What New York can learn from Toronto about streetcars

The battle of the BQX has not yet begun, but the New York Times says it’s coming. A good story from last week looked north to Toronto’s streetcar system for guidance:

As New York works to complete a rigorous study of the line by the fall, streetcar riders and transit experts in Toronto have repeated the same two warnings: build dedicated lanes to keep the streetcars from getting trapped in traffic and be prepared for outrage over the loss of street space and parking.

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The Brooklyn Queens Connector (BQX), the streetcar championed by Mayor Bill de Blasio that would run along the river neighborhoods from Astoria to Sunset Park, aims to alleviate the transit logjam that exists in a system where all travel is geared toward getting in and out of Manhattan. The project is projected to cost $2.5 billion.

As New York works to complete a rigorous study of the line by the fall, streetcar riders and transit experts in Toronto have repeated the same two warnings: build dedicated lanes to keep the streetcars from getting trapped in traffic and be prepared for outrage over the loss of street space and parking.

A study released last week by the pro-BQX advocacy group Friends of the BQX showed support for the project from 74 percent of residents in the council districts within the BQX’s proposed line, while 16 percent opposed the project.