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Without Doubt, Rail Builds Better Economy

Twin Cities soar with transit, Detroit sinks without

Within months of its launch, the Twin Cities’ new light rail system beat initial ridership projections by 61 percent.

Just last June the Twin Cities, one of the Midwest’s fastest growing metropolitan regions, celebrated the first anniversary of the Hiawatha Line, a light rail route linking downtown Minneapolis with the region’s airport and the Mall of America.

A few days later, the U.S. Census dropped Detroit — which has one of the worst public transportation systems of any major metropolitan region anywhere — from its list of America’s 10 largest cities.

This is hardly a coincidence, as hundreds of transit advocates from across the nation gathered in Salt Lake City for the Rail-Volution Conference are learning. This weekend’s conference celebrates the remarkable boost modern public transit systems are giving to dozens of American cities. There is no longer any doubt that a powerful link exists between effective public transit and a region’s economy.

http://www.metrotransit.org

By David Dempsey
Elm Street Writers Group

Full Story: http://www.mlui.org/growthmanagement/fullarticle.asp?fileid=16918

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