The following is a list of all light rail systems in North America, ranked by ridership. Daily figures for American and Canadian light rail systems are "average weekday unlinked passenger trips" (where transfers between lines are counted as two separate passenger "boardings" or "trips"), unless otherwise indicated. For light rail systems in the United States and Canada, these figures come from the American Public Transit Association (APTA) Ridership Reports statistics. For Mexico, the figures are obtained from Banco de Información Económica's Instituto Nacional de Estadísitica y Geografía (INEGI), and the daily figures represent daily passenger trips averaged from the monthly and quarterly ridership figures. "Daily boardings per mile" figures have been rounded to the nearest 5 or 10.
The question of which systems would qualify as "light rail transit systems" is debatable, so this table includes some systems (such as Toronto's) which are technically streetcars rather than "true" light rail.
System | Country | City/Area served | Annual ridership (2023) [1] [2] | Avg. daily weekday boardings (Q4 2023) [1] [2] | System length | Avg. daily boardings per mile (Q4 2019) | Year opened | Stations | Lines | Year last expanded |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Guadalajara light rail (Tren ligero de Guadalajara) | MEX | Guadalajara | 157,704,000 | 47.0 km (29.2 mi) [3] [4] | 19,800 | 1989 [3] | 48 [4] | 3 [4] | 2020 [5] | |
CTrain | CAN | Calgary | 85,320,400 | 264,200 | 59.9 km (37.2 mi) [6] | 8,395 | 1981 [7] | 45 [6] | 2 [8] | 2014[ citation needed ] |
Toronto streetcar system | CAN | Toronto | 69,106,000 | 221,700 | 82 km (51 mi) [9] | 3,915 | 1861 [10] | 708 streetcar stops [9] | 11 [9] | 2016[ citation needed ] |
San Diego Trolley (incl. Silver Line [11] [note 1] ) | USA | San Diego | 38,438,000 | 130,500 | 105 km (65 mi) [12] | 2,155 | 1981 [12] | 62 [12] | 4 [11] [12] | 2021 [13] [12] |
Metro Rail light rail: [note 2] A, C, E, & K lines | USA | Los Angeles | 36,082,100 | 120,100 | 141.8 km (88.1 mi) [14] | 2,390 | 1990 [14] | 72 [14] | 5 [14] | 2022 [14] |
MBTA light rail: [note 2] Green Line & Ashmont–Mattapan High Speed Line [note 1] | USA | Boston | 34,581,000 | 80,300 | 42 km (26 mi) [15] | 6,265 | 1897; [16] 1929[ citation needed ] | 74 [15] | 2 [15] | 2022 [17] |
Link light rail: 1 Line, 2 Line, and T Line | USA | Seattle and Tacoma | 27,338,200 | 78,600 | 58.90 km (36.6 mi) | 3,820 | 2003 [18] | 39 [19] | 3 [20] | 2024 [21] |
Xochimilco Light Rail [note 2] | MEX | Mexico City | 23,741,000 | 65,043 [note 3] | 12.9 km (8.0 mi)[ citation needed ] | 11,010 | 1986[ citation needed ] | 18 [22] | 1 [22] | 2008[ citation needed ] |
MAX Light Rail | USA | Portland, Oregon | 23,446,700 | 74,800 | 97 km (60 mi)[ citation needed ] | 1,995 | 1986[ citation needed ] | 97[ citation needed ] | 5[ citation needed ] | 2015[ citation needed ] |
Edmonton LRT | CAN | Edmonton | 24,143,200 | 85,100 | 28.2 km (17.5 mi) [23] | 7,335 | 1978 [23] | 29 [23] | 3 [23] | 2023 [23] |
DART light rail | USA | Dallas | 21,380,900 | 71,700 | 150 km (93 mi) [24] | 1,030 | 1996 [25] | 64 [24] | 4 [26] | 2016 [25] |
Muni Metro [note 2] (incl. F Market [27] [28] [note 1] ) | USA | San Francisco | 24,324,600 | 75,500 | 57.5 km (35.7 mi) [29] | 4,480 | 1980 [29] | 152 [28] [29] | 8 [27] [29] | 2023 [30] |
NJ Transit Light Rail | USA | Newark, New Jersey, as well as Hudson, Mercer, Burlington, and Camden Counties. | 20,827,300 | 174.0 km (108.1 mi) [31] | 2,985 | 1935 [32] | 86 [31] | 3 [31] | 2011 [33] | |
O-Train | CAN | Ottawa | 19,451,800 | 74,700 | 12.5 km (7.8 mi) [34] | n/a | 2019 | 13 [34] | 1 [34] | n/a |
RTD Light Rail | USA | Denver | 12,740,600 | 94.1 km (58.5 mi) [35] | 1,740 | 1994 [36] | 46 [35] | 6 [35] | 2017 [36] | |
METRO Light Rail | USA | Minneapolis | 14,755,900 | 46,500 | 35.1 km (21.8 mi) [37] [38] | 3,515 | 2004 [37] | 37 [37] [38] | 2 [37] [38] | 2014 [38] |
METRORail | USA | Houston | 13,883,700 | 42,900 | 36.9 km (22.9 mi) [39] | 2,651 | 2004 [39] | 37 [40] | 3 [39] | 2015 [39] |
SEPTA Metro light rail: [41] [note 2] Subway–Surface Trolleys (T), Media–Sharon Hill Line (D), & Route 15 Trolley (G) [note 1] | USA | Philadelphia | 13,248,600 | 110.1 km (68.4 mi) [42] [43] | 1,330 | 1858 [44] | >100 [42] | 8 [42] [43] | 2005[ citation needed ] | |
TRAX (light rail) | USA | Salt Lake City | 11,043,800 | 37,700 | 72.1 km (44.8 mi) [45] | 1,288 | 1999 [46] | 50 [47] | 3 [47] | 2013[ citation needed ] |
Valley Metro Rail | USA | Phoenix | 10,797,600 | 33,000 | 48 km (29.8 mi) [48] | 1,800 | 2008 [49] | 41 [48] | 1[ citation needed ] | 2024 [50] |
St. Louis MetroLink | USA | St. Louis | 6,717,900 | 19,400 | 74.0 km (46.0 mi) [51] | 857 | 1993 [52] | 37 [51] | 2 [53] | 2006 [54] |
Lynx Rapid Transit Services | USA | Charlotte, North Carolina | 6,118,300 | 18,200 | 30.4 km (18.9 mi) [55] | 1,228 | 2007 [56] | 15 [57] | 1 [57] | 2018[ citation needed ] |
SacRT light rail | USA | Sacramento, California | 6,580,000 | 22,200 | 69.0 km (42.9 mi) [58] | 858 | 1987 [58] | 53 [58] | 3 [58] | 2015 [58] |
Streetcars in New Orleans [note 1] | USA | New Orleans | 3,884,800 | 9,700 | 35.9 km (22.3 mi) [59] [60] | 843 | 1835[ citation needed ] | streetcar-like surface stops[ citation needed ] | 4 [59] | 2013 [59] |
VTA light rail | USA | San Jose, California | 4,464,500 | 13,800 | 67.9 km (42.2 mi) [61] | 1,121 | 1987 [61] | 62 [61] | 3 [61] | 2005 [61] |
Baltimore Light RailLink [note 2] | USA | Baltimore | 3,546,300 | 12,500 | 53.1 km (33.0 mi) [62] | 558 | 1992[ citation needed ] | 33 [62] | 3 [62] | 1997[ citation needed ] |
Ion rapid transit | CAN | Kitchener and Waterloo | 5,654,810 [63] | 19.3 km (12.0 mi) [64] | n/a | 2019 | 19 [64] | 1 [64] | n/a | |
The T: Pittsburgh Light Rail | USA | Pittsburgh | 3,417,100 | 42.2 km (26.2 mi) [65] | 1,057 | 1984[ citation needed ] | 53 [65] | 3 [65] | 2012 [65] | |
San Francisco cable car system [note 4] [note 1] | USA | San Francisco | 5,719,900 | 14,900 | 8.4 km (5.2 mi)[ citation needed ] | 3,021 | 1878 [66] | streetcar-like surface stops[ citation needed ] | 3 [28] [67] | 1952[ citation needed ] |
Portland Streetcar [note 5] | USA | Portland | 2,373,341 [68] | 8,339 | 11.83 km (7.35 mi) [69] | 2,723 | 2001 [69] | 76 [69] | 2 [69] | 2012 [69] |
Buffalo Metro Rail | USA | Buffalo, New York | 2,433,300 | 6,600 | 10.3 km (6.4 mi)[ citation needed ] | 2,500 | 1985[ citation needed ] | 14 [70] | 1 [70] | n/a |
SPRINTER | USA | Oceanside, California | 1,362,600 | 5,600 | 35 km (22 mi) [71] | 341 | 2008 [71] | 15 [71] | 1 [71] | n/a |
Seattle Streetcar | USA | Seattle | 1,326,500 | 4,200 | 6.1 km (3.8 mi)[ citation needed ] | 1,447 | 2007 [72] | 17 [73] | 2 [73] | 2016 [74] |
RTA Rapid Transit: [note 2] Blue, Green, and Waterfront Lines | USA | Cleveland | 661,500 | 2,500 | 24.6 km (15.3 mi) [75] | 327 | 1913 [76] | 34 [75] | 2 [75] | 1996 [76] |
Tide Light Rail | USA | Norfolk, Virginia | 771,500 | 2,500 | 11.9 km (7.4 mi) [77] | 622 | 2011 [78] | 11 [77] | 1 [77] | n/a |
DC Streetcar | USA | Washington, D.C. | 721,700 | 2,200 | 3.9 km (2.4 mi) [79] | 2016 [80] | 8 | 1 | 2016 | |
TECO Line Streetcars [note 1] | USA | Tampa, Florida | 1,428,700 | 4.3 km (2.7 mi) [81] | 630 | 2002[ citation needed ] | 11 [82] | 1 [82] | 2010[ citation needed ] | |
Sun Link | USA | Tucson, Arizona | 1,724,900 | 5,800 | 6.3 km (3.9 mi) [83] | 1,026 | 2014[ citation needed ] | 22 [83] | 1 [83] | n/a |
The Hop | USA | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | 760,321 | – | 3.4 km (2.1 mi) [84] | 2018 [84] | 18 | 1 | 2018 | |
El Paso Streetcar | USA | El Paso, Texas | 130,600 | 600 | 7.7 km (4.8 mi) [85] | 2018 [86] | 27 | 2 | 2018 | |
Atlanta Streetcar | USA | Atlanta, Georgia | 184,500 | 600 | 4.3 km (2.7 mi)[ citation needed ] | 111 | 2014[ citation needed ] | 12[ citation needed ] | 1[ citation needed ] | n/a |
MATA Trolleys [note 1] | USA | Memphis, Tennessee | 365,400 | 800 | 10.1 km (6.3 mi)[ citation needed ] | 0 [note 6] | 1993 [87] | 25 [88] | 3 [88] | 2004 [87] |
The following systems have been excluded from the ridership table above (generally because the system's ridership statistics are not tracked by APTA):
Light rail is a form of passenger urban rail transit using rolling stock derived from tram technology while also having some features from heavy rapid transit.
Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) is a transit agency serving the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex of Texas. It operates buses, light rail, commuter rail, and high-occupancy vehicle lanes in Dallas and twelve of its suburbs. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 50,463,300, or about 166,700 per weekday as of the second quarter of 2024.
Buffalo Metro Rail is the public transit rail system in Buffalo, New York, operated by the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA). The system consists of a single, 6.4-mile-long (10.3 km) light rail line that runs for most of the length of Main Street from KeyBank Center in Canalside to the south campus of the University at Buffalo in the northeast corner of the city. The first section of the line opened in October 1984; the current system was completed in November 1986. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 2,433,300, or about 7,300 per weekday as of the second quarter of 2024.
TRAX is a light rail system in the Salt Lake Valley of Utah, in the United States, serving Salt Lake City and many of its suburbs throughout Salt Lake County. The official name of Transit Express is rarely, if ever, used. The system is operated by the Utah Transit Authority (UTA). All TRAX trains are electric, receiving power from overhead wires.
The TECO Line Streetcar is a heritage streetcar transit line in Tampa, Florida, run by the Hillsborough Area Regional Transportation Authority (HART), owned by the city of Tampa, and managed by Tampa Historic Streetcar, Inc. It connects Downtown and Channelside to the historic Ybor City district. There is also an "In-Town" trolley-replica bus system that connects Downtown, Channelside, and Harbour Island.
The San Diego Trolley is a light rail system operating in the metropolitan area of San Diego. The trolley's operator, San Diego Trolley, Inc., is a subsidiary of the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS). The trolley operates as a critical component of the MTS, with connections to and integrated travel tickets with the local bus systems.
The Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) is the agency responsible for public transportation in the Charlotte metropolitan area. CATS operates bus and rail transit services in Mecklenburg County and surrounding areas. Established in 1999, CATS' bus and rail operations carry about 320,000 riders on an average week. CATS is governed by the Metropolitan Transit Commission and is operated as a department of the City of Charlotte. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 13,476,600, or about 44,100 per weekday as of the second quarter of 2024.
The Metro Streetcar, formerly known as the River Rail Streetcar, is a two line heritage streetcar system operating in Little Rock and North Little Rock, Arkansas. It has operated since November 1, 2004. Most recently expanded in 2007, the streetcar now operates over 3.4 miles (5.5 km) of track in a figure-eight loop pattern. The Metro Streetcar is operated by Rock Region Metro. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 22,600.
Light rail is a commonly used mode of public transit in North America. The term light rail was coined in 1972 by the Urban Mass Transportation Administration to describe new streetcar transformations which were taking place in Europe and the United States. The Germans used the term Stadtbahn, which is the predecessor to North American light rail, to describe the concept, and many in UMTA wanted to adopt the direct translation, which is city rail. However, in its reports, UMTA finally adopted the term light rail instead.
A medium-capacity system (MCS), also known as light rapid transit or light metro, is a rail transport system with a capacity greater than light rail, but less than typical heavy-rail rapid transit. MCS trains are usually 1 to 4 cars. Most medium-capacity rail systems are automated or use light-rail type vehicles.
Streetcars or trolley(car)s were once the chief mode of public transit in hundreds of North American cities and towns. Most of the original urban streetcar systems were either dismantled in the mid-20th century or converted to other modes of operation, such as light rail. Today, only Toronto still operates a streetcar network essentially unchanged in layout and mode of operation.
The MATA Trolley is a heritage streetcar transit system operating in Memphis, Tennessee. It began operating on April 29, 1993. Service was suspended in June 2014, following fires on two cars. After nearly four years and repeated postponements, the reopening of the Main Street Line took place on April 30, 2018. The system's two other lines remained suspended as of December 2022, but with reopening of both planned. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 365,400 but ceased running in August 2024
Light rail is a mode of rail-based transport, usually urban in nature. When compared to heavy rail systems like commuter rail or rapid transit (subway), light rail systems are typically designed to carry fewer passengers and are capable of operating in mixed traffic or on routes that are not entirely grade-separated. Systems typically take one of four forms: the "first-generation" legacy systems, the "second-generation" modern light rail systems, streetcars, and hybrid rail systems. All of the systems use similar technologies, and some systems blur the lines between the different forms.