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A streetcar named transportation

So Charlotte's hunting for ways to pay for a streetcar. They've got to somehow scrounge up $457 million for the line.

Options such as a city tax or finding federal money are out there, and it appears that  a combination of those will end up coming together.

So what's that got to do with us?

Not much, except it reminds us of action the county took last week for its own public transportaion contract with MV, which was extended for the same price as the current deal.

That means that the county is paying the same price for its service, for the most part. But if more people want rides, then someone's going to have to pay. And right now, it looks like the county isn't interested in footing any more of the bill than it has to, especially for those people who could get around on their own.

Tradidtionally the county's public transportation riders were those who had no other options - the elederly and those on Medicaid

"We will not be able to provide general rides for someone who may live in an unincoproated area," Myra Thompson told us last week.

That means that if you were using the county rides to get to work and you have wheels anyway, you may have more trouble finding a ride from the government than before. Or if the county government feels that you could get around otherwise, you'll have to look elsewhere for a ride.

The county extended the current contract with MV Transportation until Oct. 15. In that time it hopes to find a few vendors. Here's the full request for proposals on the county's transportation contract.

You know, Greensboro once had streetcars of its own, way back when.