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Why A.R.T says Welcome Back! To Streetcars

Polls and studies all point to the same conclusion: many people never ride buses, but a lot of them will ride trains and streetcars. While buses and bus rapid transit may be enhanced, the Alliance for Reliable Transport finds that light rail and streetcars offer a premium transit experience that is essential in building a worldclass city.

	STREETCARS/ TROLLY (Light Rail) vs.	BUSES

Efficiency	Dedicated path, quick trips at all hours. "Smart" timing of traffic signals. Loops to South Beach & downtown also serve as continuous local circulators.	No dedicated lane, often mired in traffic. Stops at numerous red lights. Individual lines with many passenger stops slowing each route.

Reliability	Predictable, regular timing. Frequent scheduling with fewer cars. Feeds into buses/trains at set times.	Frequently late, arriving in bunches. Long waits common (often very long). Connections often miss, compounding waits.

Comfort	Higher seating capacity. At-grade entry is easier for seniors. Smooth stops/starts.	Often overcrowded, standing room only. High steps onto bus are problems for some. Jerky stops/starts moving to or from seats.

Impact	Re-creates historic trolley paths and adds street improvements by relocating some parking, realigning current traffic flow. Long-range: Provides travel alternative, easy access to other parking areas.	Maintains current parking and traffic flow, including 500 daily buses in travel lanes. Long-range: Parking demand, traffic, and bus trips grow on and on as new development continues (condos, retail, Watson Island).

Economics	Federal/County funds pay construction costs, but County pays lower annual operating costs for rail and City-funded Electrowave is free to serve other needs. Studies consistently show rail increases residential & commercial property values, and does not decrease values.	County pays higher annual operating costs for buses than light rail, while the City continues annual funding of Electrowave or other So. Beach circulator system. Property values and quality of life may be impacted as gridlock and parking worsen from pending or permitted developments.

Connections	Under 20 min. to Government Center, new Performing Arts Ctr., new Bicentennial Park museums, Arena, new Watson Is. attractions, all So. Beach destinations. Coming soon: One-change rail lines to airport bag-check or Dadeland Mall. Next priority: continue line to N. Beach, plus future lines to pedestrian-friendly destinations in Coconut Grove, Coral Gables, Biscayne Blvd., points west.	28 min. PLUS traffic delays PLUS waiting delays up to 40 minutes past schedule, each way: Will you really use the bus to downtown events, destinations, or business/government? Coming soon: Continually increasing travel times for both auto and transit users. Next priority: more buses, more Electrowave/circulator service, more parking garages, plus future issue regarding affected countywide transit users under Nov. '02 "YES" vote.

Views	"The new Portland streetcar… takes in not only the attractions of the Cultural District, but also all the restaurants and great shopping in the Pearl District and…avenues, which makes this streetcar a great way for visitors to get from the downtown and the neighborhoods…." Frommer's Seattle & Portland 2002.	"…Instead of getting to know the city, you'll find that relying on bus transportation will acquaint you only with how it feels to wait at bus stops. In short, a bus ride in Miami is grueling." Frommer's South Florida, 3rd Edition

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