Back to the Future...with Streetcars.

[GoodWitch58]

here's an idea for Governor Scott- a solution to urban congestion; using too much oil; and they are made in
the U. S!

All-American Streetcar Boom Fuels Urban Future : NPR

Like so many urban development stories in America, this one begins in Portland, Ore.

Outside the famous Powell's bookstore, a 21st-century streetcar glides to a stop, opens its doors, and lets out a mix of tourists and locals. Modern streetcars have been running in this city for about a decade, and Chandra Brown lives right along their route.

"I love the streetcar," says Brown, who's lived in Portland for 17 years. "They had told me that there were no streetcars built in the United States, and I basically said, 'You're a liar, that can't be, honestly.' So I did some research after that and found out, yes, that was absolutely correct. There was no builder of modern streetcars in the United States."

As it happens, Brown is a vice president of Oregon Iron Works. Her company has been making bridges, boats and other heavy equipment since the 1940s. A few years ago, they created a subsidiary called United Streetcar. Now they are manufacturing the first American-built streetcars in more than 50 years.

 

[30A Skunkape]

It is a great idea. It boggled my mind when we lived in New Orleans to see the long abandoned streetcar tracks running through neighborhoods while locals and visitors alike loved to ride the few lines that were spared with the introduction of buses. Luckily, the city is resurrecting some old lines downriver.

 

[GoodWitch58]

It is a great idea. It boggled my mind when we lived in New Orleans to see the long abandoned streetcar tracks running through neighborhoods while locals and visitors alike loved to ride the few lines that were spared with the introduction of buses. Luckily, the city is resurrecting some old lines downriver.

I thought it made so much sense, especially since many of our cities were built around the streetcar lines. I remember my Mom telling us fun stories about the street cars she used to ride in Washington DC. Certainly would improve the congestion around International Drive in Orlando...and many of the visitors would feel right at home on a street car. Maybe the idea will catch on...