Whither the Central Light Rail Line? It's a fair question. The basic system is up and running, with some operating problems and physical shortcomings. Ridership is at least as high as can be expected for a two-year-old system. There are still some operating problems and physical shortcomings, but they can be remedied. So where does the system go from here?
Some clues can be found in the recent ridership survey conducted by the Baltimore Metropolitan Council. It's not just a picture of where light rail is today. User comments point to problems and opportunities ahead. Most revealing is the linkage between riders' perceptions of the system's shortcomings and their opinions of the service they get.
Asked in a questionnaire on a typical weekday, 45 percent said they would like improvements in service; 15 percent wanted physical improvements. Yet four times as many volunteered positive sentiments as negative (16 percent to 4 percent) about overall quality. Generally there was a high correlation between groups of riders (by place they boarded the system) who sought improvements but were still happy about service in general.