CAT tax proposal (Savannah, Dallas, Montgomery: 2013, live in, bus)

[Airforceguy]

What do ya'll think of CAT's proposed TAD in downtown Savannah to fund streetcar expansion.
City tax proposal: Back the bus up | savannahnow.com#

[Newsboy]

Originally Posted by Airforceguy

What do ya'll think of CAT's proposed TAD in downtown Savannah to fund streetcar expansion.
City tax proposal: Back the bus up | savannahnow.com#

I like the concept -- a lot -- but I agree with the editorial and the city manager: It's too much, too soon, too early. This thing has the potential to be a game-changer for Savannah, and it needs to be done right.

That said, I'm a huge proponent of TADs and when the time comes, I think that will be the best fund-raising mechanism to pursue if CAT wants to expand the streetcar lines to the westside.

[WanderingImport]

I'm definitely for new TADs, but I'm mixed on whether it's too much, too soon. With the area's bad reputation on how slow things get done, this may be a good thing. However, as the article stated, the Canal area project is very much in it's infancy.

Perhaps any extra funds left over after steet cars are purchased can be dedicated to a general transportation fund for that area?

[TheDarkKnight]

WHere would the streetcars fit?

Bay street is already clogged, so is Broughton and everything else.

[Newsboy]

Originally Posted by TheDarkKnight

WHere would the streetcars fit?

Bay street is already clogged, so is Broughton and everything else.

Do a search of Savannah Streetcar project! The main lines from downtown would run up MLK / Montgomery and West Broad / Waters.

[ellie]

I'm not keen on street cars, either. Seems like another way to clog up traffic, worse than it is now.

[CoastalGAGuy]

Cities much larger and more congested than Savannah successfully run streetcars... Boston, Dallas, San Francisco, Jerusalem... The lines run in the same space the cars run in. You don't need to widen streets.

[Airforceguy]

CAT to present streetcar plan Monday | savannahnow.com#

[drive carephilly]

Pretty good gif here - people don't realize that what can be a really frustrating traffic jam is usually just a hundred or so cars and even removing 30-40 of them can clear things up quickly.

Besides, if you're replacing a bus with a trolley you're not adding any traffic.

http://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/7....mage/image.gif

[TheDarkKnight]

No question the problem is, our streets are too narrow for it IMO, and from what I've seen of the street plan, there's no logical grid for it to run on. There are plenty of people who would use it but don't live in the route it takes.