A common criticism of rail transit is that it is old fashioned and that the public would be better served by some more modern means of transportation. While it is true that electric streetcars, which were the predecessors to light rail, were first put into service more than a century ago, it is also a fact that the first automobiles, busses, monorails and airplanes were also being used more than a century ago and should thus likewise be considered old fashioned.

The early ancestors of today's light rail vehicles (called horsecars), busses and automobiles were powered by horses in the 19th century. This photograph is of a horsecar in San Diego, California. Note the early automobile in the background.