A Desire Named Street Car. Is Revival Coming?

Many of you probably have never seen a real live street car. Of course you have all seen them in movies and on television. But aside from street cars, we all have seen middle cities decay and virtually die. And it is reported that much of the decline in downtowns began with the removal of street cars. I’m not positive whether that is exactly accurate or not, since the removal of the street cars may have been due to the decline in downtown business. But regardless of that there are now voices asking municipalities to bring them back. And there is strong evidence that they are capable of strong revitalization to the downtown areas.

There was never a street car in the community of Gnatville snuggled amongst the dwindling foothills of eastern Alabama where I grew up nor in the nearest town of Piedmont. But ninety-five miles east in the growing metropolis of Atlanta, they were as active as ants in a disturbed anthill. My oldest brother moved to Atlanta in 1936 and with the exception of a tour of duty in the army during World War Two he remained there until his death a few years ago. I was privileged to visit him when I was only about eight years old and he gave me my first ride on a street car. And I had occasion to ride them several times before they so abruptly disappeared. I have to acknowledge that those who are eager to see them back in operation, have some good points in their favor. There is some kind of feeling that goes with riding on one of those things. It may be slight excitement in disguise or maybe the magnetic field built around their electric motors just hypnotize you, but I always got a kick out of riding one. And like the old coal burning locomotives pulling a train, I hated to see them go.

But there is more than just the enchanting part of them. They travel rather slowly compared to normal traffic (although they can cruise on a straight away up to about 35 miles per hour…I‘m talking about the oldies, I have no idea what new ones are like.) and one can safely stand up on one if need be and dismounting is simple and safe, even if it is slightly moving. They can dispense 5 or 6 passengers while loading as many in a matter of seconds. In fact, they facilitate loading and unloading similarly to an elevated train or subway. In those days, you could pay a dime and ride 3 blocks or across town, even if you had to transfer. You may rest assured that the dime is no longer in consideration. I recall that, just a few years before they eliminated the street cars, that they went to a modern bus-like vehicle, which still used the overhead electric trolley but not the rails. They had rubber tires and the appearance of a bus, but with them went much of the enchantment and convenience. You had to step down out of them as you do a bus. The old trolleys were built about a foot off the pavement and had a step down to almost street level inside the door. So, you stepped out, rather than down.

But it is not my fantasy that says there is evidence that they can help revitalize dying down town areas. Here is a paragraph from an article from FreeCongress.com which will give you the straight facts:

The cost of rebuilding of the street car systems sounds rather stiff, but look at the humongous returns! The downtown area of Piedmont, my current home town has been dying or dead now for several years, defying every effort put into it. First there were new sidewalks with awnings, widened streets with parking lots built in the back rather than on street parking. Things got worse. Now within the past couple of years, the awnings have been removed, the sidewalks narrowed and streets widened, repaved with inlaid brick crosswalks for pedestrians use and on street parking has been resumed. The administration will not consider street cars though, because from downtown in any direction, the business district is only one block long. They tell me street cars are not needed. I concede.

The article which contained the paragraph (second above) also gives reasons why these streetcars are bringing re-vitalization to those that have brought them back. First they say that middleclass people with a significant disposable income like to ride streetcars but do not like to ride buses. That makes sense. Following is another part paragraph from the same article: