Light-Rail Transit (LRT) in Penang: LRT’s Route Selection and the Impact Toward Neighborhood in Penang

Penang now is preparing and getting ready to achieve the state development vision under Penang’s 2030 agenda, A Family-Focused Green and Smart State that Inspires the Nation. Penang’s mobility and connectivity infrastructure are to undergo a major overhaul through public and private sector investments. One of the focuses is to strengthen mobility, connectivity, and digital infrastructure by improving public transportation infrastructure. This study was carried out to investigate the criteria that have been considered in selecting Penang Light-Rail Transit (LRT) route and the impacts on the neighborhood. An in-depth interview session with professional experts who have been involved directly with the project has been carried out to shed some light on this issue which gained a popular topic of discussion ever since it was announced by the Penang State Government. The findings show that four criteria were taken into consideration during the routing selection process: accessibility, finances, environment, and population. A point to highlight, the safety aspect is the least to be considered in Penang Light-Rail Transit (LRT) routing. But when it comes to impact, the proposed LRT routes become one of the environmental pollution issues such as noise and vibration. Even though there are drawbacks related to the proposed infrastructure causing major disruptions in the state, however, the LRT corridor’s potential benefits may offset these disadvantages. The findings from this study will definitely stimulate further discussion and debate.