Comments on: Wisconsin Has A better Transportation Idea

By: Kenoshan.

Kenoshan. — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:58:52 +0000

Hey, greetings from K-Town! Heard you mentioned us. Our streetcars went in ten years ago and we love ’em. Since 2000, tourism in Kenosha went up from $92 million a year to $235 million and there has been a quarter-billion in development along the route. Ask San Francisco why they keep their 9mph cable cars. Don’t let the good times pass you by. Cheers …

By: OGolly

OGolly — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 05:50:06 +0000

Thanks, GUARDIAN, for bird-dogging this and so many other issues. Speaking for our entire household, we believe the trolley idea to be the height of foolishness. It seems so obviously foolish that it seems apparent this is all about corruption, i.e. contracts to politically connected friends, real estate speculation and etc, all accomplished with opm (Other People’s Money). Bieter, et al seem determined to have Boise resemble Chicago politics more and more …

By: sam the sham

sam the sham — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 03:10:47 +0000

riding a bus is just soooo uncool, while riding a train is so hip – yeah, you can either pretend to be 5 years old and living your dream of riding on your toy train or pretend that you are living in some big city and are the mayor of that big city instead of Boise, the little town you were raised in. Yeah, and riding a bus is just like having to take the bus to school instead of having your parents buy you a really cool car that will make the cool kids think that you are more cool than they are. That really is what is behind all of this trolly folly, right Team Dave? Y’all just want to be cool when you feel that you are just geeks who can’t get out of this small town and make it.
Thanks guardian et al for all of your work. It really is amazing at how many people do NOT want this silly trolly!

By: Voted For Bieter

Voted For Bieter — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 18:26:46 +0000

Hubby is having trouble sleeping these days because he finds himself agreeing more and more with (gasp) Dave Frazier!

You are probably too young to remember that Boise used to have trolleys. I don’t remember the whole route, but I know part of it ran down Warm Springs Avenue. Can you see that happening today? I don’t like to have my name in the paper so I haven’t written a “letter to the editor,” but I did call the mayor’s office and expressed my opinion that we have “been there and done that” before.

I explained that I am all for expanding public transportation (my mother and I used to go the movies in the evening and took the last bus home at 9:15 p.m.), but trolleys on fixed tracks are ridiculous. The “aide” I spoke to assured me he would give my message to his honor.

Back in the days when our family first moved to Boise, Collister Road was considered to be the westernmost city street, Franklin Road was farm country, and Warm Springs ended at the Natatorium. Expand the bus system to it can be adjusted to fit the city’s ever-changing population.

By: Daniel L Dunham

Daniel L Dunham — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 08:23:57 +0000

Let’s summerize where things stand. Litster-against the trolly. Baumbach-against the trolly. Dunham- agaisnt the trolly. TJ-Doesn’t know. Jordan-for the trolly. Bisterfeldt for the trolly, having voted already to fund it. If any of this is wrong, please clarify. I think Mr. Bisterfeldt is the only one that actually has a recorded vote for the trolly. I am opposed for two big reasons. Funding expense and the constitutionality of committing to long term debt without a vote of the taxpayers. I also see that Baumbach and Litster object on similar grounds. It also seems that the issue is confused in the supporters mind as to whether it is transportation or economic development. How many commuters will ride the two mile track? How many businesses have committed to expand in downtown Boise, IF ONLY THERE WAS A TROLLY? The final rub to the whole thing is “What will need to change to increase ridership on the busses?” Many people support mass transit so the ‘others’ will ride leaving more room for them to drive their cars.

By: ADR

ADR — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 19:50:32 +0000

For those of you who do not think the Boise streetcar is being pushed as a transportation solution, it is being presented as such on their own website at http://boisestreetcar.org.

As for the claims of bringing development, it’s laughable. The downtown area is already developed and/or will be developed without it, as are the Broadway/Capital future streetcar route expansions. No developers in those areas are sitting around waiting for a streetcar to be built.

I talked to one downtown developer whose company has put about $50 million in projects into the Boise area. He does NOT want the streetcar under any circumstances. He told me that the idea that it would bring development was ludicrous. What does he want? A better BUS system. What a surprise.

The same propaganga was used to sell the system in Portland. Unfortunately that’s not what really happened there. Please reference:

http://www.newswithviews.com/O'Toole/randal5.htm

http://www.ti.org/FS3.html

By: Angryman

Angryman — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 19:41:32 +0000

Instead of name calling, silly sayings and extreme overexaggeration on what the proposed trolley can or cannot do, maybe those opposed would find it helpful to put out specifics about why they do not believe the trolley will be a good fit for Boise. I find myself leaning toward the trolley every day after seeing the majority of opposed comments looking like they came straight out of my daughters elementary school.

So you want to sway opinion and educate the masses? Do it! Give me some real information comparing why you think this is a bad idea. I’m not looking forward to one more silly rhyme with trolley or the often quoted trolley to nowhere.

EDITOR NOTE–If you are referring to the GUARDIAN and not the commenters, try this post: https://boiseguardian.com/2009/09/30/bieter-trolley-folly-is-bashed-in-daily-comments/

As for rhymes, we will probably refrain from future use of “Trolley Folly” (which we coined months ago) since Litster has picked it up as his. We are NOT connected to any candidate. Also, the GUARDIAN has been an advocate of voter approval of high ticket expenditures forever and we have a very successful record in that regard.

By: AllSeeing

AllSeeing — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:01:14 +0000

I think I should clear up my last, a bus is allowed on streets so a revised bus schedule is easy, so I agree with Dave, but tracks in the roadway needs approval from ACHD, how sure is anyone that they would give approvals for a trolley?

By: AllSeeing

AllSeeing — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 15:44:37 +0000

I think a big question after reading some of these comments would be, does ACHD had any input into this? The streets and sidewalks belong to them so would they even allow such a project after the City and several fights with them already.

By: ADR

ADR — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 12:24:34 +0000

On their website at http://boisestreetcar.org, it is most definitely promoted as a transportation project.

The idea that it will bring development into areas that are already developed and/or have plans to be developed is a laugh.

The Little Rock streetcar was not added to their development district until 2004 – the district was started in 1996.

The Portland system development claims have been debunked. See:

http://www.newswithviews.com/O'Toole/randal5.htm

http://www.ti.org/FS3.html