Top 10 myths about streetcars.

1. Top 10 myths about streetcars. #10 • Myth: Streetcars will cost $100s of millions of dollars. • Fact: No city has spent more than $85 million on streetcar systems.

2. Top 10 myths about streetcars. #9 • Myth: Overhead wires will be an eyesore. • Fact: Streetcars use a single overhead wire ½ inch in diameter.

3. Top 10 myths about streetcars. #8 • Myth: Bikes and streetcars don't mix. • Fact: Portland and Philadelphia are bicycle-friendly cities; we can learn from them how to integrate streetcars and bikes.

4. Top 10 myths about streetcars. #7 • Myth: Streetcars will harm bus service. • Fact: Buses replaced by streetcars can be used to provide new and expanded services. Streetcars can increase overall transit ridership.

5. Top 10 myths about streetcars. #6 • Myth: People who don’t ride buses won’t ride streetcars. • Fact: In San Francisco, 7,000 people/day rode the electric bus; 21,000 people/day rode a streetcar on the same route.

6. Top 10 myths about streetcars. #5 • Myth: Streetcars are more expensive to operate than buses. • Fact: There are trade-offs; buses last only 8 years, streetcars last 40 years.

7. Top 10 myths about streetcars. #4 • Myth: Madison (222,000) is too small for streetcars. • Fact: Little Rock (185,000), Tacoma (196,000) have highly successful streetcar lines.

8. Top 10 myths about streetcars. #3 • Myth: Streetcars are too slow to attract riders. • Fact: Streetcars are designed to provide convenient, accessible, comfortable, transportation.

9. Top 10 myths about streetcars. #2 • Myth: Streetcars won’t reduce car trips. • Fact: They will reduce short, wasteful car trips within the area they serve, by providing a predictable, comfortable alternative.

10. Top 10 myths about streetcars #1 • Myth: Fixed tracks make streetcars less flexible, and therefore a waste of money. • Fact: Building a permanent infrastructure for streetcars encourages retail and residential development. Buses do not.

11. Top 10 myths about streetcars