Could Streetcars Return to Brooklyn?
Streetcars were once a big part of Brooklyn life—could they play a role in connecting currently underserviced areas while enhancing the street-level experience? That’s the theory being floated by some enthusiasts. And people are starting to listen. Most notably, DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Kahn who, noting the success of its streetcar system in generating economic developer,…
Streetcars were once a big part of Brooklyn life—could they play a role in connecting currently underserviced areas while enhancing the street-level experience? That’s the theory being floated by some enthusiasts. And people are starting to listen. Most notably, DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Kahn who, noting the success of its streetcar system in generating economic developer, recently said We need to rebalance the transportation network and make it as efficient and effective as possible. (Midwood resident Arthur Melnick has been pushing this idea for many years, particularly for the waterfront areas of Red Hook and Brooklyn Heights, and the Brooklyn Historic Railway Association has even built a few tracks over near Ikea.) And while there are nostalgic and touristic reasons to consider the idea, blog The Transit Politic sums up the practical side of the issue:
Brooklyn is ideal for streetcars, and the city should be considering their widespread installation in areas where improved transit service is needed, because they’re effective in creating denser, more livable neighborhoods. The eastern half of Berlin is perhaps a good example for how Brooklyn could integrate streetcars into its existing transportation network. There, the 192 km collection of Straßenbahn lines run in areas that are not adequately served by the U-Bahn and S-Bahn rail services. The system runs mostly in areas that are less dense than Brooklyn overall, but it still attracts high ridership. (Berlin’s most central borough, Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, has a density of 13,000 people/km2, equivalent to that of Brooklyn; the rest of Berlin, however, has about half that density.) Why not, then, envision a similarly ambitious program for transit expansion in Brooklyn?
Indeed, though streetcars have far lower capacity than subways, they’re far cheaper to build and they carry significantly more people than bus lines when they’re built close to light rail standards, with some of their own running way, high-quality stations, and extended vehicles. Because they’re electrically operated, they’re also pollution-free (directly, not necessarily indirectly). For a city that’s incapable of building a tiny two-mile extension of its subway system on time and on budget, a streetcar network might be the solution.
The blog highlights much of southeastern Brooklyn, Red Hook and parts of Bed Stuy as areas whose residents desperately need better access to existing public transit. Crazy, or so crazy it just might work?
Streetcars for Brooklyn: A New Life? [The Transport Politic]
Sam kinda hit on the head there in his 2nd & 3rd paragraphs from 12:38pm
I love the idea of using East Berlin as a model for Brooklyn. The steps to follow are the following:
1: be bombed to rubble by Soviet artillery and American air carpet bombing
2: be ocupied for about fifty years by a repressive totalitarian government.
3: be subsidized by West Germany when the totalitarian regime falls.
tybur6 who said anything about “Keeping on” I said that a streetcar is no better (and more expensive) than a bus with a dedicated ROW.
We do not have buses with a dedicated ROW – and I support that – I do not support spending extra billions on an unnecessary alternative that offers few if any advantages.
And yes I dispute that your points are supported by empirical studies (not sure how “science” plays into it), and I challenge you to cite a specific one. My points are not based on some non-existent science but rather common sense that anyone can see( i.e. streetcars are basically electric buses that run on a track). Give a bus a track (dedicated ROW) w/o the expense of the actual tracks, switches and power delivery and you get all the advantage and little of the expense.
Kris, clearly you do not know me or WTF you are talking about.
Food for thought:
– http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_Line_(MBTA)
Many countries have been adding lightrail/trams/streetcars. The initial cost is high. NONE make money-they aren’t designed too(BTW I know of no mass transit systems makes money either NY City’s transit system is publicly run because all the private companies that owned them initially went bankrupt)
They do move lots of people relatively cheaply. The City is just beginning to try something called Bus Rapid transit where the buses have dedicated lanes and schedules…
Historical accounts always reference the huge number of people struck and killed by streetcars. It makes sense, they can’t stop quickly, and they are on grade. They are much, much more dangerous to pedestians than either cars or buses.
I think that a system of light rail could make sense at various key nodal points to link up with the subways. The problem is that there are so many conflicting interests in the city from the bikers to the drivers to the tree-huggers etc etc that these sorts of projects have become very difficult. It is a miracle that the light rail system to Kennedy airport was ever finished.
Right now when the MTA’s finances are down the toilet and many officials are privately saying that the whole system is not financially sustainable, I don’t think we are going to see many mutli-billion dollar projects being proposed. At this point, Washington wants you to do your patriotic duty and BUY A NEW CAR!
frsg, clearly you’ve never ridden on a lightrail.
fsrq… EVERYTHING i stated above is based on science and empirical studies.
You’re “counter-arguments” are not supported, so why should I pull together the research? You can do this just as easily as me. I’m not saying that buses don’t have positives — but there are DEFINITELY areas of this city where the introduction of streetcars would be VASTLY better than buses.
Sticking with a *Bus-Only* approach requires JUST AS MUCH justification as an approach that involves adding streetcars or other forms of transportation that the city does not currently use. Just keeping on is NOT an option, the current transportation system is broken.
buses are dirty, overcrowded, uncomfortable and irregular. they get stuck behind cars because a bus lane is a fallacy in NYC. they are not really dedicated lanes. Buses take a beating every day in traffic. And I think we’re confusing new light rail/streetcars systems with the old streetcar system. there are worlds apart.