Report: Streetcars Were Always for Developers
Streetsblog digs into the literature on streetcars and finds evidence that the transit mode du jour was never intended to benefit transit users.
Angie Schmitt shares news of a report published by the Journal of Transport Geography. The report, "Streetcar projects as spatial planning: A shift in transport planning in the United States," reveals the limits of streetcars, i.e., "They were always intended mainly to spur real estate investment, not to address urban mobility needs." Put another way, "streetcar backers were often more concerned about land development than the transportation system."
Schmitt offers insight into the report's methodology and findings, and puts in context of recent streetcar news, such as the disappointing ridership figures of the QLine in Detroit.
Full Story:
Published on Wednesday, October 4, 2017 in
Topics
- A Famous Former Planning Director and the 'War on Cars'
- The Ancient Roots of New Urbanism
- Nice Try, Sharrows
- The Uses Of Urban Theory
- Op-Ed: Downtown Denver's Homogenous Renaissance
- Harvard Housing Report: Housing Market Still Short-Changing Renters, Young Americans
- Friday Funny: A New Hand Signal for Begging Drivers Not to Kill
- Light Rail Recommended for the San Fernando Valley
- 40 Years of Prop 13
- Industry Report: Regulations Add 30 Percent to Multi-Family Development Costs
- Massive Waterfront Investment 'Reinvents' Tampa
- When Pennsylvania's 'Right to Farm' Means Living With the Pigs Next Door
- Even in the Pacific Northwest, Developments Conflict With Water
- Rent Control Falls Short of the Ballot in Multiple California Cities
- Scooter War Now a Scooter Competition
- Plans for Immigrant 'Detention Centers' Revealed at Military Sites Around the U.S.
- When Gentrification Follows Transit Oriented Development
- Tampa to Orlando High Speed Rail Back on the Table
- Studies: Drivers Far More Distracted Than Walkers
- Did the Supreme Court End the 'Retail Apocalypse'?
