The city is serviced by the LRT @-@ 1 and LRT @-@ 2 which forms the LRTA system , as distinct from the MRT @-@ 3 which is under the MRTC system that services other parts of Metro Manila . Development of the railway system began in the 1970s under the Marcos administration , making it the first light rail transport in Southeast Asia . These systems are currently undergoing a multibillion @-@ dollar expansion . LRT Line 1 runs along the length of Taft Avenue ( R @-@ 2 ) and Rizal Avenue ( R @-@ 9 ) , and the LRT Line 2 runs along Claro M. Recto Avenue ( C @-@ 1 ) and Ramon Magsaysay Boulevard ( R @-@ 6 ) from Santa Cruz , through Quezon City , up to Santolan in Marikina .