Streetcars

Fifty years after they last plied its streets, Washington D.C. awaits the return of the city's streetcars in 2013 with nostalgia and hope.

It's no coincidence that cities with proper streetcar networks are the most bike-friendly, and vice versa, according to Dan Malouff.

The Obama Administration has decided to provide federal funding for a variety streetcar projects. Over the past few months, cities including San Antonio have proposed routes that will run through densely populated areas.

At least 80 U.S. and Canadian cities have a streetcar system in the works or are considering it, says APTA. Julie Sneider at Progressive Railroading says transit manufacturers are seeing opportunity in those numbers.

Plans to revive a decades-dead streetcar loop in St. Louis are gathering steam.

As federal transportation funding grows increasingly uncertain, cities across the country are trying new approaches to generate funds for their planned streetcar projects.

With $100 million set aside in D.C.'s budget for streetcars, the D.C.'s Department of Transportation is looking at opening new streetcar lines on M and K Streets.

Officials in Portland are keen to expand the city's streetcar system with a proposed $458 million extension project. But some questions about the project remain unanswered.

The experience of rebuilding a streetcar line in New Orleans and the subsequent neighborhood growth that followed offers lessons to other cities considering streetcar plans, according to this piece from Architect Magazine.

San Francisco will host the America's Cup yacht race in 2013. Some in the city argue that the event could provide a good opportunity for the city to make major investments in projects that last long after the event.

It was nearly 50 years ago, when streetcars were seen on the roadways of downtown Washington, DC. Dan Tangherlini, the former transportation director for the District discusses why streetcars matter in the United States capital.

Streetcars -- a relatively old transportation technology -- have more traction than high tech solutions like monorails in the modern age of mobility. Want proof? Just look at Disneyland, says Tom Vanderbilt.

In his annual state-of-the-city speech, Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker highlighted what he sees as his most important accomplishment: a streetcar.

Centering on Denver as the epi-center of light rail development in the U.S., NPR reports on a new wave of light rail and streetcar projects sweeping the nation as cities hope to attract the latest talent and urban development to become "world-class".

Washington D.C. is planning to build a citywide streetcar network, but the overhead wires required for those plans would affect the city's historic views.

Streetcars are increasingly seen as boons to local economies. And with a $130 million federal fund aimed at streetcar projects, some are expecting more systems to develop, according to this article. Others, though, still question the investment.

Washington's panoply of hyperlocal news media is filling the holes left by tradition outlets as web 2.0 expands. Since many of the local newspapers have folded, bloggers and other digital media have grown to cover matters at the local level.

Atlanta's $72 million streetcar plan is taking shape, with lines expected to open in 2013. But not everyone in the city thinks the project is worth the cost.

With a growing belief in the streetcars' ability to catalyze redevelopment, cities are jockeying for federal and local funds to build retro transit systems in their downtowns.

The District Department of Transportation recently released detailed plans for the new system, which has been in the making for more than 14 years.