Mass Transit Improvement of the Day: 24 New Tram Stations in Paris

Can you imagine an American city completing capital improvements to three different mass transit lines in one month? That's what's just happened in Paris, after a breakneck month of opening extensions on the T1, T2 and T3 tramway lines.

The latest is the new segment of Paris' orbital T3 tram line, which opened on Saturday, adding 24 stations along 14.5 kilometers of track to the existing line that runs on the city's southern edge. The latest addition has direct connections with the city's Metro system in four locations.

The new stretch, which encircles the eastern half of the city and ends at Porte de la Chapelle, will be able to handle 165,000 passengers a day. Rapid transport between outlying Parisian districts will no longer require a trip into the center.

The T3 extension was completed right on time, opening six years to the day after the first section of the line.

Top image: Charles Platiau/Reuters.