I went to several evening public meetings before I was asked to be on the streetcar committee. People met in small groups and suggested possible routes. Multiple "best average of suggested" routes were distributed to both the streetcar subcommittee and the AA, if I remember correctly. I would like to speak first as a private citizen and then as a subcommittee member.

When I went to the initial meetings, as I said, I went as a citizen. But I also went as a consumer of mass transit, having lived without a car in Denver for 8 years. So, I understand what it's like to look at a route map, wait at a stop in all weather, as well as have to ride on a schedule, as I was first a student and then an employed, self-supporting individual during that time. I remember those meetings as being fairly well-attended, but I also remember thinking many of the participants had clearly never ridden mass transit on a regular basis. I didn't really see a lot of understanding about route legibility (which to be fair, is an issue with our bus system as well, so we can't just blame private citizens), distances people would be willing to walk for mass transit, consideration of who the streetcar would serve. To me, a lot of the proposed routes seemed to be designed to stop at as many downtown attractions as possible, and cover the maximal amount of area. I remember looking at a lot of them and thinking, "I don't know how I'd ever give someone directions on how to get where they want to go on the streetcar and, even worse, how to get back once they arrive at their destination. I remember wondering whether this was going to be a sightseeing ride for tourists, or if we really planned to make it useful.

A few months later I was asked to be on the subcommittee. I was introduced to all sorts of new concepts for route determination: existing utilities, right and left hand turns (your turning radius cannot include an existing building!), the Sante Fe railroad and it's authority over bridges and underpasses, couplets versus doubletracking, transit oriented development, and finally, financial considerations. Probably as a result of my personal experiences riding mass transit and my experiences during the first few public meetings, my main early priority was route legibility. I felt that emphasis was one aspect that is particularly easy to overlook if you've never ridden mass transit. Everyone wants to stop at or go past as many attractions as possible, but the route has to be simple to use and make sense or it will run empty. I also learned that willingness to compromise is an important trait for a committee member.

While I think every subcommittee member welcomes public input, this is not a simple decision like where to locate the Chesapeake Arena, the Bricktown Ballpark or even the convention center. There are so very many variables that go into where a route can run, there are so many different options, and considerations such as route legibility, transit oriented development, maximizing usefulness for citizens and visitors have to be factored in. Add in the fact that we don't have unlimited funds, and it suddenly becomes a very complex process. As a subcommittee, we walked or drove every single inch of the route, multiple, multiple times. We did the same for many other options. I tried to think like a rider, and think about why I would be riding. After weighing all the information we had and examining AA recommendations, we came up with what we thought was a very good route. I am extremely pleased with it. However, all of us as subcommittee members were excited about the prospect of having the route reviewed by experts. I don't think there is anyone on the group that doesn't welcome that process, and we are eagerly awaiting their report. If they have suggestions for improvement, they will be received with open minds. Public comments will be welcomed too, but again, the majority of the public is not aware of engineering route constraints, so this has to be weighed. I know public meetings are planned, and I urge everyone to attend and speak up.

There is no way to please everyone, but I would like to think everyone feels free to speak their mind.