While the current discourse surrounding the economic impacts of light rail transit (LRT) predominantly leans on objective metrics, emerging signs point to a possible disparity between subjective perceptions and these objective evaluations. This study endeavours to fill this void by scrutinizing the impacts of the G:Link in Gold Coast, Australia on local businesses, prompted by anecdotal commentary of adverse effects. Conducting 23 interviews with businesses in Surfers Paradise, located within the G:Link's influential zone, helped identify thematic economic effects. Subsequently, Difference-in-Difference and time-series regression models were estimated to objectively validate four of the identified thematic effects: changes in travel behaviour, business performance, customer base, and tourism activity. While businesses perceived the G:Link as ineffective in promoting public transport and blamed it for their economic downturns, objective data countered these perceptions. It revealed that the G:Link contributed to a 3.6% rise in public transport usage to Surfers Paradise. The economic downturn experienced by businesses cannot be linked to the LRT; rather, it mirrors a broader citywide temporal effect. Furthermore, in contrast to prevailing beliefs, there was a notable increase in both customer volumes and their dwell times. The findings offer nuanced insights into LRT's effects on individual businesses and aggregated impacts, highlighting prevalent misperceptions that could undermine public support, investment opportunities, and sustainable transport choices. Addressing these misunderstandings necessitates robust education and communication strategies.

中文翻译：

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轻轨交通经济影响的主观与客观评估：以澳大利亚黄金海岸 G:Link 为例

虽然目前围绕轻轨交通（LRT）经济影响的讨论主要依赖于客观指标，但新出现的迹象表明主观看法与这些客观评估之间可能存在差异。本研究旨在通过审查澳大利亚黄金海岸 G:Link 对当地企业的影响（根据负面影响的轶事评论）来填补这一空白。对位于 G:Link 影响区内的冲浪者天堂的企业进行 23 次访谈，有助于确定主题经济效应。随后，估计了双重差分和时间序列回归模型，以客观地验证四个已确定的主题效应：旅行行为、业务绩效、客户群和旅游活动的变化。虽然企业认为 G:Link 在促进公共交通方面无效，并将其归咎于其经济衰退，但客观数据反驳了这些看法。报告显示，G:Link 使冲浪者天堂的公共交通使用量增长了 3.6%。企业经历的经济衰退不能与轻轨挂钩；相反，它反映了更广泛的全市时间效应。此外，与普遍的看法相反，客户数量和停留时间均显着增加。调查结果对轻轨对个体企业的影响和总体影响提供了细致入微的见解，强调了可能损害公众支持、投资机会和可持续交通选择的普遍误解。解决这些误解需要强有力的教育和沟通策略。