These are the Coolest Streetcars/Lightrail in America (Top 10)
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- Опубликовано: 21 авг 2024
- These are the top 10 most interesting and tram systems in the United States
Please note that this is all my footage and therefore you can find the full length videos on my channel :D
What are some of the most interesting transit systems to you? Do you agree with the list? Is there something I left out? What is a place that is a must visit? Where in the United States have you been that has an interesting streetcar/lightrail system and why?
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Please comment if you have opinions or facts to share about the video or transit in general! Its a learning process for all of us and I enjoy being educated on what in the end we all love: transportation
Ex-Phoenician, but one of the coolest aspects in my opinion of the Phoenix Valley Metro Light Rail is there is art at most of the stations. Even if it's simply mosaic tile floors at one. At first glance all the stations look the same, but there's small unique differences at each one. Even the bridges are artwork; the light rail bridge over the Tempe Town Lake has cool color changing LED lights. Finally, the new silver with purple livery is gonna keep it modern looking despite it being over a decade old already. Ultimately, I think public transit needs to look "sexy", it needs to have an aesthetic. We are in the age of influencers, where a convenient mode of transport that isn't covered in ads, and might even have a few amenities and more people will start making the switch.
To the list I would add El Paso, Tucson, Denver, Atlanta, Charlotte, Milwaukee, Portland, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Kichener, Ontario and Ottawa.
Well, not all of those are in the United States. 😀
Perhaps Canada merits its own "coolest streetcars" video.
Don't forget Seattle
I agree with your #1 ranking of Boston, but you left out the coolest of all trolley's in Boston, which is the Mattapan high speed trolley on the Red Line. As far as I know, it's the only trolley line in the world that crosses through a cemetery. Also, Memphis has a very lovely trolley in the downtown part of the city that goes along the bluffs overlooking the mighty Mississippi River.
As I lived in Mattapan, I rode the Mattapan/Ashmont line all the time as a kid. And yes, it did go through a cemetery.
Boston Green Line and New Orleans are great systems-very cool. I enjoy seeing the use of heritage trams- after all, why scrap an attractive useful vehicle.
P.S. I noticed the "Stargate" near the tram stop at 3:00- useful if you miss the tram.
My 'coolest' is San Francisco because of the F Market St line using restored PCCs. The others are cool also because they keep many cars off the streets
Thanx Tim👍👍😄😄
I suppose the cable cars might be considered cool, too. And in Philadelphia, the subway-surface cars!
@@Maurice-Navel Thanks Gabriel. Yes the cable cars are cool too and give them an honorable mention. The F Market St line is using a few of Philly's PCCs which ran on our subway surface lines.
Subway Surface Trolleys in Philly is unique, the rolling stock is pretty cute as well
There's something about light rail that I just love. It seems so... inoffensive. Friendly. Carefree. The kind of train that would engage in some friendly, light-hearted conversation, as it stops by my place on the way to the grocery store. I need friends.
One of the cool things about the NOLA lines is they run on greenways apart from the roadways
Mostly, but not all the time.
Wrong....New Orleans' streetcars uses EXCLUSIVE travel spaces on the roads, not in sharing regular vehicular traffic, they're called "neutral grounds" or medians to people who live outside of New Orleans,! ⚜️ 🚞
Philadelphia, PA has been missed!
I really like the Dallas DART light rail because of its speed. It’s almost a combination of commuter and light rail, as the trains run completely grade-separated for most of the system, and regularly travel at 45 mph or more, with a max speed of 65 mph! It’s really incredible how fast the trains move, and it’s also the longest light rail system in the country!
Very interesting video! Buffalo is certainly very interesting. It is worth noting that one very extensive tram system in Europe, Gothenburg, is entirely on street in the down-town area but has some tunnels in the suburbs! (Zurich is almost entirely on street, but there is one tunnel section in the suburbs.)
Thanks for a fun look at trolleys. Having grown up riding Boston's trains and trolleys back in the 50s and 60s, I think you saved the best for last. ;)
I find all streetcars very fine ❗👌And the PCCs are so beautiful 😍❗
For me it’s New Orleans and Tampa in my home state. Tampa uses streetcars similar to the ones in Little Rock. It’s especially fun to see the vintage style cars go past the aquarium
The buffalo system is light metro as it is high floor and it has characteristics of both subway and light rail.
San Diego's trolly is the oldest modern light rail system in America
And it goes through some beautiful scenery plus it's got nice trolleys.
And they run a couple of beautifully restored PCC cars.
Awesome video
I really hope more systems become completely free to ride. Currently (to my knowledge) Cincinnati is the only one that is going to stay free for the foreseeable future after the city council vetoed the mayor’s decision to end free transit rides on the streetcar. Milwaukee is currently free to ride, and until the city does something about fare integration, it’s going to stay free.
Correction the F Market & Wharves line in San Francisco was introduced in the mid 90's. Not 1983 as mentioned here. Matter of fact when introduced the F line only went as far as the now demolished Transbay Transit Terminal. It was much later that the route was extended to Fisherman's Wharf.
I think that the LA light rail system is pretty good, at least in terms of US LRT services. Its high floor loading, has lengthy sections of private running, and has a nice paint scheme. In many ways it's like the old PE system it is meant to replace/replicate, with all of the same downfalls the former system had.
Would have liked to have seen the TECO Line Streetcar in Tampa FL.
The Philadelphia Subway-Surface Lines are like Buffalo in reverse, running in a subway tunnel under Center City and as streetcars in the outer neighborhoods. My experience is more with the suburban trolleys; maybe not the coolest but they work well. I like Seattle's system, especially now that it's being extended north and east across the lake. It has gotten me between downtown and the airport on more than one occasion. Here in Atlanta we have a nice streetcar similar to some in this video, but so far it hardly goes anywhere.
Tank you!!!!
👍👍👍👍🖐️🖐️🖐️🖐️
Grrr, electronics. Couldn't finish my post before it got sent prematurely..
You did leave out a very historically important LRT in the US, San Diego. It was the Momma of the rest of the new systems in America and Canada and now that it has a heritage PCC aspect it brings it to being one of the most interesting systems in the United States. Too, the fact that one of its first Seimens cars is a museum piece at Railways to Yesterday, speaks to how long San Diego's routes have been an important factor in LRT history and development.
I might have thought that among newbies Seattle could have been up in the ten due to the thoughtful and measured way it was instituted, having been trolley coach and now LRT. Quite novel.
And too, one of my favourites in the LRT field is Philly. With its interesting streetcar subway, regular street routes and the former Philly Suburban, it affords an exceptionally fun ride, and quite varied scenery. In the nostalgia field, nothing beats my memory of riding a PCC in the subway, sitting by an open left hand window enjoying the PCC sounds reverberating back off the columns, and then, noise! Being passed by a high platform Market Frankford subway train less than five feet away. Ahh, traction at its best. Maybe Philly could even be tied with New Orleans and the city by the Bay.
One last thought occurred and that is Pittsburgh. Now a shadow of its former self, but oh so fascinating still. The huge PCC fleet made it superlative.
The rest of your choices, well OK if you say so. Interesting but awfully contemporary vanilla.
Thank you for posting.
By the way San Francisco's light rail system operates likewise as a subway & on the surface like Buffalo. Seattle & Portland I believe do as well.
Boston #1 definitely.
Buffalo #2? I do question. Although I had ridden it before it opened, that bit of nostalgia can't me tobring to support your choice.
#2 should be either N'Orleans or SanFrancisco hands down tied.
I'd add Calagary, Toronto, Ottawa, Edmonton, Montreal and Waterloo Area.
Innsbruck, Austria has 4 very interesting lines plus a really
Unique (for us) interurban like line the Stubaitalbahn which goes
Up to the beautiful Stubai valley. Well worth a post COVID visit!!
I'm really surprised Portland, Oregon isn't in your top 10.
Portland MAX light rail and Portland Streetcar (with the Willamette Shore Trolley thrown in to boot).
YO!!! I did NOT know Phoenix had a Stargate. Ima slide over to Arizona and hop galaxies and visit Atlantis.
Also: BOSTON FTW!
Would definitely add Portland and Seattle
me too, especially Seattle.
Nice to see that there are still some places where Trollys are still rolling.
I like the RTD Light Rail because it’s where I live.
Excellent video my friend 💪😉
Back in the late 1960's, I liked the Cleveland Ohio Rapid Transit System. It can't be done today, but back then we would walk on the railroad tracks next to the Rapid Transit stations run over and jump up on the platform to avoid paying to ride the trains.
Interesting that one would build a tram for a 2 mile stretch. It is easy enough to walk 2 miles.
What about the San Francisco cable car?
It's not a streetcar, tram, or light rail.
Unique in the US
You should have shown Boston's PCC car operation on the Mattapan line. The cars are from 1944 and still use trolley poles.
Κατ' αρχάς όλα τα συστήματα light rails τα οποία διαθέτετε στις Ηνωμένες Πολιτείες είναι εξαιρετικά και σας αξίζουν πολλά συγχαρητήρια! Λόγω "συμπάθειας", αλλά και αντικειμενικά (σε μήκος γραμμής, σε καθαριότητα συρμών, σε εξωτερικά - εσωτερικά χρώματα, σε εξυπηρέτηση επιβατικού κοινού κ.λπ.), θεωρώ ότι το καλύτερο σύστημα light rail είναι εκείνου του Salt Lake. Τώρα πολλά συγχαρητήρια αξίζουν στα "αρχαία" δίκτυα laght rails όπως λ.χ. της Βοστώνης, αλλά και εκείνα τα οποία διατηρούν την ρετρό εμφάνιση στα οχήματά τους! Εύγε!
San Diego Trolley should be on this list
Do you have a compilation of streetcars in Canada other than Toronto? Like Edmonton?
My comments on the 10 best:
1. Why did you not include the light metro inside Terminal A of Detroit's international airport?
2. When you did San Francisco why didn't you include the Muni Metro and the cable cars?
3. You forgot the Riverfront Streetcar line in New Orleans. I think you can see the river from it. Way cool!
4. Your excursus on Boston didn't include the Riverside 'D' Branch, one of the first grade separated light railways in North America. Also the Mattapan High Speed Line.
5. And you forgot Sound Transit in Seattle. It puts some of the systems you did feature to shame!
Consider Toronto Ontario
Pittsburgh deserves to be here. Their system runs on a logic similar to Buffalo's: Free ride in the downtown part to relieve the congestion. But their downtown part is underground, just the opposite to Buffalo's system. For the Buffalo trolleys my favorite point is on the automatically released stairs at the doors when using the low platforms downtown. They look very very funny, and practical!
lol yea the stairs are LOL
Seattle, Washington streetcar Portland, Oregon streetcar
Nice train video.
I really like trimet max in Portland
I went on the hop mke for the first time in downtown Milwaukee yesterday.
Honestly, In the title where it said America I tought you said the whole American continent but all the light rail systems are so cool, never expected the US to have a bunch of these
When English speakers say "America" we mean "the United States of America". The continents of North America and South America are collectively called "the Americas" or the "Western Hemisphere".
Интересное видео. Спасибо.
Can we also point that Boston uses a train that consists of a Type 7 and Type 8, two COMPLETELY different trolley cars and they can still run together.
Philadelphia pa has a unique light rail system that serves above and underground. With Kawasaki cars built in the 80s
dude how is the route 15 in philadelphia not even on the list?? i know its down currently but it will be back before the end of the year. its 8 miles long and actually used as genuine public transit not just a tourist attraction and most importantly it runs restored pccs as u know. to make boston number 1 is also a slap in the face to philadelphia as the trolley systems are nearly identical in structure even down to the mostly 80s rolling stock
And Philadelphia's city trolleys still use trolley poles. But trolleys in the suburbs use pantographs.
My favorite one is the streetcar in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Also with PCC cars using trolley poles.
These look pretty ordinary to me.
What's your criterion for measuring Top 10 Coolness?
How about Canada's lrt, subway and streetcars etc.
If you love Boston’s trams so much, how come you left out the Mattapan Line?
Yupp with those old PCC cars.
One city with streetcars in my state is Dallas Texas
And McKinney Avenue with cars that use trolley poles.
Where’s Toronto? We have the biggest streetcar network in North America
9:23 loll
You missed the street cars in Memphis Tennessee
It's a Tram. The word "Street Car" means a car on a street. A Tram is a city/county/region route passenger train on rails that runs on cable electricity or wireless. Why does USA call Trams "Street Cars?" Weird.
Once in a blue moon, San Francisco runs a "boat tram" on the F line. I made a video about the experience here: ruclips.net/video/ex2VOE9dAXM/видео.html
How about Ticket Tram price per day , and per month?
Transportation should be efficient, fast and comfortable. This is so uncool.
You forgot Philadelphia!
El Paso Texas. Has new PCC cars.
New !! LOL Those PCC cars were made in 1937, They've been completely rebuilt.
Please consider changing from the white font; often hard to read.
It's odd that some of the cities run light rail cars with no doors at the ends, thus, slowing down entering and exiting?
I would but in my city the lightrail is terrible.
Kenosha and its PCC'S .
The Boston green line also uses type 9 cars.
Ugh! I think those cars are hideous
@@edwardmiessner6502 I’m just not a fan of the sliding doors
I actually think Type 9 look good, compared to Type 7
I would like to have seen Washington DC and Baltimore MD
Nah... Our light rail goes through some nice scenery but it's in bad shape. Been on a bus bridge through downtown for 3 months and DC Streetcar... not worth a conversation
"No fare to ride the KC streetcar"? Baloney. There's no such thing as a "free lunch". Taxpayers are footing the bill. Interesting for Cincinnati, there is an abandoned subway tunnel that was supposed to have service. Building started in the 'teens, stopped then restarted, then stopped again and is still abandoned. Instead of the trolley cars, the city might have explored ways to finish that rapid transit line.
Cincinnati would get around to the subway 20-30 years from now whenever Northern Kentucky decides they want a train from the Airport to Cincy. I'm just spewing B.S. though
Wow, no mention of Cleveland...shame.
What would be cool about this system? The fact that it shares track with heavy rail? :)
But Philly...?
Buffalo?... Their LRT is unique and nothing against the service but why them Buffalo?... Philly or Pittsburgh is deserving of #2 spot. Bit of a headscratcher
SEPTA DOESNT MAKE THIS LIST????🤨🤨🤨
Kansas City and Cincy are doing it right. I don’t get the LRT craze in the US when 99% of the systems don’t have the need for it. If your trains don’t need to run over 25mph or on FRA lines, get trams, not LRT. They’re cheaper, easier to maintain, make tighter turns and are more comfortable for passengers. You also solve your accessibility issues. Almost all of these run at grade, in traffic, at low speeds and with low ridership.
In New Orleans I’d like to see the current St Charles St cars retired except for 1-2 for tv, and special event use, replaced by the cars from the Canal St line, painted green. They have air conditioning, are quieter and wheelchair accessible. I’d like to see modern trams run on Canal Street, and Riverside, plus a third line between Dillard Univ, down Broad St to Carrolton.
Funny to see all the alcohol ads on the SLC trams. Guess the love of money Trumps any religious mythology.
How about the lightrail in Israel?
KC and Cincinnati makes the list Milwaukee does not.
Wait why is Cincinnati on this list?