No trolley jolly here

I might as well add my voice to the chorus of "streetcar skeptics" in the transportation world.  As the opening of Portland's eastside streetcar gets closer, the real costs and complications are getting a decent amount of press.  Particularly, Willamette Week highlighted the cutbacks in frequency compared to what was initially planned.  For the most part I think the article did a good job explaining the major issues for those who don't necessarily have transit hard-ons like myself.  However, check out this quote from Peter Finley Fry, a planner (not sure where or in what capacity) on the citizen advisory committee:


“I think frequency is an overrated thing,” Fry says. “Let’s say there’s a 20-minute [wait]. You can look on your phone, wait inside and have a beer.”

Portland Streetcar map (www.portlandstreetcar.org)

I couldn't help but laugh (and beat my head against the table) when I read that.  Now, I don't know who this guy is; he's probably a smart person and I hope this quote was misprinted or taken out of context.  If not though, I really hope his view doesn't represent those held by the rest of the advisory committee.  What an absurd notion to believe that those riding the streetcar have time (and the desire) to relax for 20 minutes before being on their way to wherever they're going, to do whatever they're doing.  This would imply that the streetcar is meant primarily for tourists and other people with ample leisure time--not those who rely on it for their practical transportation needs.

For what it's worth, here's my prediction: once enough cities join this "streetcar revival" movement, the novelty thereof will wear off and we'll be stuck with an impractical mode of transportation that will no longer succeed at spurring development.  It seems short-sighted to invest so heavily in a system that only fulfills its complete purpose as long as it's new and sexy.  So unless current lines are improved and future lines planned to be efficiently practical, I will remain a child who realizes the box can provide just as much entertainment (and sometimes more) as the shiny toy inside it.