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.
Siemens, Bombardier and United Streetcar are just a few of the big companies courting the streetcar market:
"Bombardier is finalizing a common streetcar platform specifically for use in North America, says Jacques Drouin, the company's senior specialist in product management. The 100 percent low-floor design will be a key feature for the U.S. market, he says."
Sneider writes that "Alstom planners, too, are keeping a close eye on the North American market."
Snieder looks at some of the emerging technologies in this market, such as designs that don't require overhead wires.
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