The Decibel Behind schedule and over budget: Why do we keep building LRTs?
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Mar 17, 2026 Oliver Moore, Globe and Mail editorial board member and former urban affairs reporter, explains why cities keep choosing light rail. He contrasts LRTs with subways and BRT, unpacks cost and planning trade-offs, and explores execution problems like P3 contracts and delays. He also points to international successes and offers fixes for building better transit in the future.
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What Light Rail Transit Actually Is
- Light rail transit sits between streetcars and subways as a cost-effective mid-capacity option.
- Oliver Moore: runs on rails, often pays before boarding, faster than streetcars when separated from traffic.
Cost Drives LRT Over Subways
- LRT is chosen mainly to avoid the huge costs of tunneling required by subways.
- Oliver Moore: ground level or elevated LRT gives near-subway functionality without underground expense.
LRTs Aren't Always Much Cheaper Than Subways
- Recent LRT construction costs can match new subways because North American transit building costs have exploded.
- Oliver Moore: Eglinton ~ $0.5B/km and Vaughan subway extension ~ $0.46B/km in 2025 dollars.