When the Fort Worth Streetcar Study Committee started meeting a few months ago, the panel members often acted like they were Amish folks being taught how to use electricity. They had heard of mass transit, but few had ever used it or knew anyone who had.
But after a recent trip to examine the modern streetcar lines in Tacoma, Seattle, and Portland, the education level seems to be ramping up. Eight of the nine council members went west (including Mayor Mike) along with about 40 business leaders and city staffers. According to several on the trip, the mayor said the streetcar project was “doable,” and several council members assured committee members that the funding can be found.
Before the end of the year, the committee will decide where to put the starter line. One option is the West 7th Street corridor between downtown and the Cultural District. The other is a line to run from downtown through the Hospital District via South Main Street and Magnolia Avenue. And there is some discussion that both lines could be done simultaneously.
If so, that would be quite a turnaround for the Fort – though still leaving the city woefully behind the times, transit-wise. After all, even the Amish have flashing lights on their buggies now. They found a way to make it “doable.”
