You expect to see those iconic trolley cars on the streets of San Francisco, but now there's a movement to bring them here to Reno.
A portion of Virginia Street is due for a remodel, planned for 2017. And when that project starts, a group of local business owners and politicians are hoping they'll add streetcars to the plan. They say it'll boost tourism, ease traffic and save money in the long run.
"It's also a huge economic engine for development. Anytime that you see streetcars or trolleys that are developed, there's typically anywhere from 16 to 60 times the investment on each side, for three blocks back,” says Blake Smith, Reno Streetcar Coalition Chair.
Blake says trolley cars are a hot item in cities across the country. He says they're cheaper to run since they run on batteries and they often attract more riders than other forms of transportation.
The Reno Streetcar Coalition is working to get the RTC on board at least for phase one, which would run on Virginia Street, from the university to Plumb Lane.
"It's exciting. I think it's something for the City of Reno, as we are looking for a vision, and as we are growing up, and becoming something else, I think it's something we should plan for."
The start-up cost isn't small, it's a minimum of $4.8 million to format the roads on top of the cost of the trolleys themselves. So they are looking for more support from the community. For more information, go to http://www.renostreetcarcoalition.com/
