Opinion

Streetcars will be pleasant surprise

I still remember when, as a young child, my father first pointed out the dangers inherent with the misuse of statistical information. He told me that “an astute man could prove anything he wanted” with facts and figures, then proceeded to take the same collection of data and construct two reasonable but diametrically opposed arguments.

All this came to mind when I read Randal O'Toole's essay entitled “Subsidies make streetcars costly,” Other Views, Dec. 3. His column manufactured an artificial reality through the manipulation of facts.

In full disclosure, please let me point out that I'm a railroad professional and a believer in rail-based initiatives. I have worked for companies like Amtrak and Dallas Area Rapid Transit, and am intimately familiar with passenger train operations of all types.

O'Toole emphatically stated that San Antonians are “doomed to disappointment” if we re-establish street railway service. Nothing could be further from the truth.

There's no need to visit Portland, Ore. to see what streetcars (and other forms of rail-based passenger transportation) can do for a region, either. Our friends up in Dallas can offer all the lessons we need.

Certainly, most locations go through various growing pains and confront all the worries that tend to accompany major capital projects. Many locations — including Dallas — saw organized opposition develop when their local transit agencies were first created. However, such antagonism tends to quickly evaporate once wheels begin turning.

That's what happened in Dallas. When people had a chance to take a ride and see for themselves how comfortable and convenient the service could be, they came to understand what their city had been missing.

Supposedly, streetcars (and other forms of rail transit) are more costly than the bus alternative. In fact, such systems do require a large up-front capital investment. Once in operation, though, their cost efficiency becomes quite evident. Most infrastructure is built with a minimum life expectancy of a half-century or longer, which means some of us will find our great, great grandchildren riding the cars before any major overhaul to trackage or support structures is required. Railway equipment tends to last far longer than the best roadway vehicles. Once the tracks are down and the electric cars are running, we will see several ways in which streetcars can be a superior mode.

A vibrant bus system greatly benefits from streetcar lines. In Dallas, as the region began enjoying railroad passenger services of different types, DART redesigned its bus routes to complement the trains. Buses began feeding riders into individual stations, offering local shuttle and circulator services which were previously nonexistent.

Trains of all types are neat and fun and “sexy,” but buses provide the basic foundation for most cities' systems. By incorporating all modes into one seamless network, railroad riders soon discover the additional convenience of bus connections.

The ability for rail lines to encourage sustainable development has also been questioned. A simple before-and-after look at Dallas' McKinney Avenue (say, 1982 versus today) offers a telling portrait. There have been billions of dollars of brownfield development along the car line.

Taxpayers will always underwrite the infrastructure necessary to support our way of life. This includes transportation.

The fact that buses are able to use existing roadways may reduce the taxpayer's initial involvement (presuming we continue to pour concrete with abandon), but it doesn't provide a long-term solution to our city's mobility needs. Railway service of all types, from conventional transit to intercity limiteds, needs to regain its role as an equal player alongside roadway and airway alternatives.

Garl Boyd Latham is vice president of the Texas Association of Railroad Passengers.