Some believe Worcester is facing a crisis in public transportation, but Sean M. Rose, councilor for District 1, has an idea—he would like to bring streetcars back to downtown Worcester, according to an article on Telegram.com.
Rose recently asked the city administrators to see if it would be feasible to Partner with the Worcester Regional Transit Authority (WRTA) to establish what he calls a “vintage trolley or streetcar system” for the city's downtown.
Rose's proposed trolley/streetcar system would run in all directions from city hall for one mile, connecting neighborhoods and colleges to the downtown core. The service would run frequently, which was typical of trolleys, along streets that connect important destinations.
Rose added he believes such a transit system would be popular with college students. There are more than 20,000 young people studying in Worcester, and they would like less expensive, and more reliable, ways to get downtown from their campus. Rose does not favor of bringing back overhead lines or tracks, but instead suggests converting buses into vintage-style streetcars that would run as “trolleys.”
Rose said Worcester's lack of a good transportation system can impact the growth of the city. He has visited other cities, and noticed that most successful municipalities had something in common—they had mass transit that was reliable, and in some cases, trolleys were part of the system.
Proposals like this are of wide interest, so officials might consider working with a flyer printing company to create a mailer for residents.
