Atlanta’s new trams: All aboard! | The Economist

A TINY scarlet hut on Auburn Avenue in Atlanta, Thelma’s Kitchen and Rib Shack, serves up world-beating catfish and grits. Demand for its grub is about to soar. The reasons why sit under a nearby bridge: four shiny new streetcars, each 80 feet (24 metres) long and capable of carrying 200 passengers, waiting for the opening, any day now, of Atlanta’s tram system. The 2.7-mile (4.3km) route will bring new commuters, customers and visitors to the district, and to Thelma’s. The area has already attracted $370m in investment since 2010.

In Atlanta, the social benefits could be considerable. It is one of America’s worst cities for upward mobility. A child born into a family with an income in the bottom fifth has just a 4.5% chance of making it into the top fifth; a baby born in San Francisco has a 12.2% chance. Many poor families are stuck, unable to get good jobs, partly because of the lack of public transport. The new streetcar should help by connecting residents to the city’s main MARTA transport system. For some, it could also save a fortune in petrol: the average driver wastes $1,000-worth of fuel a year sitting in Atlanta’s traffic.

via Atlanta’s new trams: All aboard! | The Economist.