Despite America's reputation for relying solely on automobiles to get around, major metropolitan areas across the country are increasingly turning to light rail as a way to transport commuters, relieve congestion and reduce air pollution, with some agencies using Japanese rail cars.
Around 30 metro areas in the United States have a light rail system and ridership is on the rise with more than 500 million passengers using the trains in 2013, more than 60 percent higher than 10 years ago, according to the American Public Transportation Association.
Light rail transit, or LRT, is a form of public transportation meant to carry fewer passengers than "heavy rail" and uses electric cars that have their own right of way or mix with vehicle traffic. The cars generally have low-level boarding and operate alone or attached to others as a short train.