Tram

:For other meanings of tram, see tram (disambiguation).

Pros and cons of tram systems

Advantages

• The initial investment is high, but it remains affordable for a medium-sized city. A kilometre of tram generally costs only a third of the investment for a kilometre of underground subway line, since no boring is needed, but the public roads must be rebuilt to incorporate the rails and also cable lines must be installed.
• Elevated systems such as the monorail and the light metro require a special urbanism with large avenues and buildings in which to integrate the stations. It is also very difficult to compare their prices.
• The infrastructure needed by the trams usually requires an extension of the pedestrian sectors.
• Unlike buses, but like trolleybuses, (electric) trams give off no exhaust emissions at point of use.

Disadvantages

• The initial cost is larger when compared with the bus, which is usually preferred by smaller cities
• Speed is lower than in subways, unless long lengths of reserved track are involved (if most of the route is off-street then it is called light rail) (maximum around 7,000 passengers/hour, compared to 12,000 passengers/hour for the subway)
• dangerous for the cyclists, because they share the same roadway with the trams
• occupies urban space above ground and it needs modifications to traffic flow