Once a fixture in American cities, then falling into obsolescence, streetcars appear to be seeing a comeback. In cities such as Tucson, investment in light rail has catalyzed substantial economic development in its downtown.
“Operations will not start until next year…but local business leaders say the streetcar has already revived the center of this sprawling, artsy city,” writes Daniel C. Vock, speaking of Tucson’s new streetcar line.
“Two dozen cities already operate light rail and streetcars. Many are considering expansions, while dozens more are studying proposals to build their own.”
“In fact, light rail (including streetcars) is by far the fastest-growing mode of transit, carrying 2.5 times as many passengers as they did in 1990.”
But not everyone is such a big fan. Light rail comes at a pricey premium when compared to bus service, rousing some detractors such as Cincinnati’s mayor-elect John Cranley who has vowed to kill that city’s planned streetcar project.
FULL STORY: Cities Turn to Streetcars to Spur Economic Development
Cincinnati Seeks to Repurpose Its Unused Subway Tunnel
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Maryland to Restart Planning for East-West Transit Line Through Baltimore
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New REM Light Rail Launches in Montreal
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Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
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The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
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In Both Crashes and Crime, Public Transportation is Far Safer than Driving
Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.
Report: Zoning Reforms Should Complement Nashville’s Ambitious Transit Plan
Without reform, restrictive zoning codes will limit the impact of the city’s planned transit expansion and could exclude some of the residents who depend on transit the most.
Judge Orders Release of Frozen IRA, IIJA Funding
The decision is a victory for environmental groups who charged that freezing funds for critical infrastructure and disaster response programs caused “real and irreparable harm” to communities.
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