Streetcar Opponents LOSE in City Elections

The Portland Streetcar in front of Portland State University

John Miller from the Associated Press reports it the other way around - streetcar advocates WIN. No matter how you slice it, proposed streetcars in 80 cities across America brought voters to the polls. The AP reports:

A U.S. streetcar revival fared well in Tuesday’s elections, with pro-trolley candidates for mayor in Cincinnati and Charlotte, N.C., winning. A critic of Boise’s proposal lost.

Streetcars are being considered by as many as 80 U.S. cities, as federal grants are available, and President Barack Obama’s administration has given urban rail favorable reviews.

In Charlotte, streetcar advocate Anthony Foxx beat John Lassiter.

Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory won against Brad Wenstrup, a streetcar critic.

And in Boise, voters in a city council race chose TJ Thomson over David Litster, who is trying to kill a plan in Idaho’s capital to build a 2.3-mile trolley loop.

It will be interesting to see how this issue shakes out in the future. I was unimpressed with TJ Thomson’s waffling on this issue during the campaign; he refused to take a position. My prediction is that we will see more of the same from him as he settles into office after the first of the year. I also predict that we have heard the last of Dave Litster. What we have not heard the last of is the streetcar.