What's a streetcar?

Streetcars. First image: Baltimore, Dave's Railpix. Second image: Inekon/Skoda Streetcar at Portland State University. Portland Ground.

From "Streetcars in store? Some say transportation from the past could help Hazel Dell in the future," in the Vancouver Columbian:

So what’s a streetcar? People use the word differently, but here’s the most common version: it’s like light rail, except smaller, cheaper and slower, with less distance between stops.

And usually, light rail has more elaborate stops, specific station areas, while streetcars tend to have stops that are more comparable to bus stops.

Streetcar stop near Portland State University.

Interestingly, the Portland/Tri-Met Yellow line was supposed to start in Vancouver and go south into Portland and to the western suburbs. This required approval by state referenda from both states. It couldn't run that gauntlet, which was attempted 3! times in various iterations. So, the Portland Development Commission (a city-wide community development corporation equivalent, the city's version of DC's Department of Housing and Community Development and the DC Deputy Mayor of Economic Development office combined) created an "Urban Renewal District" and issued bonds to cover the cost of construction of a shorter line that didn't go to Vancouver or outside of Portland to the western suburbs.

This streetcar in Vancouver could have been an extension of the Yellow Line light rail, had it been constructed with Vancouver, Washington as its northern terminum.


Light rail trains. First image: Baltimore. Second image: Bordeaux, France, Transit Coalition.