Ft Lauderdale approves Streetcar tax

[spuwho]

Per Trains NewsWire:

Fort Lauderdale approves streetcar tax

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Fort Lauderdale city commissioners have unanimously approved a new property tax to support the proposed "Wave" streetcar line. The tax would be levied for 25 years.

Phase one of the Wave, costing a total of $83 million, would run 1.4 miles and begin operation in 2016. The city hopes to add 1.3 miles to the line after that.

Overhead wires will provide power for most of the line. However, the streetcars will use batteries to cross the Third Avenue Bridge over the New River.

The property tax, which is expected to raise $20.6 million for the line, will begin in October. In June 2012 the line received an $18 million transportation TIGER grant from the Federal Transit Administration. Other federal and local sources will make up the remainder of the funding.

[simms3]

^^^Aren't most of these things voted on by the public?  I feel like it's not truly indicative of the attitude down there if the public doesn't have a direct say on such taxes.  The reason I say this is because some of these street car lines going in all over the country now will have little to no use for the local residents, but will provide an "image" of the city as progressive and serve tourists, potentially.  Atlanta's comes to mind, but city leaders and DT property owners found funding without taxation for that.

[thelakelander]

It depends on funding streams.  For example, I believe our city can approve to extend the gas tax that supports JTA without a referendum. Plus, we take taxpayer's money and build plenty of super expensive highways for private benefit without giving the public a choice on the matter.  Locally, look no further than FCOB.

[spuwho]

This first part of WAVE will connect with the new AAF station planned for downtown Ft Lauderdale. WAVE had been in the works for awhile, but was delayed when AAF made their announcement due to the desire to make sure the two were linked.

Technically, I could take AAF or some future Amtrak to Ft Lauderdale, get off, transfer to WAVE to reach certain points in the city center.

[thelakelander]

Although he thinks it's a waste of money, my brother lives two blocks off this streetcar corridor.  It's quite possible, at some point in the near future, it would be more effective for me to ride the rails instead of driving to or flying/renting a car in South Florida. Pretty cool.

[Ocklawaha]

The 'aheader' they go the 'behinder' we get! Time to pull our heads out Jacksonville!

[finehoe]

Phase one of the Wave, costing a total of $83 million, would run 1.4 miles and begin operation in 2016.

Has anyone been to Ft. Lauderdale lately?  Has any construction started on this?

http://wavestreetcar.com/

[Josh]

Looks like it's already been pushed back to Late 2017.