On the 26th, it has been six months since the nation's first LRT (next-generation streetcar), which had all new tracks, opened in Utsunomiya and other cities, and while the number of users has exceeded initial expectations, The challenge is to encourage use not only by local residents but also by a wider range of residents.
The LRT (next-generation streetcar) connecting Utsunomiya City in Tochigi Prefecture with the neighboring town of Haga opened in August last year as the first LRT in the country to have all new tracks, and on the 26th it was exactly six months old.
According to Utsunomiya City and other sources, the number of users on weekdays is about 12,000 to 13,000, as originally expected, while the number of users on weekends and holidays is around 10,000, more than double the expected number. This means that it is changing.
Utsunomiya City analyzes that this is not only used for commuting to work or school, but also as a means of transportation for shopping, dining, etc. by residents of a wide range of generations.
Utsunomiya City is aiming to create a city that will make it easier for citizens to get around by changing public transportation, such as by reorganizing nearby bus routes to pass through LRT stops.
However, according to a city survey, the number of users of the reorganized bus routes has so far been sluggish, and the city plans to encourage residents not only from areas along the LRT lines but from a wider range of residents to use them. This has become an issue.