The State of Transit Construction in 2018

Yonah Freemark has released his annual report on the expected transit project openings for the year, showing dozens of projects ready to open around North America in 2018.

"In 2018, 340 route miles of new fixed-guideway transit projects, representing a total investment of $13.2 billion, are expected to open for riders in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada," according to Freemark. Another "366 miles of lines, costing a total of more than $75 billion to build, will be under construction in 2018 but are planned for opening in later years."

In the United States, an extension of Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) to San Jose is the most expensive project expected to open in 2018. Four cities will also launch new streetcar routes in 2018—El Paso, Milwaukee, Oklahoma City, and St. Louis. Of the many modes of public transit expected to open in 2018, the longest list of projects, and the most miles of new service, falls under "Bus Rapid Transit" (though we know the definition of that term can vary widely).

The report is the tenth edition of the complication of new transit projects, and Freemark offers links to the previous editions. The article announcing the 2018 list also includes a review of 2017's accomplishments. 2017 saw many new transit opening, but 2018 is expected to be more significant in terms of openings.