Commentary
Why are so many still fascinated with implementing 19th century rail technology in the 21st century’s public transportation strategies? Using a streetcar for transit? Who is kidding who?
Why is Orange County trying to build a streetcar in Santa Ana, California? My recollection from serving on the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) Board, while an Orange County Supervisor (2006-2015), was that the Federal government was providing most of the funding. So, the OCTA Board majority decided to take and use this potential money versus forgoing the opportunity, or should we say, “money pit?”
Forget that (1) construction is a nightmare; (2) a vehicle on a fixed rail will disrupt the flow of normal automotive traffic, especially when the fixed-rail car is stopped due to an accident or out of fuel; (3) streetcars don’t pencil out financially, as fare revenue addresses only a fraction of the costs; (4) nonfixed-rail vehicles such as buses do not inconvenience the flow of traffic; (5) buses will soon be driven without human drivers, thus theoretically reducing the high cost of public employee unionized labor; (6) most drivers still refuse to get out of their cars; (7) public transit systems are failing around the nation; (8) construction costs historically always seem to go over budget; (9) the homeless tend to use trolleys as a place to spend their days; and (10) crime is rising on government-operated transit systems….