What’s Old Is New; What’s New Is Old—Again!

What’s Old Is New; What’s New Is Old—Again!

Tom Vanderbilt’s thoughtful piece—“Streetcars vs. Monorails:  The future of urban transportation looks a lot like the past”—certainly reflects what’s happening today in Washington, DC; some want them, others don’t. The streetcar, once considered antiquated, is back in vogue, he writes.  Although monorail supporters continue to tout their merits, most US projects have been squashed “plagued by cost overruns and funding gaps.” Although the DC City Council has approved what will be a 37-mile streetcar system in the nation’s capital, the city’s biggest threat is not those preferring monorails  but the federal government.  Streetcars were dismantled in the District in 1962.  Yet, despite the widespread belief by proponents that the new system will spur economic development, unlike other cities, it is not the “monorailists” trying to block the “back to the streetcar” movement, it is the federal government. The feds, it seems, are concerned that streetcar infrastructure might obstruct the city's historic, monumental views. City leaders say “yes.” The feds say, “we’ll see.”  I say, let’s build a system that is safe, efficient, and gets riders where they want to go.

Highlighted Clip for Wednesday, January 12, 2011:

Streetcars vs. Monorails

Tom Vanderbilt

There is a great, if unnamed and often overlooked, attraction in Disney World: Transportationland.