How Did Transit Projects Fare in 2024?

In a piece for The Transport Politic, Yonah Freemark outlines transit projects that began operating in U.S. cities in 2024 and looks ahead to projects that will open in 2025.

According to Freemark, “Cities throughout the United States opened very little transit in 2024, adding just 29 kilometers (18 miles) of light rail and no new metro rail service. Though Seattle added some notable new expansions—including an extension north to Lynnwood of its successful light rail route and the first phase of a second line to Bellevue—the only other US light rail expansions were short additions in Los Angeles and Phoenix.” However, other types of transit such as bus rapid transit (BRT) lines opened in Indianapolis, Madison, and Seattle.

Substantial light rail or streetcar projects are coming to some cities. “In 2025, Kansas City will more than double the length of its Main Street streetcar line. Los Angeles will add new mileage to its A Line, reaching Pomona; south of LA, Orange County will open a new streetcar line. In Phoenix, the South Central Corridor will create a branch for the city’s light rail route. Finally, in Seattle, the city’s Line 2 will extend north to Redmond and west from Bellevue into downtown Seattle.” Los Angeles, Dallas, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Portland, Oregon currently have the longest light rail networks in the nation.

See the source article for a full list of transit projects that opened in 2024 or are slated to start running in 2025.