downtown trolley (Houston, Dallas, San Antonio: 2015, hotels, construction)

[Azure110]

Originally Posted by Me007gold

Yep in order for this to make any sense, it would need to come from outlying areas and go down town, as well as to the ATT Center/Alamo dome

The original light rail project did I think and it was still voted down.

[rynetwo]

VIA should have implemented BRT with success then pushed for this. A light rail line down Fredericksburg Rd to Dt would work very well.

[TrapperL]

I assume most of you know this streetcar BS is only downtown routes for the tourist trade. We've had trolley service down there for decades now, just not rail. Remember these-


I've never seen one even half loaded. But we are being hammered for 262 million, that's $262,000,000.00 for the pleasure of having the streets tore up, more electrical usage meaning next will be CPS saying we need more electrical plants....and for how many billions in profits to the city? Yeah, it'll never pay for it self so we'll start seeing another "fee" added to your CPS bill to pay for it. All so that the big moron downtown can look good for his presidential run. Welcome to the Democratic party.

[LiveUrban]

The streetcar will be an investment. It will spur millions of dollars of residential and commercial development along the lines and revitalize the downtown area increasing the tax base. Downtown and surrounding areas (River North, Southtown, etc.) are becoming more and more for the locals and this will help continue that momentum.

In addition, money spent on building the line will eventually make it's way back into the city's coffers.

We spend a gargantuan amount on building and maintaining roadways. I don't see any of y'all complaining that roads aren't paying for themselves.

[01Snake]

Originally Posted by TrapperL

I've never seen one even half loaded. But we are being hammered for 262 million, that's $262,000,000.00 for the pleasure of having the streets tore up, more electrical usage meaning next will be CPS saying we need more electrical plants....and for how many billions in profits to the city? Yeah, it'll never pay for it self so we'll start seeing another "fee" added to your CPS bill to pay for it. All so that the big moron downtown can look good for his presidential run. Welcome to the Democratic party.

but..but...it works so well in places like Chicago and NY.

You've pretty much summed it up perfectly.

[geargrinder70]

Originally Posted by LiveUrban

The streetcar will be an investment. It will spur millions of dollars of residential and commercial development along the lines and revitalize the downtown area increasing the tax base. Downtown and surrounding areas (River North, Southtown, etc.) are becoming more and more for the locals and this will help continue that momentum.

In addition, money spent on building the line will eventually make it's way back into the city's coffers.

We spend a gargantuan amount on building and maintaining roadways. I don't see any of y'all complaining that roads aren't paying for themselves.

Building and maintaining roads are a necessity in our world. Light rail or trolleys in downtown are not necessary. Big difference.

[Shock]

I like the idea of it and see it as part of the plan to revitalizing the downtown area as well; I know it's the way of SA folks to be against such a large scale project though. No one likes change here. I can't think of a project using tax payers money that no one has complained about.

[smuboy86]

Sometimes a city has to be pulled kicking and screaming into the present. Via has alreaded funded 200 million for this project. It's embarrassing that we don't have any sort of rail, especially since every other major city does. We should have started light rail 13 years ago, we would have seen TOD explode just like they did in Dallas.
Does anyone here actually know how VIA is funded? Sales tax, a 3/4 cent sales tax, plus fares that's it's. Don't want to fund the street car? Don't buy things in the cities that are VIA member cities. Want to still shop in those cities, ask them to pull out of VIA service. Like it or not it's a done deal. Posting pictures of wheeled faux trollies is disingenuous at best and a lie at worst. This is what modern street car looks like

[01Snake]

Originally Posted by Shock

I like the idea of it and see it as part of the plan to revitalizing the downtown area as well; I know it's the way of SA folks to be against such a large scale project though. No one likes change here. I can't think of a project using tax payers money that no one has complained about.

Large scale Project? It's an oversized Brackenridge choo-choo train that's going to be used by virtually nobody and will cost at least $300M to build and then another $8M a year to "maintain".

People aren't against change. What they are against is taking $300M+ and essentially flushing it down the toilet.

[Spursrock]

Lol what part of small you people don't understand? It's not gonna revitalize anything! It's only gonna travel in a SMALL circle like our trolleys already do! And the only people that will profit is gonna be via and the mayor as I'm sure he's getting kickbacks somewhere down the line.