> IMO streetcars in general are a pretty bad investment, as they are generally just a way of making a bus, but more expensive and stuck on rails. The value of a streetcar or a bus depends on the volume of passengers that are served. The more people, the more a streetcar (maybe) makes sense. At some point you have so many buses and so many drives (salaries, benefits, 401k/pensions) that the main cost on the line becomes people and not equipment. (More buses also need more mechanics, etc.) There is a range of average daily ridership where buses, bus rapid transit (single/double lanes), light rail, and heavy rail each make sense. * [link] One should also keep in mind that good transit is about networks : a random route here or there is not useful. Vox made a video outlining this: * ▶ this video * [link]
in “So You Want to Do an Infrastructure Package [pdf]” · View on HN