3 ms·
It's interesting that you refer to the interurbans as "streetcars." It has me wondering: at what point do you stop thinking of something as a streetcar and sta
by actually_a_dog 4y ago
It's interesting that you refer to the interurbans as "streetcars." It has me wondering: at what point do you stop thinking of something as a streetcar and start thinking of it as light rail?
- Sharlin 4y ago"Light rail" is something of a technical term and a neologism (well, coined in the 70s but still). It was coined specifically to refer to rail systems that are lighter and demand less infrastructure than heavy rail but higher speed, higher capacity, farther reach than traditional trams or streetcars. But I don't think the term has gained very wide use in common vernacular.
- mc32 4y agoOne more thing about lightrail, in the US they tend to share right of way alongside freeways (median) for long stretches and can veer off on to local streets when it gets to a dense area. Steetcars I tend to picture as going on local roads as in the "trolley dodgers" kind of way.