The Future of Transit, According to France

Yonah Freemark investigates France's new love affair with the tram, which is spreading like wildfire in cities across the country, supplanting major bus routes and giving transit ridership a healthy boost in the process.

2 minute read

June 27, 2012, 2:00 PM PDT

By Ryan Lue


As American cities scramble to secure even modest federal funding just to keep their transit systems afloat, cities across France have been making unprecedented investments to upgrade and expand services. And if the past 12 years are any indicator of what's to come, trams (i.e. trolleys and streetcars) may well set a new standard for public transportation.

Since the start of the millennium, France has quintupled the mileage of its tram rail networks, which provide a middle ground between bus rapid transit and light rail. "Like American streetcars," Freemark explains, "these tramways operate at the ground level, usually without grade separation from automobile traffic, making them relatively cheap to build. On the other hand, like American light rail, tramways operate within their own rights-of-way and they feature long trainsets that can carry the equivalent of four busloads or more - in other words, they actually improve transit capacity and performance."

The success of the new tram systems bears out in the numbers: in Lyon, a city of roughly half a million people, trams accounted for a full two-thirds of ridership growth since they were introduced in 2000. While buses are significantly less costly for cities to implement, trams provide riders a step up in terms of comfort and speed, and the resulting bump in ridership could justify the higher price tag.

This trend marks a shift in French thinking about transit development. Although "the previously fashionable automated metro networks... were seen as the future of French rail systems in the 1980s, their high construction costs, caused by the complete grade separations they require, makes them less them adaptable to the needs of less populous urban areas.... In the process, cities across the country are experiencing significantly improved transit that is attracting more and more riders."

Monday, June 25, 2012 in Next American City

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight