Quote:
Originally Posted by counterfactual
Why are streetcars never debated or pitched at Council?
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There is one significant reason why alternative public transportation options are rarely seriously considered in this region: there is virtually no expertise or understanding in the provincial department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal, or in HRM's bureaucracy, that doesn't involve asphalt.
There are almost sixty cities in the US and Canada with light rail, heavy rail, streetcar and/or subway systems in operation or in various stages of planning. Yet on the rare occasions the subject has been raised in this city the response from top bureaucrats and politicians has generally been swift: we're too small; we can't afford it.
Of course, we measure our "investment" in roads and highways by an entirely different yardstick. That's because pols have known for decades that laying down pavement is a sure vote-getter. In Nova Scotia last year we spent roughly half a billion dollars (capital and operating) to build and maintain roads. Users paid for only about half of that; the rest came from the taxpayers' pockets.
(The ratio is even more startling when it comes to truck transport. Studies have shown that the road wear caused by heavy trucks far exceeds what their operators pay in taxes and fees, except in a few progressive jurisdictions that have introduced weight-distance taxes. So the next time you curse some slow-moving rig on the highway, find comfort in knowing that you're paying heavily to subsidize that trucker.)
Forgive the digression, but the fundamental point remains: if we judged roads by the same standard we apply to public transport, we'd return a lot of suburban streets and lightly used highways to pasture.
Now that the courts have apparently settled the city's fight with CN on the responsibility to fix crumbling overpasses, its been reported we might be ready to re-engage with the railway on the possibility of introducing some form of rail transit to the city. Don't hold your breath. Overcoming the naysayers will require some strong champions and a lot of public support.
(Another aside: I have been curious about the redevelopment of the Halifax Shipyards lands. The original rail corridor, which extended through Africville and Richmond to the foot of Cornwallis Street, has been paved over but remained essentially intact. Bringing rail transit to the downtown core will require that this corridor remain open through the shipyard.)
Anyway, to get back to the original and more modest suggestion about streetcars, in fact several American cities have returned streetcars to downtown streets in recent years, including New Orleans, Tampa, Philadelphia and Little Rock. They serve as reliable urban transporation and as tourist draws. It is a model Halifax would do well to study. Just don't expect the leadership to come from city staff.
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