Why not Streetcars?
Did you know that Spokane once hosted one of the most extensive streetcar systems west of the Mississippi? This graphic from MetroSpokane shows us just how extensive it was, extending all the way to 37th in the south and Francis in the north. And this was fifty, sixty, seventy years ago!
Imagine the possibilities of a revitalized streetcar line, even on just a few of these routes. Spokane Transit Authority is working on developing its high-performance transit network plan, but lamentably, the proposal will eschew streetcars in favor of electric trolleybuses in the Central City Line. Electric trolleybuses operate using overhead wires for electricity, but travel via wheels on pavement. On the other hand, streetcars require significant investment in rail placement in order to be effective. And that's in addition to the wires, which are still required.
Complicating the matter further, the modern electric trolleybuses are not manufactured in the United States, which conflicts with federal "Buy American" standards. It could be years before European manufacturers ramp up a stateside production line, and by then we will have lost out on millions to billions of dollars in potential economic growth and investment related to these transit projects. Meanwhile, United Streetcar is manufacturing modern streetcars right here in the Northwest, in the Portland suburb of Clackamas, Oregon, and vehicular and transit use along the proposed Central City Line in Spokane continues to increase.
Perhaps it's time we re-thought waiting. Who needs a modern electric trolleybus, anyway? They're more unsightly (Seattle is thinking about removing theirs), they're less exciting, and they don't attract the same levels of transportation-oriented development investment. Let's go big. Let's be visionary. Let's build a streetcar.