> IMO streetcars in general are a pretty bad investment, as they are generally just a way of making a bus, but more expensive and stuck on rails.
The value of a streetcar or a bus depends on the volume of passengers that are served. The more people, the more a streetcar (maybe) makes sense.
At some point you have so many buses and so many drives (salaries, benefits, 401k/pensions) that the main cost on the line becomes people and not equipment. (More buses also need more mechanics, etc.)
There is a range of average daily ridership where buses, bus rapid transit (single/double lanes), light rail, and heavy rail each make sense.
The value of a streetcar or a bus depends on the volume of passengers that are served. The more people, the more a streetcar (maybe) makes sense.
At some point you have so many buses and so many drives (salaries, benefits, 401k/pensions) that the main cost on the line becomes people and not equipment. (More buses also need more mechanics, etc.)
There is a range of average daily ridership where buses, bus rapid transit (single/double lanes), light rail, and heavy rail each make sense.
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passengers_per_hour_per_direct...
One should also keep in mind that good transit is about networks: a random route here or there is not useful. Vox made a video outlining this:
* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZDZtBRTyeI
* https://www.vox.com/videos/21529609/usa-public-transit-train...