True / False / Not Given

ATrams disappeared from most European and North American cities in the middle of the twentieth century. Between 1945 and 1965 many networks were removed because cars were seen as modern and because tram tracks were expensive to maintain. In several cities the rails were simply covered with asphalt and forgotten.

BAttitudes changed slowly. The French city of Nantes reopened a tram line in 1985, and its success surprised planners who had expected buses to be sufficient. Passenger numbers rose faster than predicted, partly because a tram arrives at a fixed platform and passengers can board without steps. Other French cities followed, and by the end of the century tram building had become common across the continent.

CTrams are not automatically the best solution. A tram line costs considerably more to build than a bus route on the same street, and construction can disturb shops for many months. Where passenger numbers are low, transport economists generally recommend buses. The advantage of the tram appears on busy corridors, where a single vehicle can carry several hundred people and where electric operation removes exhaust fumes from the street.

DRecent projects therefore focus on connecting trams with other services. In Zurich, tickets are valid across trams, buses and local trains, and timetables are planned so that connections are short. Planners in the city argue that this integration, rather than the vehicle itself, explains why so many residents travel without a car.