Streetcars
Streetsblog Basics
Toronto Has a Plan to Clear the Way for Streetcars Stuck in Traffic
Toronto's busiest surface transit route could get a big upgrade as part of a year-long pilot project -- if it clears the Toronto City Council this summer.
May 15, 2017
It’s Time to Move On From the Brooklyn-Queens Streetcar
The sooner City Hall pulls staff off the BQX, the faster de Blasio can make progress on streets and transit improvements that will make life better for many more New Yorkers.
April 14, 2017
Atlanta’s Streetcar Investment Is Not Paying Off
Unable to assemble new funding from the state to significantly improve the rapid transit system, the city of Atlanta chose to focus on a cheaper-to-implement streetcar line. But more than two years after launch, ridership on the streetcar is falling far short of expectations.
March 9, 2017
Reminder: Just Laying Track Is No Guarantee Riders Will Come
Laying track isn't enough to build a successful transit system -- as some cities are learning the hard way.
May 12, 2016
If NYC Builds the Streetcar, It Will Run Right Through Flood Zones
As others have noted, the proposed Brooklyn-Queens streetcar route would run right through city- and FEMA-designated high-risk flood zones. This raises questions about how the streetcar infrastructure and vehicles would be protected from storm surges, as well as the general wisdom of siting a project that's supposed to spur development in a flood-prone area.
February 17, 2016
BQX Streetcar Doesn’t Make Any More Sense Now Than It Did Yesterday
Today Mayor de Blasio rolled out the full court press for his Brooklyn-Queens Streetcar proposal, known as BQX. A story in the Times compared the street-running BQX to Jersey's Hudson-Bergen Light Rail, which runs mostly on exclusive rail rights-of-way. The City Hall press shop sent out waves of endorsements from various elected officials, advocates, business executives, developers, and civic honchos. The morning culminated with a press conference in Red Hook where the mayor made his case for the project.
February 16, 2016
4 Reasons a $2.5 Billion Brooklyn-Queens Streetcar Doesn’t Add Up
Later today, Mayor de Blasio is going to deliver his State of the City speech, and one centerpiece is expected to be a new streetcar running from Sunset Park to Astoria along the Brooklyn-Queens waterfront. It's an idea that's surfaced repeatedly in one form or another as developers have transformed sections of the waterfront into new residential neighborhoods. As alluring as it may be to picture modern rail on the streets of Brooklyn and Queens, there are good reasons it's gone nowhere.
February 4, 2016
New Wave of Development Follows Streetcar Construction in Mid-Sized Cities
When selecting a parking lot along the Kansas City streetcar line as the site for a 50-unit, five-story apartment building, Boulder-based developer Linden Street Partners was clear: “The streetcar is the big thing that drew us, absolutely,” the company's Scott Richardson told the Kansas City Star. “We like the demographics and the economic trends. I walked the area and liked the site.”
October 28, 2013
DOT to Red Hook: No Streetcar For You
Proposed Red Hook streetcars aren't worth the cost, according to the city DOT. In a presentation to community groups last Thursday [PDF], DOT revealed the results of its streetcar feasibility study and recommended against the construction of a line that would run from the Smith/9th subway station into Red Hook and up the waterfront to Borough Hall. The creation of a streetcar or light rail line along the northern Brooklyn or western Queens waterfront was a Bloomberg campaign promise in 2009.
April 20, 2011