The 1880's Transit Solution or "A Streetcar Named Delusion"

Under the heading of "questions no one is asking" MinnPost asks this week, "Are streetcars the answer to our transit and environmental needs?"  Streetcars are that cutting edge (circa 1880) technology that moves the masses about the urban landscape at speeds rarely exceeding a brisk walk.  MinnPost writes,

"Cities could reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent or more by linking streetcars and higher-density land use."

How dense?  MinnPost informs,

"The key...is to achieve sufficient density—10 to 40 residential units per acre"

How dense are we today?  MinnPost notes,

"In the Twin Cities, the typical urban neighborhood might have a density of seven to 10 units per acre, while the density in developing suburbs is more in the range of two to four units per acre."

How dense is 10-40 units an acre?   It turns out, this level of density equals San Francisco at the low end (10 units/acre) and roughly approaching the density of the city of Paris, France (50 units/acre) at the high end.

Keep in mind, streetcars won't work if the occasional acre includes 40 housing units, we need to maintain this high density level for mile after mile after mile to build the ridership needed.  It would transform the nature of the community.

Nonetheless, "Minneapolis landed a $900,000 federal grant to explore the idea.  The city has embarked on a study of a possible nine-mile line along Nicollet and Central Avenues"

Let me off at the next stop.