Trains vs Busses Ammunition

It amazes me when I hear opponets of an expanded light rail transit system. They claim that since rail lines (both heavy and light rail) are more expensive to build, money would be better spent expanding and improving bus service. Well, the Orange County Register just released some statements showing the big difference between the two in the county:

Train riders have a median household income of $72,000-plus a year, while 79 percent have access to cars. Half of the bus riders have household incomes of less that $20,000 , while more than 70 percent don't have a car. The statement was that trains aim to get people out of cars while busses aim to get carless people where they need to go.

These figures are quite striking. There is almost a class difference between the people who would ride a train and those who would ride the bus. With this in mind, more busses would increase access for those without cars, but would do little for congestion relief. Typical businessmen just have some sort of block against taking the bus. You need an efficient rail system that provides a good alternative to the freeway in order to get the average businessman off the freeway and into a transit system.