force, and the planning group while also providing numerous reports.
  Description updated 18 January 2014
• San Francisco - Muni - Extensive official Municipal Railway ("Muni") site covering metro, cable car, bus, and trolley bus routes as well as the historic tram service to Fisherman's Wharf. There's complete rider infomation (timetables, service frequency guide, zoomable maps, fares, special services) plus a guide for visitors. Other sections cover their historic tram ("streetcar") and the cable car fleets (plus their bell ringing contests), service changes (temporary, permanent, proposed), press releases and clippings, job and contacting opportunities, management information (include board members, advisory boards and committees, key administrative personnel, and even their organization chart), plus assorted reports.
  Link updated 8 November 2016
  • Market Street Railway - The public support group for San Francisco's F-Market and Wharves Line vintage streetcar line. MSR was the primary force behind getting streetcars restored to San Francisco's "High Street" in 1995 and the subsequent extension of the F-Line to Fisherman Wharf in 2000. It has acquired vintage streetcars from various locations, most recently acquiring four ex-San Francisco PCC cars from a private owner, and donating them to the San Francisco Municipal Railway for restoration and renewed service. The site details their restoration efforts and provides full details about the F line (news, fares, message board, questions and answers, plus a very detailed, illustrated roster). There's also plenty of information about the MSR itself (include membership and volunteer opportunities as well as their history and that of the company for which they are named), as well an online store.
    Description updated 18 January 2014
  • Muni Central Control - Site originally created for internal Muni use which shows (a copy of) the actual train location and status display for the Market Street subway as taken from the control centre's automatic train control system. While the image itself is rather crude (for technical reasons as the site explains), it is updated about twice a minute and there is a detailed guide on how to interpret what the display shows (such as how to know when a train's doors are open). Both Java and non-Java versions of the site are provided to automatically display the updates.
    Description updated 18 January 2014
• San Jose - Comprehensive site of the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) with fares, and schedules for the light rail, historic tram, and bus services. There are also News & Media, Projects & Programs, BART Silicon Valley, About Us and Get Involved sections.
  Description updated 18 January 2014
• Seattle - Sound Transit - Extensive Sound Transit site covering light rail, suburban rail, and regional bus service in greater Seattle/Tacoma. The Schedules section covers ST Express bus, Central Link light rail, Tacoma Link light rail and Sounder train. The Projects & Plans section covers future developments.
  Description updated 18 January 2014
• Tacoma - See Seattle - Sound Transit.
• Tampa - Official TECO Line Streetcar System site provided by Tampa Historic Streetcar Inc. and HARTline (Hillsbourgh Area Regional Transit) covering the heritage tram line from downtown to the historic district of Ybor City with basic rider information (hours, fares, map) and special events plus brief overview of the recreated Birney cars which serve the line. There's also a brief history from Tampa's system of 1892 to 1946, through today's heritage system.
  Description updated 18 January 2014
• Trenton - See Camden-Trenton.
• Tucson - Old Pueblo Trolley site for An Operating Transit Museum. The home page has this:-
  NEWS: After 18 ½ years of serving the community, Old Pueblo Trolley’s operation of historic streetcars was suspended at the end of October 2011 for construction of the modern streetcar project, which is currently expected to begin operation in the Summer of 2014. OPT is currently engaged in meetings with the City of Tucson aimed at resumption of historic trolley operations along with the modern streetcars.
  Description updated 18 January 2014
• Washington DC - Comprehensive website for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) covering the metro (Metrorail) and bus systems serving the District of Columbia as well as portions of Virginia and Maryland. Complete rider information (fares, timetables, rider's guide, parking information, bicycle locker and "carry on" information, and even elevator status information), system map, station details (with connecting bus services, links to neighbourhood maps, and "car sharing" information), journey planner, visitor's guide (including directions on how to reach metro stations, walking tours around stations, and continuous system status updates. About Metro includes a full set of resources: system history, fact sheet, press releases, art projects, employment opportunities, board of directors information, budget information, expansion plans, and "MetroWorks" improvement projects. Metro B2B rounds things out with business-related information: contracting opportunities, joint-development opportunities, advertising programs, and even surplus material sales.
  Description updated 18 January 2014
  • Action Committee for Transit - Tracing it roots to 1986, ACT's mission is to advocate policies and practice that promote the use of mass transit in Montgomery County, Maryland, including light rail on the Georgetown Branch (from Bethesda to Silver Spring) or the Purple Line of the Beltway Corridor Study. Site provides overviews of the group's positions and proposals plus information on meetings and membership.
    • Coalition to Build the INNER PURPLE LINE - Advocacy site of this umbrella organization of more than 80 different groups (businesses, government agencies, trade and labor organizations, civic associations, transit and environmental advocates, and others) all working toward "quality rail transit for suburban Maryland communities" with news updates, event schdule, and information on how to contribute to the effort. There's a clear position statement on why light rail is the preferred technology for the line, photo gallery of light rail systems, and links to profiles of sucessful light rail projects. Other background information includes a discussion of alignment issues, compatibility of the project with the regional trail system. and a history of the corridor back to its original construction as a Baltimore and Ohio rail line in 1910.
      Added 13 March 2006
  • Building the Washington Metro - "An Online Exhibit" with an extensive collection of photos, maps, and other archival materials (with commentary) of the planning, engineering, construction, operation, and architecture of the Metro system starting with the predecessor schemes of the 1940s and 50s and ending with its 25th year of operation (and completion of the original system) in 2001. There's also a section where you can "tell your story" as well as read the stories of other visitors.
    Added 13 March 2006
  • Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project - An extensive Official site; from the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority; for this extension to the Metrorail system from near West Falls Church on the Orange Line to a point beyond Dulles Airport. Phase 1 opened on 26 July 2014, connecting East Falls Church with Tysons Corner and Reston with downtown Washington and Largo, Maryland. Known as the Silver Line, the extension is operated by the Metropolitan Washington Area Transit Authority (WMATA). Phase 2 construction is underway; preliminary geotech work began in the last quarter of 2013; heavy construction is anticipated to begin in 2015. A completion date has not been set.
    Description updated 8 November 2016
    • Dulles Corridor Rail Association - Site for the nonprofit membership organization formed to advocate rail transit in the Dulles corridor. Now that the Metrorail extension project in underway, the site provides addtional information and updates about the project (including links to related news reports) as well details about the organization including meeting events, press releases, publications, membership information, and sponsor list.
      Added 13 March 2006
  • Prince George's Advocates for Community-based Transit - Group founded in 2003 (as a sister group to ACT in adjoining Montgomery county) to promote accessible transit and livable communities in Prince George's County, Maryland, including the proposed Inner Purple Line light rail project as well as other bus and rail improvements. Site has information on meetings and membership, news updates, and a library of articles and resources.
    Link updated 8 November 2016

System Sites — United States: top