Recent Streetsblog USA posts about Streetcars

Kansas City’s Squabble-Proof Streetcar Plan

By Angie Schmitt | Oct 11, 2012 | 9 Comments

If everything goes according to plan this election, Kansas City will be on track to build its first streetcar in under five years, from conceptual planning to first boarding. Maybe more impressive still, this relatively sprawling Midwestern town is this close to getting its first rail transportation without even a mild political dustup. When you’re […]

Ohio Rep’s Rider Would Block Cincinnati Streetcar From Receiving Funds

By Angie Schmitt | Jul 2, 2012 | 8 Comments

Remember the good old days when congressmen used to try to insert riders into spending packages to win money for a project in their home districts? My, how things have changed. Last week, Ohio Representative Steve Chabot welcomed in a contentious new era in transportation policy when he attached a rider to the 2013 Appropriations […]

Milwaukee Streetcar’s Trump Card Over Walker: A 1990s Civil Rights Case

By Angie Schmitt | Jun 15, 2012 | 1 Comment

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker is no friend to rail transportation. He won the governorship based on the rallying cry of “No Train,” a concise summary of his position on the planned upgrade to the Milwaukee-to-Madison line. And we all know how that one ended. When Wisconsin voters went out last week and affirmed his leadership, […]

Tucson Breaks Ground on Streetcar, Investment Already Following

By Angie Schmitt | Apr 13, 2012 | 6 Comments

Streetcars are back, and Tucson, Arizona is leading the way. This southwestern city broke ground this week on the Sun Link Streetcar, the first new streetcar system built with federal funding in more than 60 years. The $200 million, 3.9-mile project will connect downtown Tucson with the University of Arizona and the university’s medical center. […]

Despite December Agreement, DC Streetcar Won’t “Buy America” After All

By Ben Goldman | Jan 12, 2012 | 2 Comments

Back in December, Clackamas, Oregon-based United Streetcar won an $8.7 million contract to build two vehicles for Washington, DC’s streetcar system, currently under construction. The timing could not have been better for House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Ranking Member Nick Rahall, who had just introduced legislation to tighten “Buy America” requirements on future transportation investments. […]

Streetsies 2011: The Local Edition

By Tanya Snyder | Dec 29, 2011 | 1 Comment

Yesterday, we started our year-end 2011 round-up. We lamented transit cuts in places where transit is more important than ever, cheered the successful ballot initiatives that will fund transportation lifelines, took a moment to explore the nuances of some difficult issues, and called out Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin for some hare-brained ideas about the […]

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