By Matt Johnson (Editorial Board Alum), Greater Greater Washington; April 4, 20192
Despite wide variety in transit systems around the world, here in the United States we only have a few words to describe transit modes, such as commuter rail, heavy rail, and light rail.
In my recent counterpoint post on the Silver Line and the viability of a Dulles Express Line using the Washington and Old Dominion Trail, I touched briefly upon the differences between American and European transit concepts. Because we don’t have many words to describe a variety of systems, it can be difficult to compare and constrast different types of transit, especially those in other countries. With so few words, things get lost in translation.