We've gathered a sample of the responses to Mayor Bill de Blasio's proposal for a $2.2 billion streetcar to connect Brooklyn to Queens.
Yonah Freemark wrote for The New York Times about the challenge of designing a functional streetcar system: "A streetcar line that actually improves quality of life for New Yorkers must be fast, frequent and reliable — all of which require redirecting street space away from private automobiles and toward public transit."
Freemark examines the current plan, and finds it falls short of the ideal as a transit resrouce. The article, however, is full of examples from around the world (the streetcar system in Paris) and nearby (the Select Bus Service in New York) to inform the discussion about how to improve the streetcar proposal. Freemark even references Chicago's 2015 approval of a Transit-Oriented Development Ordinance that increased building size and reduced parking requirements. "Without a similar change, New York’s streetcar will be hobbled by neighborhoods not designed for transit," writes Freemark.
In a separate article, published the next day, James Fanelli and Jeff Mays reported on the emerging implications of that plan for drivers—as predicted by Freemark. According to the article, the BQX (as the streetcar plan is called), "will eliminate a 'substantial' number of parking spaces and cause streets to be ripped up so underground utilities can be relocated…" The article gleans its insights from "a 2011 Department of Transportation study of a 6.8 mile streetcar system in Red Hook that determined the project was not feasible." In addition to parking, traffic, and zoning concerns, the Fanelli and Mays add utility relocation as another challenge for the BQX plan to overcome.
FULL STORY: How to Build a Streetcar That Works

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

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

Mexico City Anti-Gentrification Plan Aims to Half Housing Deficit
The plan comes in response to protests that targeted ‘digital nomads’ who locals blame for driving up housing costs.

Chicago Has Quietly Built Hundreds of Neighborhood Traffic Circles
Thanks largely to one alderperson’s efforts, the city has made mini-roundabouts a key piece of its road safety strategy.
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.
City of Fort Worth
planning NEXT
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie