Editorials from The Roanoke Times -'Stunningly cool' ideas for Roanoke

Editorials from The Roanoke Times -'Stunningly cool' ideas for Roanoke: "Only one part of the consultant's vision seems blurry: the idea for a trolley running down Jefferson Street. Downtown Roanoke isn't expansive enough to accommodate such a system effectively, and more than likely it would further snarl traffic at the intersection of Jefferson and Campbell Avenue."

You know, for a moment there I thought I really could get behind the Times for a change. We were doing so well, talking up the Market plan and making it seem like a worthwhile project.

Then you hit this, the 2nd to last paragraph, and the whole -Ed peice goes to hell in a handbasket.

First of all, as someone else wrote in the "Letters to the Editor" a day or two ago, alot of people still think that the biggest problem with downtown is the fact that Campbell is now a 2 way street. Talk about a grudge. But in my own way I can see this change contributing to the problems with congestion at Jeff and Campbell. Yet another Roanoker chimed in on the Letters page to add: A streetcar needs someplace to start from, and someplace to go. Well generally, yes. You do not often find "rides to nowhere" anymore. My grandmother told me about them, you would get on a bus and ride somewhere - get out for a little while, then ride back. It was something to get you out of the city for a day. But as the years progressed, people got used to having a destination.

Now, reading through this -Ed. makes me wonder how often the Times Editorial Board reads the paper they produce. All those sketches were reportedly (according to the article found here) based on input from the residents who actually took the time to stop by and voice an opinion. I have a feeling that the Streetcar is one of them, being that its an idea which has been kicked around Roanoke for quite a while now.

And as for Downtown Roanoke not being expansive enough, well - downtown was not all that expansive back when the Streetcars first started operating, but they still managed to do a good amount of business. Plus, Downtown pushes outwards by a block or two each year. If you look, you can see signs of Elm Ave. becoming part of Downtown. And let's not forget, under the new zoning guidelines, the Downtown district is going to go all the way south to Old SW and 581/220. I'd say thats pretty expansive. Be a nice tour for visitors, from downtown all the way to the historic Victorians of Old Southwest, across to the base of Mill Mountain and back up to downtown. But again, for the -Ed. staff of the Times to know this, they might actually have to read the paper.

Ah well, nearly 8am and still dim out. Rainy.. Just another day in Roanoke....