After nearly a decade of construction and delays, the Jerusalem Light Railway took its first passengers for a ride just last week. The first of its kind in Israel, the rail line is expected to increase transportation in an efficient, quiet, and environmentally friendly way.
The first section of 7 anticipated train lines, the red line runs from Bat Yam in the south to Petah Tikva in the northeast. It has 23 stations, including 10 that are underground. Though the electronic ticket system crashed during the opening weekend, it was a boon for customers since in order to prevent further delays, riding the Light Railway is currently free (until the glitch is repaired)!
“After nearly a decade of construction and delays…”
Yes, those pesky delays, like an international boycott against the contractors building the rail line, the construction company Veolia backing out, and a long, long, fight over the human rights implications of the rail line (namely, is this an extension of occupation policies by non-military means?). You don’t even need to take a position, but it’s pretty clear that it is your responsibility to note that there is a dispute going on, right?
This is typically a great website, but you all need to be a little more conscious of the human and democratic impacts of some of these large-scale “green” projects you praise. If Ratner greened up Atlantic Yards by installing hanging gardens, would you ignore the crooked permitting process and the outcry against it by local citizens?