the look of reno

[Cindy Gunn]

just when i think reno is going in the right direction and getting a little better looking along comes another idea that i just don't agree with. the city has plans to put in a trolley type bus system with overhead lines to run along the virginia street corridor. while i'm all for trying to increase public transportation i just don't think this is the way to go. i for one hate to see any more lines in our sky (why don't they put all those other electric and telephone lines underground by now?). With the money for a transportation grant why don't they knock out the parking to put in real bike lanes instead of a trolley system and use the rest for more roundabouts. if people are not taking the present bus system enough why does the transportation dept. think this idea will increase ridership? they want to knock out the existing parking on virginia st. for this trolley system and expect entrepreneurs to open up coffee shops, etc. next to the new stations. well why not just put in some cool bus stations along the route to do the exact same thing? and leave the existing parking so other people as well as bus riders can frequent these future businesses. i understand that some people don't presently ride the bus because of the extra time involved from going form point a to point b. the new trolley system would have the ability to keep a light green as it approaches thereby reducing the amount of time to go a few miles. why not equip the present bus system with a similar ability? I see no need to disrupt the main street in town, digging it up, taking out parking, putting in an ugly overhead line, and making it more dangerous to drive. didn't they just make virginia st. a one lane road downtown recently? do we really want to put a trolley system down there? i don't think so.