What's the Value of a Half-Baked Streetcar Line?

A tough first week for the new LYNX Gold streetcar line in Charlotte inspired a review of the current research about the value of streetcars.

1 minute read

July 30, 2015, 9:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Toronto Streetcar

The City of Toronto / Flickr

Andrew Keatts provides a recap of a tumultuous, unfortunate first week of operation for the Charlotte Streetcar. A few examples:

  • "One streetcar crashed into an SUV after its driver lost control of its vehicle, city officials said."
  • "A reporter laced up her sneakers and raced the streetcar, beating it to the end of the 1.4-mile line by a full two minutes."

Those hiccups indicate why, according to Keatts, the debate about the value of streetcars has persisted even as more and more cities roll out new streetcar projects. In fact, says Keatts, more and more academics are reaching consensus that streetcar lines do not make a wise investment.

Central to the challenges encountered by streetcars, however, are the sacrifices made in planning stages. Charlotte's new streetcar, for example, does not have a dedicated line and runs on 15-miniute headways during peak periods—not exactly the best model for frequent, reliable service.

The article goes on took a closer look at the emerging body of research, with special attention to the work of Jeff Brown, chair of the Department of Urban & Regional Planning at Florida State University. To summarize, Keatts writes: "A key point of emphasis among all the academic skeptics of the modern streetcar projects is that there isn’t anything inherently wrong with streetcars. The problem is with the way they’re executed."

Wednesday, July 29, 2015 in The Urban Edge

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

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

June 25, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Western U.S. indicating public lands that would be for sale under a Senate plan in yellow and green.

Map: Where Senate Republicans Want to Sell Your Public Lands

For public land advocates, the Senate Republicans’ proposal to sell millions of acres of public land in the West is “the biggest fight of their careers.”

June 19, 2025 - Outdoor Life

Person wearing mask walking through temporary outdoor dining setup lined with bistro lights at dusk in New York City.

Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?

Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.

June 19, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Close-up of full beer glass with purple train-themed design sitting on bar between two frosty tall cans.

Platform Pilsner: Vancouver Transit Agency Releases... a Beer?

TransLink will receive a portion of every sale of the four-pack.

7 hours ago - Cities Today

Vintage red Toronto streetcar passing in front of Rogers Arena in Toronto, Canada.

Toronto Weighs Cheaper Transit, Parking Hikes for Major Events

Special event rates would take effect during large festivals, sports games and concerts to ‘discourage driving, manage congestion and free up space for transit.”

June 30 - blogTO

Map of Berlin with ring roads in green and red.

Berlin to Consider Car-Free Zone Larger Than Manhattan

The area bound by the 22-mile Ringbahn would still allow 12 uses of a private automobile per year per person, and several other exemptions.

June 30 - Streetsblog USA

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.