Finley Fry is a planning consultant who received a Ph.D. in urban planning from Portland State University and has 15 years experience working on local transit issues. A good transit system includes streetcars, cabs, buses and trains interconnected to provide convenience and access. Streetcars are quiet, quick and do not stink. Pedestrians, bicyclists and cars get used to the streetcar.
Streetcars are fun and attractive.
These attributes make streetcars uniquely suited for concentrated urban areas. Streetcars are expected to expand throughout the city. This first line is an important model that displays this form of transit to the public, presenting positive street and sidewalk improvements, and showing that construction is simple and without major impact. Transit provides people access and an alternative to the car. Many people cannot or should not drive.