The recent announcement that Providence and the R.I. Public Transit Authority have backed away from plans to build a streetcar and instead create an "enhanced transit corridor" is indeed good news.
While the appeal of the streetcar project was based on the numerous examples of increased development along routes in cities across the country, it always came with a high price tag.
By using the $13 million federal TIGER grant, and by having the state kick in another $4 million of its own, RIPTA can implement a smart realignment and expansion of service for a much more affordable price tag.
The plan takes six existing bus routes and drives them into the corridor connecting the Providence train station and the hospital district, with the result that during peak hours, buses will have admirable frequency.
But just as importantly, these retooled routes serve disparate neighborhoods, making these important destinations more easily reached by a broader swath of the population, improving access to jobs, critical services and broader transportation options. Well done. •
Most people do not like to ride crowded busses. It would be better for Providence to build a 1.4 mile PRT mass transit line similar the PRT mass transit system that has been operating at Heathrow Airport in London, UK for the past five years. The four passenger cars in this elevated system carry passengers nonstop to their destinations. Construction costs are estimated to be between 10 and 12 million dollars per mile and passenger fares are estimated to cover 98% of the operating costs.