[lrt's friend]

Streetcars are useless unless there is room for dedicated lanes. Streetcars in mixed traffic are slower than buses because they cannot go around obstacles as simple as a turning vehicle. Don't waste money on something that will not deliver better service.

The emphasis should be on bus lanes and building a frequent bus network that complements and feeds the rail network. Solve that last mile problem. You shouldn't feel it is necessary to walk 20 minutes to a rail station.

Working on upgrading the commuter rail network to all-day relatively frequent service mirrors what Toronto is currently working on with its GO rail network and will be a game changer.

Don't expect miracles overnight. This will require a generational change, so a focus on serving colleges and universities well will support a generational change. Here, university tuition includes a transit pass.

Another thing that has worked well here, is to include a transit fare in major event ticket prices, then provide enough transit capacity to support this. Getting car drivers to take transit to even one or two events a year, is a step towards the majority considering transit as an option, rather than just a scary alternative only for the very poor.