Jensen said there essentially are two options. One is to recreate the appearance of Sioux City's historic street cars. The second is a modern design, like a subway. There are a lot of unanswered questions. There had been virtually no public discussion of the project, and the subject was not part of the official agenda for this year's annual lobbying trip to Washington.
City officials insist there never was an attempt to keep the subject a secret.
Jensen first explored the possibility of a light rail system last year. Up until a few weeks ago, city leaders thought their best chance was to get a few thousand dollars for a study. Sioux City would become the first city in Iowa with a light rail system. The project also would serve as an experiment as to whether that form of mass transit would work for other rural areas of the country.