Posted on 12/03/21
| News Source: i24
As traffic jams worsen in world's most expensive city, light rail builder says relief is on the way
Tel Aviv is embarking upon one of the world's most ambitious mass transit projects and relief could not come soon enough for commuters stuck in endless traffic jams in Israel's commercial and cultural capital.
The Red Line light rail is set to start operations in one year, forming the backbone of an integrated network that will eventually include three light rail lines and three metro subway lines branching out across the Gush Dan region.
The project's slogan in Hebrew is קשה עכשיו, קלה אחר כך (hard now, easy later).
However, at least one transportation expert interviewed by i24NEWS asserts that relief is possible sooner, and the transit agency responsible for the rail network admits that it is a long-term solution.
"The Red Line is going to bring a change but it’s not going to bring the revolution we are talking about because if you want to talk about revolution, you need the whole network, the three lines working," said Avi Furst, spokesperson and public relations director for NTA, the government company tasked with the design and construction of the project.
"Then when the three lines are working — the Purple Line in 2026 and the Green Line in 2027 — you can get anywhere in Tel Aviv by the light train," Furst explained.
The Red Line will run on 15 miles of track, including 7.5 miles underground — from Bat Yam to Petah Tikva through Jaffa, Tel Aviv, Ramat Gan and Bnei Brak.