An article in the NYTimes on the successful first half-year of light rail in Phoenix makes note of an interesting point: only a small minority of users (27 percent) are commuters, which inverts the typical use pattern (60 percent of transit users nationwide are commuters).  Despite that low use by commuters, the system has exceeded its project ridership and contributed to an improved “image and perception of Phoenix’s downtown”.  Unfortunately, the story doesn’t really explore why Phoenix has developed this inverted use pattern, and I haven’t been able to locate the study the story is based on.

[via Infrastructurist]