Leaders from America’s Great Streetcar Cities Support The Brooklyn-Queens Connector

February 16, 2016

New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, said, “New Orleans has the oldest, continuously operating streetcars in the world. Not only are streetcars an enduring icon for our city, but they are also an essential part of our transportation network that serves thousands of residents and millions of visitors every year. In the last five years, New Orleans has invested more than $90 million to expand our extensive streetcar network, which is spurring billions in economic development throughout our city.”

Portland, Oregon Mayor Charlie Hales, said, “When I was a City Commissioner, I developed the first modern streetcar line in the country. Since then, $4.5 billion market value of new property developed along the Portland Streetcar corridor; 7,400 residential units have been constructed; 38 percent of streetcar riders don’t have cars; and nearly one-third of Portland jobs are along the streetcar route. It’s sustainable infrastructure that brings tremendous economic benefit. Mayor de Blasio’s Brooklyn-Queens Connector proposal will no doubt bring the same benefits in prosperity, sustainability, and equity to New Yorkers.”

Congressman Earl Blumenauer, said, “Done right, a streetcar is the perfect example of development-oriented transit. The first modern streetcar system in America – in my hometown of Portland, OR – has generated billions of dollars in private investment. The Brooklyn-Queens waterfront corridor is ideally suited for a modern streetcar. This project will ease the increasing burden on existing road and transit systems as population grows, dramatically improve access to economic opportunities for long-underserved communities, and guide sustainable, equitable growth in one of the nation’s strongest markets. I applaud Mayor de Blasio for his bold vision, and I welcome the next phase of this exciting project.”