Comment 37818

By zippo (registered) | Posted February 04, 2010 at 13:26:53

Jason: It seems that you assume it ought to be universally agreeable that "greater investment in downtown, greater pedestrian activity, a greater sense of community" is a desired future goal and that it is simply "lizard brain" thinking from the anti-LRT group that stands in the way. Perhaps, I don't dispute your description of the immediate human decision making process, and as far as I know the results fMRI scans of the downtown BIA members when shown pictures of streetcars are still pending... :)

That said let me suggest what to me an obvious alternative explanation: "Economically rational" selfish commitment to "business as usual" on the part of the anti-LRTers

If you owned / lease a car wash, or a "drive through" pod, or a gas station downtown and understand that LRT will reduces car traffic past your door would you support it?

If you owned / lease a rooming house, or a crack house, or a pawn shop, or a dollar store, or a bingo parlor downtown and understand that LRT will "gentrify" your catchment area and drive your clients elsewhere would you support LRT?

I could go on. If "you" were "versatile" this would not be a problem, but what if you're not confident that you can make more money by converting your bed bug infested rooming house to a trendy cafe with lofts on the upper floors? Maybe you think you just don't know how to do that, and if so odds are you are correct. Then LRT is not something you want to see happen

Comment edited by zippo on 2010-02-04 12:32:16

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