‘It never makes sense to build light rail’

“… Never. Nowhere. Not anywhere on Earth does light rail make sense.” 

That’s the assessment of Cato Institute senior fellow Randal O’Toole, a John Locke Foundation Headliner speaker today in Charlotte.

O’Toole offered his pronouncement as Mecklenburg County taxpayers prepare to vote next month on the potential repeal of a special half-cent sales tax for mass transit service.

• In this video clip, O’Toole explains that no one can offer an accurate prediction for the final cost of Charlotte’s light rail program.

10:30 p.m. update: Watch the entire speech here. O’Toole’s remarks include his reasoning for the statement quoted above.