The Christian Science Monitor wrote Desire grows for Streetcar
By Cristian Lupsa
February 5, 2007
Columbus, Ohio, might not be your image of booming America, but Mayor Michael Coleman says an explosion of jobs and immigration have made it the second-fastest-growing city in the Midwest from 2000 to 2005 (after Indianapolis). Now in his second term, Mayor Coleman is determined to shape Ohio’s largest urban area – once No. 3 behind Cleveland and Cincinnati – into a 21st-century city.
His plan includes a streetcar system that would connect Columbus’s spread-out downtown attractions, and bring an estimated 6 to 1 return on the initial investment, according to a city-commissioned study. While not a solution to traffic congestion or pollution, streetcars have proved to be an attractive amenity to revitalized downtowns, encouraging street life and community, boosting development, and promoting energy-efficient transportation.
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