An 18-month downtown Boise mobility study is underway that will include
the possible restoration of streetcars, a mode that the city had discarded
by 1930. Some city officials believe trolleys could be the answer to
providing circulator service in the central area to help alleviate traffic
congestion while also serving as an attraction of their own. “It creates
some excitement because it's a historic way to get around,” Boise Mayor Dave
Bieter told KTVB News. “We also know it's very practical.” Capital City
Development Corp. Director Phil Kushlan pointed to both modern and heritage
streetcar operations in Dallas, Little Rock and Kenosha as successful
examples. “You'll find people will certainly gravitate to a trolley,”
Kushlan told KTVB News. “I can't explain that. I don't know anybody who
can, but it's certainly a psychological kind of thing that, certainly people
are drawn more to that type of transportation than the traditional bus.”
Citing Portland as an example, Kushlan and the mayor believe streetcars
could stimulate development and growth downtown. Kushlan estimates an
initial four-mile trolley line would cost about $160 million, and he hopes
the federal government will cover 80 percent of the cost, although the Bush
administration is attempting to limit rail transit grants to 50 percent.
