Are you sure streetcars spur development?

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Are you sure streetcars spur development?
Topic Started: Aug 27 2009, 11:34 AM (154 Views)
Tritransit Area	Aug 27 2009, 11:34 AM Post #1
Transit Enthusiast Posts: 2,242 Group: Admin Member #4 Joined: February 17, 2005	So many cities are running to built new streetcar lines in an effort to revitalize the area. If streetcar lines are supposed to do that, what happened with SEPTA's lines, that never went away? All 6 city streetcar lines run through areas in economic despair. Shouldn't swanky areas be surrounding these lines? There's been little revitalization outside of University City...



idpated	Aug 31 2009, 03:25 PM Post #2
Transit Fan Posts: 96 Group: Members Member #92 Joined: July 8, 2006	Not to get sociological or political, but I believe that Philly is still reeling from the mass exodus of people from the 1970's like many other cities cities have. But in Phila's case they cannot get their head out of their behind enough to make it a place that middle class families would like to return to. A trolley is nice but won't bring people back to a town on its own. I watched a documentary about Darby that made a parallel with Media, Delaware County and Darby. He felt that Darby had a chance to be a nice as Media since they both had a quaint trolley running down the street. I like the idea (my family lived in Darby for over a century before leaving) but I think he is omitting several other factors.



Tritransit Area	Aug 31 2009, 09:13 PM Post #3
Transit Enthusiast Posts: 2,242 Group: Admin Member #4 Joined: February 17, 2005	To be honest, I think Darby may have a chance at becoming "nice like Media". All they need to do is really sit down, put their heads together, and think of something. They already have good public transportation service, which is a great start. I've seen dramatic city revitalization happen before, particularly Silver Spring, MD. The downtown Silver Spring of today is DEFINITELY not the Silver Spring I knew as a young boy. I think one of Philadelphia's major problems, which keeps people from living and/or working in the city, is the wage tax. Until recently, I was thinking about moving into the city. However, after finding out how much the wage tax was, and how I pay much less by working and living in the suburbs, I decided to strongly reconsider my decision. 4.5%, where in the burbs you only pay 1%, is a bit much to ask for, especially considering the condition of much of the city.



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