Vancouver, B.C. will launch its first new streetcar in 65 years next month. TheTransitFan got a sneak preview.
The streetcar is the latest model from manufacturer Bombadier.
"...this is the first 100% low-floor streetcar to operate in the Americas. Neither Toronto nor Portland has one. 'We have people coming from all over North and South America coming to see them, because these are the first European 100% low-floor streetcar ever in North America, and so there's a huge wave of interest in seeing what might be the next wave', says Hall. 'This is where Europe has gone. There have been 100% low-floor streetcars before, but you had to have a special bogie design with a motor on each wheel and a stub axel on each wheel, so it was quite expensive looking at life cycle cost and issues of noise and vibration.'"
FULL STORY: Modern streetcars debut in Vancouver

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Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
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Adaptive Reuse Will Create Housing in a Suburban Texas Strip Mall
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Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work
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In U.S., Urban Gondolas Face Uphill Battle
Cities in Latin America and Europe have embraced aerial transitways — AKA gondolas — as sustainable, convenient urban transport, especially in tricky geographies. American cities have yet to catch up.
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