The Brooklyn City Streetcar Company has been lobbying to bring trolleys back to Brooklyn lately, according to the NY Post. With plans in the works to improve Brooklyn Bridge Park and revitalize Coney Island, the group thinks the time is now for trolleys (they say trolleys are "fuel-efficient, pollution-free and they lend an ambience to the area"). So far, Brooklyn Bridge Park doesn't seem like it will be a taker while Coney Island is still considering the trolley plan. The The Brooklyn City Streetcar Company website seems very new and/or in-progress, but the most interesting part was its explanatin of how the trolleys will essentially cost the city nothing: "Federal and private money can cover all costs. Federal programs exist to provide funding for projects of this sort. By working together with local government agencies, enough money can be obtained through these programs to cover most major expenses and, as a not-for-profit, BCSC is eligible for numerous private grants." We wonder how much funding would need to be in place for any project to agree to bring the trolleys back - federal grants are never a sure thing. But advertising dollars on trolleys might be.
Forgotten NY has some Brooklyn trolley images. And you know your heartstrings are zinging: Sing The Trolley Song!, from Meet Me in St. Louis.
